348 
NORTHERN CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER. 
the moment it is expressed, unless the juice shows 
acidity with litimus paper ; in that case, no lime should 
be used, but a solution of sal-soda or soda ash should 
be added, until it is precisely neutral. 
4. When the juice is neutral, free from excess of 
acid or alkali, it should be evaporated in such an ap¬ 
paratus as would finish its charge in 30 minutes ; if 
the boiling power is too small, good crystallization can 
not possibly be obtained. 
The whole time occupied, from the cutting of the 
cane to finishing its boiling, should not exceed one 
hour. 
5. To know when the boiling is finished, place a 
thermometer in the kettle, and continue to evaporate 
until it stands at 239° Fahrenheit. If, when placed to 
run off after cooling, it should be found too freely 
boiled, the next time boil to 240°, or, if too light to run 
off', to 238°, and so on. 
6. The kettle or boiler should be so arranged, that 
the moment it is done its charge should be thrown 
into a cooler, capable of holding a number of charges. 
The first charge should be left in the cooler with stir¬ 
ring, until the second charge is thrown in ; then with 
an oar scrape the crystals found on the side and bottom 
of the cooler loose, and gently stir the whole mass to¬ 
gether: the less stirred the better ; so continue at the 
letting in of each charge, to stir gently; and when all 
is in the cooler, let the whole stand until it cools down 
to 175°; then fill out into sugar-moulds of a capacity 
not less than 14 gallons. When cooled in the mould 
sufficiently, say fourteen hours, pull the plug out of 
the bottom of the mould, and insert a sharp point, 
nearly as large as the hole, some six inches; with¬ 
draw the point, and stand the mould on a pot to drip. 
7. If the sugar is intended to be brown, leaving it 
standing on the pot for a sufficient length of time, in 
a temperature of 80°, will run off its molasses, and 
leave it in a merchantable shape; it will probably re¬ 
quire twenty days. It can then be thrown out of the 
moulds, and will be fit for use. When moulds can 
not be obtained, conical vessels of wood or metal, with 
a hole at the apex, will answer equally well. D. 
From the American Agriculturist Almanac. 
NORTHERN CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER. 
Settle all your accounts, collect what is due you, 
and pay what you owe. “ Short settlements make 
long friends.” Examine your farm statistics, and see 
what have been the results of your experiments with 
the different kinds of manures, seeds, modes of tillage, 
&c., &c.; and note them well for future use. No 
farmer ought to be without such a book, in which all 
experiments should be carefully recorded at the time, 
and the results carried into a separate book for his 
own use hereafter; and if new and valuable discove¬ 
ries are obtained, communicate them to some agricul¬ 
tural periodical for the benefit of the world. Recol¬ 
lect, you have the experience of thousands to guide 
your operations, and, by contributing to the general 
stock whatever may be useful, you are but returning 
to mankind a part of the benefits you have derived 
from them. But avoid twaddle and humbuggery, and 
oft-published statements, and prolix or tedious narra¬ 
tion, and give all the circumstances material to the 
subjects in the briefest, plainest, simplest language 
possible. Above all things, send in your subscription 
to one or more valuable agricultural papers, and get 
as many of your neighbors to subscribe as possible; 
and consider, in so doing, you are benefiting yourself 
by it ten times as much as you are the publishers. 
Summer is peculiarly the time for making observations 
and experiments, and winter the time for communica¬ 
ting them. Remember the poor , not only in this month, 
but every month through the year, and especially du¬ 
ring the inclemency of winter. You need not give so 
much to them outright, but endeavor to put them in a 
way of making themselves comfortable, by affording 
them employment, by which, you may be benefited, 
while doing them good. You thus confer on them a 
triple benefit, by furnishing them the means of com¬ 
fortable subsistence, teaching them to help themselves, 
and avoiding the habit of receiving charity , which in¬ 
sensibly weakens their sense of self-dependance. 
Stock now requires increased attention : they must 
be well housed, or at least protected against wind, 
with a shelter to which they can resort in storms, well 
supplied with salt, and abundance of water, if possi¬ 
ble, in the yard, where they can get it when they 
want, and without wearying themselves in looking for 
it, and wasting their manure by dropping it in the 
road, or by a running stream or pond, where it will all 
be lost. Their feed should be regular, and given to 
them as near stated times as possible. They look for 
their food then at certain hours, and are not uneasy 
and fretful till the customary period arrives, when 
they again fill themselves, and rest quietly, digesting 
their food till it is time to look for another supply. If 
brought up in regular habits, brutes are much better 
time-keepers than many are disposed to consider them 
who have not observed closely their intelligence. Now 
is a good time to break steers and colts, while the 
roads are smooth aud hard. They ought to be early 
accustomed to handling and the halter, and be gently 
treated, by which they are more disposed to yield to 
the wishes of their master. If they have been always 
used to good treatment, they will acquire a confidence 
in their keepers, and the more readily submit to their 
guidance. 5 Tis always better to train them with 
strong, well-broken animals. Sympathy has more to 
do with the brute creation than they have credit for 
generally; and the good habits and orderly behavior 
of the older animals, they have been accustomed to 
treat with deference, will not be without their whole¬ 
some effect on them. 
This is the best month for spreading out hemp for 
dew-rotting, in the latitudes below 40°, as it gets a 
whiter and better rot than if spread earlier. 
Kitchen-Garden. —Every fine day uncover the 
frames in which are lettuce and cauliflower plants; 
otherwise they will become spindling, from want of 
air. Hot-beds can now be made, for forcing asparagus 
for the table in January. If the ground is open, con¬ 
tinue trenching for spring crops. When the ground 
is frozen, cart manure, repair fences, clean seeds, pre¬ 
pare tools for spring. Provide pea-sticks, bean-poles, 
&c., and finish all that will be required in the spring, 
and which can be done when the ground is frozen. 
Fruit-Garden and Orchard.— Finish those things 
which may have been omitted the previous month. If 
the weather continues open, digging and plowing may 
be done advantageously. Perform any work that may 
tend to forward your business in the spring. 
Flower-Garden and Pleasure-Grounds. —Con¬ 
tinue to protect your beds of bulbs, and also flower-beds 
and shrubs as directed in last month. Should the 
weather continue open in the early part of this month, 
bulbs may still be planted. They should not be left 
as late as this, but if such has been the case, they had 
better be planted now than left until spring. Now 
carefully protect seedling bulbs. The more tender 
kinds of trees can have their roots protected from 
frost by laying manure or long litter about them. 
