176 
THERMOMETER CHURN, 
forever attributing effects to wrong causes, and 
goes blundering on, blindly groping his way 
year after year, and if he writes for the journals, 
leading others astray. And this has been re¬ 
peated so often, that it is not to be wondered at, 
that book farming is held in contempt. 
Coke. 
THERMOMETER CHURN. 
This churn is so constructed that the cream 
or milk is readily brought to the desired tem¬ 
perature without mixing with water, and the 
temperature definitely determined, which is of 
great advantage in making butter. 
One improvement consists in the construc¬ 
tion of a double bottom, made in the form of 
a semicircle, of two sheets of zinc, or other 
metal, placed one above the other, the cream 
being contained in the uppermost. Between 
the two sheets forming the bottoms, is a space, 
or chamber, into which may be introduced 
cold or warm water as may be required, to in¬ 
crease or diminish the temperature of the cream 
or milk. The water is easily applied by means 
of a common tin tunnel, through an aperture, or 
hole, in the side of the churn. 
Thermometer Churn.— Fig. 51. 
Another improvement is a thermometer per¬ 
manently placed in one end of the churn, en¬ 
tirely secure from breaking or accident, marked 
at 62°, and which is always visible, so that the 
operator may know when the cream or milk is 
brought to the proper temperature. If the cream 
or milk Is too warm, the mercury in the ther¬ 
mometer will rise above the mark of 62°, and 
cold water should be applied in the chamber 
described ; if too cold, the mercury will fall be¬ 
low the mark, when warm water must be used. 
The cream or milk should be stirred by the 
crank, while the water is being introduced, to 
give the cream or milk an equal temperature 
throughout. When the thermometer indicates 
that the cream or milk is of the proper temper¬ 
ature, the water may be drawn out through the 
tube placed for the purpose, when the churning 
should be performed by giving the crank about 
forty revolutions to the minute. By reversing 
the motion of the crank, it is liberated, when 
both it and the dasher, or floats, are drawn out. 
CULTIVATION OF POTATOES. 
After numerous trials, I have come to the 
conclusion, that, for the soils generally culti¬ 
vated in Massachusetts, and best adapted to 
raising the potato, plowing in spring is pre¬ 
ferable, in depth not less than 8 or 10 inches, 
spread with 20 loads of good compost manure to 
the acre, (high manuring invaribly increasing 
the rot,) well mixed with the soil by harrowing 
or plowing to the depth of 3 or 4 inches. Plant 
as early as possible, running a furrow 6 or 7 
inches in depth, the distance to suit the culti¬ 
vator, say from 3 to 3£ feet between rows: then 
take large potatoes, (in these times of scarcity 
they may be cut.) making two hills. I consider 
half a large potato preferable to any number 
of small ones for seeding ; they throw stronger 
shoots, and come forward earlier (I wish to be 
understood that this includes only the round 
varieties); place them 2£ feet apart, with the 
cut side down ; then, with a small shovel for the 
purpose, drop immediately on the potato half a 
pint, more or less, of ashes, leached or un¬ 
leached; then cover with fine soil 3 inches; 
when at the height of three or more inches, 
cultivate or harrow, (not plow,) and hoe, leav¬ 
ing the surface level, taking care to pull 
from each hill all but three of the strongest 
shoots. In after hoeings, which should be 
two or more, small hills may be raised. 
Now for the result. By planting deep in the 
soil, the young tubers do not heat by the sun, 
as when growing on a level with the sur¬ 
face, which I consider one cause of rot; the 
ashes affords potash to the plant, of which 
it requires considerable quantity, also are a 
good remedy for the ravages of the wire 
worm; reducing the tops to two or three in 
number, the stalk grows thicker and stronger, 
and in case of disease, is less liable to be¬ 
come affected at the root; and on repeated 
experiments, I have invariably found as 
many bushels, with three fourths less “ small 
potatoes,” than where from five to eight 
sprouts were suffered to grow. 
Now for the long varieties, such as long reds, 
ladies’ fingers, long black Mercer, &c., from re¬ 
peated trials, year after year in planting larger 
potatoes, whole, or split lengthwise, one half 
in a hill, or cut crosswise in the centre, with 
seed end, no perceptible difference, but with the 
stem end I have always obtained more bushels 
of a uniform and large size than from any other 
manner of seeding. In experiments to prevent 
the rot, I have found that deep plowing, dry 
land, light manuring, early, deep planting, 
ashing, with good tilling, and early harvesting, 
generally secures a middling crop of sound 
potatoes. Cutting the tops, if done immediately 
on the first appearance of the purple tinge upon 
the leaf, will secure the root from rot, but they 
will not grow afterwards ; if they are small and 
green they remain so. I have dug early-planted 
potatoes when nearly grown, on the first appear¬ 
ance of the disease, scooping a hollow in the 
field, turning in half a bushel, burying them four 
inches in a conical form, diging a trench around 
each hill to convey the rains from them; let 
