14 
STEAMING FOOD. 
Haverstraw, on the Hudson, it injuriously affects 
all vegetation—orchards are killed for three miles ! 
The Newtown pippins are rendered rusty, gnarled, 
and covered with rough dark spots. The fuel em¬ 
ployed in burning the bricks he said was wood, 
followed by fine mineral coal. ( a ) 
Professor Mapes said that he had listened to the 
ingenious observations of Dr. Underhill, and would 
endeavor to give the rationale of the case. By 
application of adequate heat, alum is formed by 
means of the alumina and potash in the bricks, and 
the sulphuric acid from the coal. The alum, thus 
formed, rises by mechanical action in the ascend¬ 
ing currents of heated gases or air, in infinitesimal 
atoms, which, in being deposited upon the neigh¬ 
boring plants and trees, moistened by dew, fog, or 
rain, would, when dissolved, directly damage 
their leaves. 
Dorking Fowls.— Dr. H. A. Field exhibited a 
very convenient wicker cage, made by the paupers 
of Blackwell’s Island, containing several fine fowls 
of the genuine Dorking breed. He said that he 
hought these fowls deserving the attention of the 
Club, and he had accordingly brought them for ex¬ 
amination. The breed, he said, was first introduced 
into this country by Mr. A. B. Allen, who 
spared no pains in procuring them when he was in 
England, in 1841. Since that period, he said, that 
there had been two other importations of pure 
breed, by Captain Morgan, who procured them of a 
clergyman of Dorking, at a guinea each, exclusive 
of other expenses. The first of these importations, 
continued Dr. F., was taken by Mr. L F. Allen, of 
Black Rock, N. Y., from whom the fowls in his 
possession were obtained. This breed, in an un¬ 
mixed state, he remarked, is generally distinguished' 
in having five toes to each foot, from which cir¬ 
cumstance some persons have been induced to pass 
off other fowls that are occasionally to be found 
with five toes, as Dorkings. This forgery, he said, 
has caused the genuine breed to fall into dis¬ 
repute. (6) The true Dorking, has a remarkably 
full, square breast, with short legs and neck, the 
former of which, he said, are always of a delicate 
flesh-color, or white. The chickens, when about 
six weeks old, are deemed as a luxury equal to the 
best game birds. The flesh and skin of these fowls 
in an adult state, are also white, and delicate in their 
flavor, by reason of which they are universally pre¬ 
ferred by the English nobility. 
The remarks of Dr. Field were confirmed by 
Messrs. Havens and Watson, who had been in 
England, and had had opportunities to test the qua¬ 
lities of these fowls. 
(a) The observations of Dr. Underhill, as given 
above, we must confess, appear to be very extraor¬ 
dinary, and are at variance with facts so far as our 
own knowledge extends. We have no doubt of the 
truth, that vegetation growing in the immediate 
vicinity of burning kilns, existing, under some cir¬ 
cumstances, will be injured; but when fruits, 
plants, and trees, show signs of death or decay, at 
the distance of miles, we think that it must be attri¬ 
buted to some other cause. For the beneiit of our 
readers, however, we insert the following letter 
from Dr. Jackson, whose authority is undoubted, 
and who, in due time, we hope will further en 
lighten us on the subject. 
Boston , December 7th, 1846. 
It is well ascertained that sulphurous acid gas 
driven off from pyrotiferous clays by roasting, is 
injurious to vegetation, and if the clay used in the 
brick-yards contains either sulphurets or sulphates, 
the action of heat and of carbon will cause an 
abundant disengagement of sulphurous acid gas. 
The roasting heaps of sulphurets of iron and 
copper, destroy vegetation for some distance 
around, and the action is most marked when there 
is moisture on the leaves, the acid being thereby 
condensed. Alum is not volatile at any heat used 
in brick-making. It may be decomposed by carbon 
and lime at a red heat, and then gives forth sul¬ 
phurous acid gas. Sulphates of potash and soda 
are decomposed in the same manner. I have not 
observed any injurious effects produced by the 
burning of bricks in this vicinity, but since you 
have called my attention to the subject I will inquire 
into the matter. C. T. Jackson. 
( b ) The five toes on Dorkings are a source of 
great fraud. Almost every fowl with that number 
of appendages is brought to market and sold as a 
pure-bred Dorking. In order to avoid this, the 
number of toes is not to be depended upon alone, 
as plenty of fowls may be had with five toes that 
are only half-blood. In Surrey, England, where 
the Dorkings originated, and are largely and better 
bred than elsewhere, the most celebrated breeders 
have commenced to breed for only four toes. The 
best Dorking fowls that we have ever seen had 
only four; and it is a curious fact that, among 
the pure unmixed breeds, where they have five 
toes, it frequently occurs that their offspring will 
have but four. 
It may be interesting to some to know that it is 
of this breed of fowls that the capons, so much 
esteemed by English epicures, are made whenever 
they can be procured. 
v STEAMING FOOD. 
In the preceding volumes of this work, we have 
given various articles on grinding and boiling food 
for stock, accompanied with numerous illustrations. 
We shall now treat of steaming food, for, in some 
respects, it is superior to boiling. 
In boiling, the blaze is outside of the kettle and the 
food inside; it is, therefore, in continual danger of 
being.burned and much injured, unless some one 
stands by constantly stirring it. This is not only 
troublesome and inconvenient, but often adds more 
to the expenses of cooking, in the time of the person 
‘thus employed, than under ordinary circumstances 
can well be afforded. Nor do we see how this is to 
be avoided, unless the kettle be made with false 
sides and bottom, allowing several inches space 
between them and the true, which space must be 
kept constantly full of water. This would nearly 
double the expense of the apparatus, require its 
being closely watched during the boiling, in order 
to fill the space between with water as fast.as it 
evaporated ; the process of cooking would also be 
slower in this method, as it would require more 
heat around a double than a single kettle to bring 
the water within to a boiling point 
