Q36 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
fail to breed from being kept from birth in too high con¬ 
dition, although this is not a common fault. When a 
heifer or cow is obstinate in not breeding, after freely re¬ 
ceiving the male, we know of no better way than to re¬ 
duce her condition, gradually, to a low state—poor even 
—and keep her so during repeated trials. If a series of 
months does not, with due attention on the part of a rea¬ 
sonably sure male, get her in calf, we should consider 
the case hopeless. 
May Caps.—We took occasion to commend these 
pretty strongly at page 152, August No., as well as pre¬ 
viously, and reports of their utility are olten received from 
those who adopted our suggestions. Here is one of a 
number of like import. E. D. Newton, of Alleghany Co , 
N. Y., writes Sept. 7th, “_I ventured to try twenty 
hay caps this year, and although made from cloth of an in¬ 
ferior quality, I am satisfied they have saved me double 
their cost All my neighbors are unanimous in the opin¬ 
ion that they are excellent fora wet season_” Hay 
growers will do well to make a note of this matter, and 
next Winter, when they have leisure, turn back and read 
the descriptive article at page 152, and then make up a 
supply against next Summer’s haying time. 
Potato EJiggyr.—“ Subscriber,” Wis. We can¬ 
not judge of the practical operation of your proposed ma¬ 
chine from the rough sketch forwarded. You can best 
test it by building a machine and trying it. It may work 
on clean loose soil 
Connecticut SSusSxel. —By a recent act of the 
Conn. Legislature establishing the number of pounds in 
a bushel, Wheat is hereafter to be reckoned at 60 lbs. 
per bushel. Buckwheat at 48 lbs., Corn 56 lbs., Rye 56 
lbs., Barley 48 lbs., Oats 32 lbs., Rye and Corn Meal 50 lbs., 
Beans and Peas 60 lbs., Beets of all kinds and Potatoes, 
60 lbs., Common English Turnips 50 lbs., Ruta Bagas 60 
tbs., Carrots 55 lbs., Onions 50 lbs., Parsneps 45 lbs. 
Penn. Agricultural Journal. —Alex. F. 
Brown, Mercer Co., Pa.—Just such a paper as you de¬ 
scribe, we hope to make the Ameriaan Agriculturist. You 
will find much in the present volume, forwarded to your 
order, but this volume is not half of what the next one 
will be when we contemplate adding several pages even 
to its present size, and improving it in every respect. 
We are determined not only to equal but far excel any 
other paper published, whether for the farmers of Penn¬ 
sylvania, or for those in any other state. We know of 
no such paper in Westchester, as the one you inquire for. 
Wine Flailing.—J. M. Fishburn, of Rockbridge 
Co., Va., inquires for himself and others for a simple 
recipe for making wine on a small scale. Wine may be 
made from the Isabella and Catawba Grapes, on a small 
scale, by picking the bunches when fully ripe, and after 
sorting out. any unsound or immature berries, put them in 
a tight box or barrel, and mash the pulp with a pounder, 
having the lower end square. Reduce the fruit in this 
manner to a fine mass, but do not break the seeds while 
pounding. Place the whole in a coarse bag or sack and 
submit it to pressure. If a cheese or portable cider 
press is at hand, make use of it, otherwise place the 
sack between planks and lay stones upon them. Leave 
in a moderately cool place for two or three days. When 
all the juice is expressed, which is usually from 12 to 15 
quarts per bushel of grapes, put it in a clean sweet keg or 
barrel, filling within three or four inches of the bung, and 
leave for two or three weeks to ferment, when the wine 
becomes clear. Fill the cask full from some reserved for 
that purpose, tighten the bung, and place in a cool 
cellar until February or March, when it should be racked 
off into clean casks, kegs or bottles, entirely filling them, 
and bung or cork securely. In this condition it will im¬ 
prove by keeping. If the liquid is not perfectly clear af¬ 
ter one racking, the process should be repeated, using per¬ 
fectly clean casks, or thoroughly wash the old ones It is 
better to omit the bottling until the w'ine is one year old, 
and then the heads of the corks should be coated with 
wax. Some add a little sugar to the juice, say one pound 
to each gallon, but with perfectly ripe Catawbas there is 
no necessity for this. 
Tomato Wine.—Ben). Butterfield, Will Co., Ill.— 
Select and mash well ripened fruit; press out the juice; 
add 1 pint of water and 1 lb. sugar to each quart of juice. 
Set away in a partially filled vessel to ferment similarly 
to grape wine. After fermenting sufficiently put in tight 
kegs and keep in a cool dry cellar until Spring, when it 
may be carefully drawn off and bottled, adding a small 
piece of root ginger to each bottle. When opened for use 
a brisk effervescence takes place, and to one skilled, even 
in grape wines, it is difficult to distinguish its origin. 
Fluid or Gas Lamps. —During the past month, 
we have used, upon our study table, one of “Andrew’s 
Patent, Self-Generating Safety Gas Lamps,”—a pretty 
long name for a very simple and neat affair. We are 
pleased with the lamp, and inclined to think it superior to 
any one designed for burning fluid w hich we have previ¬ 
ously seen. As we have formerly written (Vol. XIII p. 24), 
notone in a hundred of the reported “explosions” are 
explosions, but simply the firing of the fluid, by carelessly 
filling the lighted lamps, or breaking them. Andrew’s 
lamp can scarcely be filled when lighted, and dropping it, 
or even moving it suddenly, puts out the flame, as we 
more than once proved by being left in total darkness. 
The common fluid is changed to gas, in an invisible wick> 
and burns with a clear flame. 
Apple SSicer.—Sometime since we received from 
A. M. Collins A Co., of Philadelphia, Penn., one of 
“ Pratt’s Automaton Apple Sheers,” and have waited the 
opinion of a Pie-Baker of our acquaintance as to its mer¬ 
its. He reports that it slices the apples finely when they 
are not too soft ; if soft or tender, they break from the 
core before the last portion is cut up. A further trial of 
our owm confirms this opinion. We call it an ingenious, 
and, on the whole, useful instrument. 
Cider for Apple SSuSAer.—We can scarcely 
give our Southernenquirer a definite rule for boiling down 
cider, as the strengih required depends upon the length of 
time it is to be kept. Our method has been to take 6 to 12 
gallons ofeider for a bushel of Apples, boil down one half, 
put in the dressed apples and then boil down according to 
the time required to be kept, usingthe largest quantity of 
cider named, and most boiling for the best keeping sauce 
or “ Apple Butter.” 
Green Corn ffiryiisg-.—Stephen Culver, of New¬ 
ark, N. Y., has applied for a patent for a new mode of 
drying gieen com. The whole ear is divided lengthwise 
into quarters or smaller pieces, and the corn dried upon 
the pieces of cob without previous boiling. This is said 
to be a superior process, but we do not see exactly how 
or why it is so. 
Green Corn Samp.—Our esteemed correspondent, 
“ Edith,” has furnished us with an interesting article on 
this subject, which we have not now room to present 
entire. The following is the -substance : Take a dozen 
or more ears of corn and pass them gently over a common 
jack-plane, until the hulls are reached. Then scrape the 
cobs with the back of a knife, to remove the adhering 
parts, and put the shaved corn into a kettle containing 
four times its bulk of boiling water. Add a little salt, and 
stir the whole until it boils. Keep it boiling three or four 
hours over a slow fire. Let this be eaten with good rich 
milk, and it will prove a dish that the most fastidious can¬ 
not fail to relish. 
Corsi Starclt.—J R. C., of Council City, It. T., in¬ 
quires fora method of making corn starch on a small 
scale for culinary use. Perhaps some subscriber can offer 
valuable suggestions on this topic. Usually it is cheaper 
to sell the corn and buy the starch, as it is much more 
cheaply made on a large scale, but in remote Western 
towns, where corn is cheap and transportation dear, it 
may sometimesbe convenientto make a little home-made 
starch. We trust some one will reply, as we have nei¬ 
ther experience nor observation on this point. 
Cooliing- Summer Squasli.—“ Edith ” suggests 
the following: Place the squashes whole in boiling wa¬ 
ter. When soft, spread a cloth over a colander and put 
them into it; cut open, scrape out the seeds and scoop out 
the pulp from the rind. Mash them finely, pressing out 
all the water. Season with butter, pepper and salt. Af¬ 
ter which we recommend to put them into a sauce-pan, 
to be re-heated, to make them still dryer before serving 
upon the table 
IPIcKling'Tomatoes and PeacHies.— Mrs.M. 
A. H. Rowe, ofEast Chatham, sends the following items 
from her own successful experience : Tomatoes —Put 
them, full grown but unripe, into weak brine. After nine 
days remove them, slice thin and put into a kettle of wa¬ 
ter with one ounce of alum to one peck of tomatoes, and 
heat to a boiling point. Then take them out and put into 
jars, or a sweet oak tub, with one ounce each of ground 
cinnamon, cloves and allspice, and one pound of sugar, 
(to 1 peck l) with vinegar enough to cover them. Spice 
and sugar each layer as put in. Peaches— Wipe off the 
down with a wet cloth ; stick 4 cloves in each ; lay them 
in jars and pour over them a boiling hot syrup made of 
1 quart of vinegar, 3 pounds sugar, 1 ounce cinnamon, and 
a few kernels allspice. After 24 hours, pour off the pick¬ 
le, heat and return it. In 21 hours more heat the liquor 
again, and the pickles will then keep without trouble. 
Plums and cherries are nice when treated in the same 
way. Pears, quinces and apples, pared, cored and boiled 
until tender, and then treated as described for peaches, 
are excellent. 
E5ali'-I?rsce.—A Western paper offeres to add Mr. 
or Esq. to the names of such subscribers as will pay 25 
cents a year for the extra handle to their names. For 50 
cents he w ill put on both handles thus: Mr. Peter No¬ 
body Esq. N. B.—We have a mail clerk who offers to 
dc this for half-price. Who speaks first? 
ISesiji Soap.—J. H., of Henry Co., Ill. Resin, (in¬ 
correctly called Rosin,) is used as a partial substitute for 
grease in soap-making, the proportion depending upon 
the quality of soap desired. The proportion is usually 
one-fourth to one-third of as many pounds of resin as of 
tallow-. The resin, pounded fine, is added at the last 
boiling before hardening the soap. The process, howev¬ 
er, is an art to be learned by practice, and like any other 
manufacture, to be done well requires a full knowledge 
of the minute particulars. J. H. will find a long article 
on soaps in “ Ure’s Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, Ac, 
A Cellar ‘ up Stairs.’—II. 'A. Sheldon, of Mid- 
dlebury, Vt., recommends those withoutlhe conveniences 
of an under ground cellar, the following substitute: 
“Take a box of any convenient size and set it within 
another of similar form, but enough larger to admita layer 
of dry sawdust four or five inches in thickness to be close¬ 
ly packed betw-een the two, both at [the bottom and sides. 
There-may be a cover on both boxes, or only one on the 
outside box. In a room having a fire by day, such a box 
will keep vegetables enough for a small family during a 
month or so, which will be a great convenience to ihose 
living at a distance from market. In very cold w-eather 
the box may be left open during the day.” It will also do 
fora Summer ice-chest, by putting the ice in, in some 
water-tight vessel.— Ed. 
Fencing'.—A. Skean. Your article is on file for ex¬ 
amination in connection with other letters called for else¬ 
where in this number. We have not your P. O. address 
or we should have written you privately. 
Flower Seeds for Fadies.—Mrs. Adaline 
Fletcher, Tarcross, Wis. The seeds you refer to will be 
offered in our list for Annual Distribution, to be published 
in December or January. We do not ask exchange 
seeds or pay. We have no seeds to sell, but distribute 
free to our subscribers all good seed we get hold of. 
YVesteria Money. 
TO PERSONS REMITTING MONEY. 
Since the failure of John Thompson, the Money Broker, 
we have been subject to allsorts of shaves on any Wes¬ 
tern money received—often 15 to 20 cents on the dollar, on 
bills perfectly good at home. Will our Western and 
Southern friends in remitting money for subscriptions, 
please send Eastern Bills or gold, or else 3-cent post- 
office stamps, when possible to obtain them. This wi 11 be 
of great value to us, while the present disturbance in the 
money market lasts. We will return a paper that will re¬ 
quire no “discount ” anywhere. 
usings ttotim. 
fcSF* Fifty Cents a Line . 
MERCHANTS 
From abroad visiting New-York or Boston, can 
now secure the sale of Grover & Baker’s Sewing 
Machines in their several localities, with great profit to 
themselves and advantage to their customers. 
These Machines embrace twenty different varieties, 
and contain all the latest and most valuable improve¬ 
ments, and are unquestionably the best machines in the 
market. These are the only Machines suitable for doing 
family sewing in the best, neatest, and most durable man¬ 
ner. No family can afford to do without a Grover & Ba¬ 
ker Machine. Merchants from the South and West w-ho 
commenced the sale of the Grover & Baker Machines 
last year, are all, without one exception, in the full tide 
of success. , 
These Machines are always on exhibition at the Sales¬ 
rooms of the Grover A Baker Sewing Machine Compa¬ 
ny, No. 495 Broadway, New-York ,- No. 18 Summer-st., 
Boston ; No. 730 Chestnut-street, Philadelphia. 
GROVER A BAKER’S. CELEBRATED FAMILY 
SEWING MACHINES. 
These Machines are unquestionably the best in the 
country. 
No well-regulated family can afford to do without 
a Grover A Baker Machine made expressly for family 
sewing. GROVER A BAKER, 
Sewing Machine Co.. 
495 Broadway, New-York ; 
18 Summer-street,"Boston ; 
730 Chestnut-street, Philadelphia,- 
87 Fourth-street, St. Louts, Mo. 
