338 POPULAR ERRORS.-NO. 2. -ETC. 
POPULAR ERRORS—No. 2. 
Shrinking and swelling of Meat in the Pot .— 
When children, we used to be told that pork, beef, 
&c., killed in the old of the moon, would shrink in 
the pot; and if in the new, it would swell ; and a 
great many good, honest farmers, religiously ob¬ 
served her waxing and waning quarters for their 
periodical packing. That some meat shrinks, 
while other swells, is a fact too notorious for cavil; 
but that the moon is to be praised or blamed for 
this agency we most fully deny. The true cause 
of these changes is to be found in the manner of 
feeding the animals before slaughtering. An ani- 
ih'al that has been long and well fed, till the fat 
cells have become fully charged with solid matter, 
will, on exposure to boiling water, absorb a portion 
of it, and consequently swell the dimensions of the 
flesh; while that which has been hastily or but 
partially fattened, will diminish in cooking from 
the abstraction of the juices which occupied the 
cavities or spaces between the lean fibres. This is 
the whole secret of the shrinking and swelling of 
meats. It will thus be perceived that one carcase 
of equal weight may differ materially in value from 
another of nearly the same apparent quality. This 
difference in value is equally manifest in the quality 
of fish and poultry. Eggs from well-fed hens are 
also much more rich and substantial than those 
which are produced by hens sparsely fed. The 
latter will invariably be found meagre and watery. 
Horseshoes —not for shoeing horses, but for 
“ keeping out witches,” are still a staple article 
among the farmers of our country. Indeed, they 
have not yet been entirely driven out of the printing- 
offices, for we saw a formidable one recently pro¬ 
tecting the only door to this domicil of the printer’s 
devils. W hat particular style of shoe is necessary 
for the utmost efficiency of keeping out witches, we 
are not advised; whether of concave, flat-toed, 
sharp-corked, or what not; but we believe it 
should invariably be pretty thoroughly worn ; the 
older and the uglier the more efficacious. We 
should think additional virtue would be imparted 
to it, if taken from a horse that had died of stran¬ 
gulation or some unknown disease; and if from an 
old blind, spavined, wind-broken mare, that had 
slunk her foal, we presume entire impunity would 
be secured. 
Reason and philosophy have both been brought 
to bear on this subject, without success, for here is 
a practice above and beyond the reach of both. 
“ Our fathers did it, and they are wiser than we, 
and nobody knows that it does not keep them off, and 
we shall do as they have done.” As old horseshoes 
are not expensive, and have been found a good sub¬ 
stitute for new hemp, which is more saleable, and at 
a higher price, we commend the present practice 
over the older one, where hemp was almost entirely 
substituted. Oh, we forget, we believe they did 
sometimes drown and burn witches as well as 
hang them. 
Setting out Fruit Trees. —It is a great error that 
trees will not grow in any soil where they can 
spread their roots, provided the ground be first 
deeply plowed and well pulverized, or holes be dug 
in it sufficiently large for the roots to spread, and 
2hen the proper elements be added, if deficient in 
them, to make wood and fruit. We can instance 
many a place in this vicinity, where it is said the 
pear or peach tree will not flourish. Now this is 
all gammon. We say they will grow, and that 
luxuriantly too, and bear any quantity of fruit. 
A friend of ours, in Westchester, was told by his 
neighbors when he first set out his peach trees, that 
they would all die because the soil was not suit¬ 
able for them. He had little faith in such prognos¬ 
tications, but went resolutely to work. Dug large 
holes—put a wide flat stone at the bottom—cut off 
the tap-root—manured the ground well—plowed it 
deeply—planted potatoes—then corn—then put 
plenty of charcoal and lime about the trunks of the 
trees—then more manure and planted again in po¬ 
tatoes—and then sowed oats and grass seed. In 
five years from planting the peach stones, he had a 
large quantity of the finest quality of fruit, which 
his neighbors were very glad to beg of him, not¬ 
withstanding they had prophesied he could not 
grow them. 
Another friend of ours, on the south side of Long 
Island, found a patch of stiff soil, with an admix¬ 
ture of clay in it, not far from his residence. He 
set out pear trees on a poor sandy soil, and carted 
three loads of this stiff soil and spread around each, 
tree. In other respects he treated them and the soil 
very much as our W estchester friend did the peach 
trees. This was nine years ago. Now, he has 
plenty of choice pears, while his neighbors, for 
miles around, have not a single one, merely because 
they acted on the belief that neither the soil nor the 
climate was suited to grow them! 
Comparative Value of Irish and Virginian 
Tobacco.— In the year 1829-30 the cultivation of 
tobacco in Ireland excited much attention among 
agriculturists, and several hundred acres of it were 
raised in different counties ; in consequence, the at¬ 
tention of the Royal Dublin Society was directed to 
the subject, and the author was requested by a 
select committee of that body to institute experi¬ 
ments on tobacco with a view to determine some 
questions of a practical nature, as to whether its 
root contained nicotin, and in what quantity, and to 
ascertain the comparative value of Irish and Vir¬ 
ginian tobacco. 
The author’s experiments were made on average 
samples of Virginian and Irish tobacco; for the 
former he was indebted to the kindness of Mr. 
Simon Foot, and for the latter to Messrs. Wild, 
Cuthbert, Cathwell, and Brodigan. From a num¬ 
ber of experiments the author was led to conclude, 
that the dried roots of Irish tobacco contain from 
four to five parts of nicotin in 100 parts; and that 
one pound of good Virginian tobacco is equivalent 
in value to about twenty-four pounds of good 
Irish tobacco. 
After the author had finished his experiments, it 
was gratifying to him to be informed that some 
manufacturers estimate one pound of Virginian to¬ 
bacco equivalent in value to about two pounds of 
Irish.— Proceedings of the British Association. 
To Prevent the smoking of a Lamp. —Soak 
the wick in strong vinegar, and dry it well before 
you use it; it will then burn sweet and pleasant 
