144 
TO CURE RENNET-SKINS.-—ITEMS. 
loaded with countless flowers; a hundredth part of 
them, when changed to fruit, is more than the 
plant can bear; they, therefore, drop off by thou¬ 
sands and strew the ground to the alarm of the in¬ 
experienced gardener, who is afterwards surprised 
at the appearance of an abundant crop. Strike a 
fir-tree in the spring, and forthwith the air is filled 
with myriads of millions of pollen-grains, provided 
for the fertilization of a few dozen cones; some 
hundreds of seeds receive the influence, the rest of 
the pollen-grains fly to waste. A calculation prov¬ 
ing this, is to be found in the London Botanical 
Register, where the editor shows that 27,000,000,- 
000 pollen-grains were provided on one plant of 
Glycine sinensis, in order to insure the fertilization 
of 4,050,000 seeds, or about 7000 pollen-grains to 
each seed! And so it is, with few exceptions, 
throughout nature. The starch, gum, or sugar 
lodged in a plant, however, is no exception. Some 
of those substances must be present; but they are 
rovided in such prodigal abundance in the teeming 
osom of Nature that common accidents can hardly 
exhaust them. 
We would not, however, advise persons who 
have weak vines to disregard their bleeding; nor 
are we sure that the strongest and the most vigor¬ 
ous vines might not be injured by a continuance 
of profuse bleeding; although an occasional effort 
may be borne. A strong, robust man will bear the 
loss of a pint of blood without inconvenience; but 
take from him four times the quantity, and his na¬ 
ture will prostrate under the effort. In like manner, 
an ailing old man will perish under what a stout, 
healthy boy would endure without a complaint. 
TO CURE RENNET-SKINS. 
Rennet, or runnet. used in cheese-making, is 
made from the stomachs of calves, which are 
sometimes called “ veils.” As soon as the calf has 
sucked whatever he likes, he should be killed 
and the stomach immediately taken out. The 
coagulated or curdled milk should then be poured 
into a dish and examined; and any substance found 
in it, but curd, should be removed. The serum or 
watery part left in the stomach should be pressed 
out with a clean cloth. Then, as it is only the in¬ 
ner coat that is to be preserved, the outer skin 
should be well scraped, and all the fatty and useless 
covering thrown away. The curd should then be 
replaced in the stomach, and two gallons of strong 
brine with two lemons added to every six veils, 
and suffered to soak for ten or twelve hours. The 
lemons do away with any disagreeable smell, and 
give the rennet sweetness and agreeable flavor. 
Twenty or thirty gallons of veils may be made at 
a time, if convenient, as they are found to be much 
better when large quantities are made. After salt¬ 
ing, the veils are hung up to dry, with a piece of 
flat wood put crosswise into each to stretch them 
out. When perfectly dried, they should appear 
somewhat of the color and texture of parchment. 
They should never be used in cheese-making, 
however, before they have stood at least two 
months; and they are still better at the end of a 
year; for, if they are not old, the rennet made from 
them will cause the cheese to “ heave,” and become 
full of holes or “ eyes.” 
Quantity of Brown Corn necessary to plant 
an Acre.— From the data given in the article, page 
141, the following table has been constructed, and 
may be relied upon as a general guide for knowing 
the quantity of this, or any other variety of corn 
having grains of about the same size, required to 
plant an acre of land with the hills at the usual dis¬ 
tances apart. 
Distances of hills 
apart. 
Quantity required 
4 grs. to a hill. 
Quantity required 
5 grs. to a hill. 
Ft. Ft. 
Qrts. Dec. 
Qrts. Dec. 
3 by 2 
14.52 
18.15 
3. “ 3 
9.68 
12.10 
3i“ *3 
8.30 
10.37 
31“ 3| 
7.11 
8.89 
4 “ 3 
7.26 
9.08 
4 “ 3 k 
6.22 
7.78 
4 “ 4 
5.44 
6.80 
To Destroy the Canada Thistle.— We ex¬ 
tract the following quaint directions for extir¬ 
pating the Canada thistle, from a lady’s port¬ 
folio, in which there is much good sense ; yet we 
would not let these vile intruders have a chance of 
living until August merely for the sake of the ex¬ 
periment :— 
“ If thistles he cut in Aprile, 
They appear in a little while; 
But if cut in May, 
They peep out next day. 
If cut in June, 
They re-appear too soon; 
If in July, 
They ’ll hardly die; 
But if cut in August, 
Die they must.” 
To Prepare Bees-wax.— To obtain wax, boil 
the combs in a strong muslin bag, in a saucepan, 
with water sufficient to keep the bag from burning; 
and whilst boiling, continue to press the bag with 
a wooden slice or spoon, to extract the whole, as 
you skim off the wax. Drop the wax into cold 
water, where it will swim on the surface. The 
wax thus obtained will still want refining, to effect 
which, place it in a clean saucepan, and melt it 
over a slow fire. Then pour off the clear wax into 
proper vessels and let it cool. 
New York State Agricultural Society.— We 
invite attention to the Premium List of this society, 
published in the present number of our paper. They 
amount to upwards of $3,000, in cash, besides a 
large number of books. The show is to come off 
on the 15th and 16th of September next, at Sara¬ 
toga. The show ground to be enclosed will com¬ 
prise an area of fifteen acres. Temporary buildings 
of ample dimensions will be erected within the 
enclosure, and every reasonable accommodation be 
provided for all exhibitors. Arrangements will be 
made with the several railroad companies for the 
gratuitous transportation of stock, as well as im¬ 
plements, &c., designed for exhibition. The hotels 
at Saratoga have agreed not to raise their prices 
above ordinary charges, which will be from one to 
two dollars per day, according to the style of the 
hotel at which visitors please to put up. Hon. 
Silas Wright, late governor of the State, will de¬ 
liver the annual address upon the occasion. 
