6 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
BIRTHDAY. 
Bithday (38)*, 10 years old. Winner of 
the 1st prize at the N. Y. State Show in 
1853 and 1854. 1st prize at the Devon Ag. 
Show at Exeter in 1848, and 1st prize at the 
Barnstaple and North Devon Cattle Show 
in 1848, as one of a dairy of cows. She was 
sired by Proctor (109), dam Taunton (440), 
and is the property of L. G. Morris, by whom 
she was selected and imported. 
‘Davies’ Devon Herd Book. 
For the American Agriculturist, 
GIRLS S HOULD LE ARN HO W TO “ KEEP HOUSE.’ ’ 
It is evening. I am sitting in my parlor 
reading a “ Daily,’' which has just been 
brought from the city. In the cellar, below 
me, I hear a saw, and children’s voices, and 
now and then, another, more full and manly. 
I know a quarter of beef is undergoing a pro¬ 
cess of “ cutting up,” and I hear a multi¬ 
tude of questions from the little folks about 
roasting-pieces, boiling-pieces, soup-pieces, 
and steaks. 
“Where is the best steak found!” one 
asks. I do not observe the answer, for my 
thoughts have wandered far away, and I am 
thinking of an anecdote I overheard of a 
newly married pair. They were both young, 
and entirely ignorant of the mysteries of 
housekeeping. They were wealthy, and of 
course their establishment was not very 
simple. They had much company, and the 
lady was subjected to many mortifications. 
Her servants came to her for directions, but 
she was utterly at a loss how to give them. 
Tears often relieved her overcharged heart, 
but they made her no wiser. 
At one time a party of gentlemen were 
guests at the house. As there was a whole 
beef in the cellar, the lady proposed they 
should select their own dinner. A steak was 
decided upon. But a difficulty arose : no 
one knew where the steak was to be found. 
How the locality of the choice bit was as¬ 
certained, I do not know, or whether they 
ascertained it at all. But one thing I do 
know, and that is, that for want of a little 
earlyinstruction, it was through much tribu¬ 
lation that the lady alluded to became a su¬ 
perior housekeeper. 
No young lady can be too well instructed 
in anything which will affect the comfort of 
a family. Whatever position in society she 
occupies, she needs a practical knowledge of 
the duties of a housekeeper. She may be 
placed in such circumstances that it will not 
be necessary for her to perform much do¬ 
mestic labor, but on this account, she needs 
no less knowledge, than if herself obliged to 
preside personally over the cooking-stove 
and pantry. Indeed, I have often thought 
that it is more difficult to direct others, and 
requires more experience, than to do the same 
work with our own hands. 
Mothers are frequently so nice and par¬ 
ticular, that they do not like to give up any 
part of their care to their children. This is 
a great mistake in their management, for they 
are often burdened with labor, and need re¬ 
relief. Children should be early taught to 
make themselves useful—to assist their pa¬ 
rents in every way in their power, and to 
consider it a privilege to do so. 
Young people can not realize the import¬ 
ance of a thorough knowledge of house¬ 
wifery, but those who have suffered the in¬ 
conveniences and mortifications of ignorance 
can well appreciate it. Children should be 
early indulged in their disposition to bake, 
and experiment in cooking in various ways. 
It is often but a “ troublesome help ” which 
they afford still it is a great advantage to 
them. 
I know a little girl, who, at nine years old, 
made a loaf of bread every week during the 
winter. Her mother taught her how much 
yeast, and salt, and flour to use, and she be¬ 
came quite an expert baker. Whenever she 
is disposed to try her skill in making simple 
cake, or pies, she is permitted to do so. She 
is thus, while amusing herself, learning an 
important lesson. Her mother calls her 
her little housekeeper, and often permits her 
to get the sweetmeats for the table. She 
hangs the keys by her side, and very musi¬ 
cal their gingling is to her ears. I think, be¬ 
fore she is out of her teens, upon which she 
has not yet entered, that she will have some 
idea where to find a steak, and how to cook 
it too. 
Some mothers give their daughters the 
care of housekeeping, each a week, by turns 
It seems to me a good arrangement, and a 
most useful part of their education. 
Domestic labor is by no means incompati¬ 
ble with the highest degree of refinement 
and mental culture. Many of the most ele¬ 
gant, accomplished women I have known, 
have looked well to their househould duties, 
and have honored themselves and their hus¬ 
bands by so doing. Anna Hope. 
[Will some “expert” please give a plain 
description of the method of cutting up a beef, 
a chicken, &c.! and tell exactly where the 
“choice pieces ” are to be found.—E ds.] 
For the American Agriculturist. 
GOLDEN DROP SPRING WHEAT. 
I herewith send you a sample of the Gold¬ 
en Drop or Fife wheat, as it is more com¬ 
monly called here, from the fact that the 
seed from which this sprung was brought 
three year’s since from the Fife in Scotland, 
by a Scotchman. This wheat succeeds 
better than any other we have ever had here. 
It is better than the Black Sea, inasmuch as 
it yields in every season more than that, and 
is not liable to be struck by rust, and the 
straw is bright and better than any other 
spring wheat straw for feeding. The quali¬ 
ty of the flour is far superior to that of Black 
Sea. In fact a great deal of it is being 
mixed with Genesee wheat and sold as first 
quality flour. It is superior to the China or 
Tea wheat, in that it does not shell so easily 
and waste in harvesting, as the Tea. It 
makes about the same quality and quantity of 
flour as the Tea, but will yield, I think, a 
little more to the acre, especially on poor 
land. Four years ago there was not a bushel 
of it raised in this country ; Black Sea was 
raised in great quantity, and now this is exact¬ 
ly the reverse. I raised last season over two 
thousand bushels, and shall sow as much 
land this year as last, with the same wheat. 
Our farmers use it also to sow on their win 
ter wheat-fields in the spring, where the 
latter has been killed out. The appearance 
of the wheat is much the same as winter 
wheat. K. 
Brownville, Jefferson Co., N. Y. March 7, 1855 
Take Care of the Trees. —As the frost is 
leaving the ground, canker-worms will soon 
begin to ascend the trees, unless proper means 
are speedily taken to prevpnt it. Small 
leaden troughs filled with oil, and encircling 
the trunks, are a good preventive. 
It is stated that the original statue of Pow¬ 
er’s Greek Slave is in this country. This is 
a mistake. It was executed expressly for 
Mr. John Grant, of London, and has never 
been out of his possession. The Greek 
Slave in this country is a copy. 
Fruit Crops in Massachusetts. —We re¬ 
gret to say, that in many localities in this 
vicinity, the germ of the flowering buds of 
the peach tree is to a considerable exetent 
destroyed by the severity of the weather. 
A small portion of the buds, in most of the 
trees, will probably produce fruit.— Wor¬ 
cester Spy. 
Ezra Meach, of Charlotte, besides weigh¬ 
ing 400 pounds, has the largest farm in Ver¬ 
mont, keeps 300 head of cattle and 2000 sheep, 
cultivates 30 acres of wheat, 40 of rye, 25 of 
corn, 20 of potatoes, 25 of beans, and 50 of 
oats; 250 acres are plowed and 600 acres 
are used as meadow. 
Zeal without judgment is an evil, though 
it be zeal unto good. 
