' DEC. 4S 
undergo in the process of ripening, are among 
the most interesting or nature's performances. 
AH ripe fruits contain a mixture or combination 
of sugar and acids, and as the one or the other 
predominates they are sweet or Hour to the taste. 
In the nnripo fruits the acid generally is in ex¬ 
cess to the taste, and the process of ripening con¬ 
sists mainly in a chemical change of a portion of 
the acid into sugar, giviug to the fruit, by the 
proper mingling of these two compounds, its 
agreeable flavor. The mystery of this transfor¬ 
mation in the plant is greatly diminished by tho 
fact, which chemistry reveals, that notwithstand¬ 
ing these two substances, sugar and acid, pro¬ 
duce such different effects upon our organs of 
taste, there is really very little difference in 
them, they being mainly composed of precisely 
the same elements, carbon, oxygen and hy¬ 
drogen, differing only in their relative propor¬ 
tions. For instance, the Grape contains, in its 
unripe state, citric, malic, tartaric and oxalic 
acids, according to tho old chemists. These 
acids all except otic, arc composed of the same 
elements as sugar, one element, hydrogen, being 
absent in tho oxalic. In the process of ripen¬ 
ing, those acids resolve themselves into tartaric 
acid and sugar, tho only chemical difference be¬ 
tween the two last mentioned compounds, tar¬ 
taric acid and sugar, is iu tho different propor¬ 
tions of the three elements of which each is com¬ 
posed. 
Thus in tho ripening of fruits sugar is formed, 
and they become more sweet to tho taste but the 
prooess is different with tho grains. They con¬ 
tain sugar before ripe, which is changed in the 
process of ripening to starch. So we prefer to 
e it corn green, because thou only is it sweet. A 
still greater curiosity in vegetable chemistry, is 
the fact that tho sugar which wo oxtiaet from 
the cane, tho maple and the beet, is not only 
composed of tho same elements as the starch in 
tho corn, rice and potato, but the proportions of 
each element arc precisely tho same iu each sub¬ 
stance, the sugar alone being soluble iu water 
while the starch is not. What constitutes the 
great difference between starch and sugar, 
chemistry has thus far been impotent to explain. 
The chemist is able to transform starch into 
sugar, but it is nature alone in the plant that can 
transform sugar into starch, consequently this 
is one of tho poor rules that will not work both 
ways. Tho sugar made from starch, however, 
though it is tho same that exists iu tho grape 
and other fruits, is a little different from that in 
tho cane, as it contains a little more of tho ele¬ 
ments of water and is not quite as sweet. 
Alcohol is formed ouly by the fermaiitatiien of 
a solution of sugar, but if tho sugar bo made 
from the cane, maple, or beet, it chauges to that 
iu the grape before fermentation can take place. 
s B. P. 
RUKAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Floyd Co , Iowa, Nov. 28. 
Tiie ground is unfrozen, and covered with 
two inches of snow. Mercury 18" above zero. 
Wo have just threshed tho largest crop of wheat 
over grown iu this county, the yield being from 
20 to 35 bushels per acre—average in this sec¬ 
tion 25 bushels; price 85 to 95 cts. Oats aro 
an average crop; price 20 cts. Com is light, 
owing to a severe frost In Juno, but yields from 
25 to 40 bushels per acre; price 25 cts. Live 
hogs are worth $:i.5U purewt. Tho times are 
improving and the people aro hopcfuL Improv¬ 
ed farms sell for from *15 to *35 per acre; wild 
land, $12. This is a healthy country, and a very 
desirable one to live in. We read tho Rural 
with pleasure, and appreciate its great worth. 
W. L. McEwbk. 
- 
Canandaigua, n. Y. 
To-day, November 25th, we are having April- 
like showers, and only a few days ago the chil¬ 
dren were delighting themsdvis with freshly 
plucked dandelions, and templing the cook with 
well grown, self-sown, green peas. Fish have 
been taken from the Like as in spring, and alto¬ 
gether we are living iu a delightful uncertainty 
as to tho season. Most farm work was finished 
weeks ago, building and repairing havo been done 
quite generally in this section. Wheat is now 
looking well, although some pieces were injured 
by dry weather in S jptembor. Should Old Win¬ 
ter soon appear with its warm white blankets 
this crop must again bo a large one. Steadily 
for nearly ton years has tho Rural cheered our 
household, aud yet, like Oliver Twist, we ask for 
more. m. a. l. 
-- 
Erik Co., Pa. 
We have had a splendid fall, have had but 
one snow storm until the night of the 29th, 
when the snow began to fall once more, and to¬ 
day, Nov. 30, tho ground id covered nearly all 
0 ver and it is very cold. At present it looks as 
if winter was near at hand. There have been 
thousands of barrels of apples shipped from 
Corry this fall; the price haa been from $1.50 
to *2 per bbl. Potatoes, from 35 to 40 cents per 
bushel; oats from 30 to 38 cents per bushel; 
butter from 20 to 25 cents per lb.; fruits of all 
kinds have been more plentiful this season than 
usual, although this is always a great fruit rais¬ 
ing section of country. o. d. s. 
Wm $*uWirntUT«.$ 
ners in trying to place that salt, is dearly indi¬ 
cated by the fact that Onondaga was mistaken 
for Higgins' three times, and Higgins’ was mis¬ 
taken for Onondaga live times. Higgins' was 
mistaken for Ashton, twice, and Ashton for Hig¬ 
gins' five times, while Ashton was mistaken for 
Onondaga only once, and Onondaga for Ashton 
only twice. Thus while there are only three in¬ 
stances of confusing Ashton and Onondaga, 
there are Jifteon instances in which those two 
salts were confused with Higgins'. In other 
words, of the eighteen errors mado by the ex¬ 
aminers, Ijftoeu or eighty-throe per cent, in¬ 
volved Higgins' salt. Had that salt been better 
known to the examiners, or had it possessed 
more decided aud unfailing characteristics, tho 
result of the test would doubtless have shown 
fewer mi*judgments. Rut the report, as it 
stands, convinces mo that there do exist, differ¬ 
ences in dairy salts which are percept.ble in tho 
flavor and texture of butter, especially after it 
has been held awhile, and it is important that 
wo should kuow in what those differences consist. 
Tho leading brands seem to be, none of t hem, 
wanting in tho main constituent,—chloride of 
sodium for the chernleiil analysos of ten brauds 
show that a variation of only 1.05 per cent, iu 
t.lio qnautity of sail, present llm difference be¬ 
tween a maximum of 98.52 per cent, and a min¬ 
imum of 97.47per cent. Surely there is enough 
clear salt iu any of these samples to make one 
as good as another if there were no other ingre¬ 
dients, and if there was nothing in the granular 
formation of one brand to give it superiority 
over another. 
Some of the other substances, even in the 
small quantities iu which they exist, vary .5 per 
cent. The most objectionable matter in salt is 
chloride of calcium, which is found only in the 
Onondaga, and to tho presence of which may be 
attributed the milky appearance of solutions of 
that salt. Sulphate of lime, which is found more 
largely in foreign than m domestic brands, is 
objectionable, if found in largo quantities; but 
there is not enough found iu any loading brand 
to have any effect. To the other ingredients 
separately, no serious objection is mode in view 
of the very small percentage In which they exist. 
Wo must believe, however, that in combination 
they all help to produce certain chemical results, 
which affect more or less the flavor of batter, 
Tho granular structure of the salt, too, I be¬ 
lieve to bo an important characteristic, for its 
differences aro so apparent to experts that they 
are able to pick out one make of salt from an¬ 
other by simply feeling the grains. Every but¬ 
ter maker and every dealer, has observed how 
much more rapidly one make of salt dissolves 
than another, aud bow iu butter salted with cer¬ 
tain brands, uudissolved lumps will hfl found 
months after it was put up, while another make 
dissolves perfectly, audits presence in tho batter 
Is only known by its flavor, which is evenly dis¬ 
tributed Ibroughout. 
From all of these facts, I am forced to con¬ 
clude that there are essential differences in dairy 
salts, and that tho actual superiority between 
tho best makes depends more upon the charac¬ 
ter of t ho foreign aubatances present and upon 
theyt xture vid grain of tho salt and the process 
by which that grain is formed, than it does upon 
tho mere percentage of chloride of sodium iu 
any given quantity. 
FOR THE 
Cleek's Mills, Ya. 
We were viaitod by a {reshot on the 2fit,h Nov,, 
which nothing heretofore has approximated. 
The freshets of 1810 and ’61 did immense dam¬ 
age, but this has devastated our country, hav¬ 
ing taken lands, crops aud property—leaving 
many without tho necessities of lifo. 
Some idea of tho a ttractions offered In tho 
CIIKlSTiTIAS IIOMUAY M lffUER 
of ST. NicnOLAS, Of which loo.ono copies will bo 
Issued, may be gained from i.ho following ; There 
are poems by HENRY W. LONGFELLOW and 
WILLIAM CULLEN BUY ANT: a tine hitherto un¬ 
published sketch of Buy Life, by tho Late THEO¬ 
DORE Wl N IT mop ; amt a short story hr the author 
of "ALICE IN WONOKR.LA N Ua new fairy story, 
“Sweet Marjoram Day," hy FRANK R. STOCK- 
TON; *' Til E PATTER KINS' CHARADES.” by LU¬ 
CK KTI A P. HALE; A poetic riddle by DR. J. G, 
HOLLAND, and a comparison between the manners 
of young folks In okl times and nowadays, by GAIL 
HAMILTON. 
East Hamilton, N. y. 
I think hop-raising is a curse to this Comity 
(Madison). Bettor raise something that they 
can feed or eat, not drink. Wo havo as good 
land as there is in tho Chenango Valley. We 
can grow wheat, corn and make as good butter 
as any other part of tho State. o. 
Elm Point, ill., Dec. 1. 
Trf. ground is frozon for the llrst time, this 
season; but not any snow yet. Corn is not 
more than half gathered. A good deal of rain 
is the cause, uot laziness. r. c. i\ 
THE DIFFERENCES IN DAIRY SALTS 
Gf the story element, the brightest feature Is the 
beginning of the new serial by Miss ALC’OTT, enti¬ 
tled "UNDER THE LILACS," with illustrations 
by MARY IIali.ock Foot i>:. 
The Christmas Number contains also tho opening 
of u new Serinl rimry for Roys, a tnlo ef tropi¬ 
cal life, hy (JUSTAVUS FRANKENSTEIN, entitled 
“TOWER-MOUNTAIN,” admirably Illustrated by 
the artists Moran and Kelly ; A PORTRAIT OF 
111 ISM A liUOTT, with ii sketch of her life; sev¬ 
eral poems by TWO LITTLE AMERICAN GIRLS; 
a PLAY,aiul a CHRISTMAS OA llOL (set to music); 
ami half a dozen complete short stories, bright, 
funny, exciting and pathetic, &o.. Ac, 
Tho NEW COVER Is by the English Artist, WAL¬ 
TER CRANE,-the famous designer of " The Baby’s 
Opera." 
BY J. M. PETERS, 
The competition betwoen the different brands 
of dairy salts has been waged so rigorously dur¬ 
ing tho past few years, that their respective 
merits havo corno to bo generally discussed at 
nearly all dairy conventions and wherever else 
tho methods of dairying have boon considered. 
There is no brand without somo advocates, 
though it must ho admitted that in many in¬ 
stances the advocacy of a particular make comes 
solely from tliqse who are personally interested 
in its sale. Those persons have, however, suc¬ 
ceeded in introducing their special brands into 
the controversy until the question of superiority 
is rnadato involve ten or twelve distinct brands. 
Formerly, the general preference among dairy¬ 
men was for Ashton’s Liverpool factory-fl!ltd 
salt, and the effortsof makers of all other brands 
have been combined against that one rather than 
directed against one another. It has been charged 
that tho preference) of butter makers and dealers 
for Ashton's, was only an inherited prejudice, 
and exertions havo been made to prove by chem¬ 
ical analysis, that there are no essential differ¬ 
ences iu tho chemical constituents of the (Lifer¬ 
ent brands. Packages of butter variously salted 
havo also been examined by experts after the 
lapse of different periods from the date of man¬ 
ufacture, with a yiew to demonstrating that 
there is no choice between the loading brands as 
preservatives of butler. Those tests seem to 
have confused rather than settled tho contro¬ 
versy, though they furnish some conclusivo facta. 
In looking into the question of salts, which 
promises to come before the dairy conventions 
this season more prominently thau ever before, 
1 have been led to an analysis of the result of 
tho •’ Butter aaid Cheese Exchange Testa," made 
in 1875, from which 1 ftui able to make some in¬ 
teresting deductions. 
I find, in tho first place, that the committee of 
exports made, Ln all, live roportM on each of eight 
tubs of butter and one report on oach of two 
tubs, making, in all, forty-two reports as to tho 
salt thought to 1 o used, by these examiuers, to 
whom the brand actually used was entirely un¬ 
known. Of those reports eighteen—or forty- 
three per cent.—were incorrect, aud twenty four 
—or fifty-seven per cent.—were correct. Tills 
would convey the idea that tho examiners found 
differences in the butter, though they were un¬ 
able to always determine to what particular 
brand of salt certain condition i of the butter 
were due. A further analysis makes their judg¬ 
ments somewhat clearer. Taking each brand as 
reported upon by the committee, wo find the 
following results: 
Named Rightly. Named Wrongly. 
Brand ,-•-. ,-•-, 
used. Times. Per Cent. Times. Per-Cent. 
Onondaga...... 11 69 5 SI 
Higgins'... 4 36 7 64 
Ashton's. 9 60 6 40 
The examiners made fewer errors iu Onondaga 
and Ashton’s than in Higgins, and wore right in 
64f£ percent, of their reports on the two former, 
while their numerous errors in placing Higgins’ 
reduced the total number of correct reports on 
the three brands to fifty-seven per cent., as 
stated above. This may be traced, I think, to 
the fact of Higgins' not beiug a very well known 
salt, and to its being of a character between the 
other two. Indeed, the confusion of the exami¬ 
ST. NICHOLAS FOR 1878 
Besides Miss Ai.cott’s serial for Girls, and 
tbo Thr'ie Serials for boys, to follow each oiber 
In rapid succession, will contain a short serial story 
by the AUTHOR OF “THE 8CHONBKIUJ.COTTA 
FAMILY;" and an article, “ AHoIlND THE 
WOULD IN A YAOHT, BOYS!” has been prom¬ 
ised by a brllllaut wrltei, now on the actual tour of 
tho world In his own yacht. There will be con¬ 
tributions hy a DAUGHTER. OF THE FAMOUS 
PETER PARLEY, and a Letter to Younu Ameri¬ 
cans hy 
^ubUottcus 
Ey Rev. HENRY FRANCIS LYTE, 
Illustrated from dcBlcnsby Miss L. B. HUMPHREY. 
SMALL 4X0., GILT. ORNAMENTAL COVERS. 
PRICE, fci. 
Uniform with the Illustrated edition of 
Nearer My God to Thee 
0 WHY SHOULD THE SPIRIT OF 
MORTAL BE PROUD! 
Its author was a highly educatod clergyman of 
Tho Church of England, endowed with tine pootical 
Rifts, who, after his conversion, desiring to glorify 
TiiK Fatmkk by laboring for tho poor,entered upon 
tils mission with now views, now consolations, and a 
new zeal, consecrating all his powers, hU service 
and poetic Rifts to religion. Gentle and chlld-llke in 
spirit, ho served faithfully till his death—which was 
Unit of a happy Christ leu poet. Like George Hkk- 
ukut and Charles Wesley, he sang while his 
sire unlit lasted, and then quietly waited, till “rising 
from the sleep of death, ho joined the hallelujahs of 
heaven." 
This poem was written under the following pecu¬ 
liar circumstances, as related In “Thu Story of the 
llymns .■ 
"It was the autumn of liUT; the gloom cf winter 
was already settling upon the coast, and the pomps 
of decay tinging the leavo*. The pastor, who was 
now preparing to leave tho parish, and who seemed 
like one already hovering over tho verge of tho 
grave, determined to speak to his dear people once 
more, perhaps for the last time. Ho drugged his at¬ 
tenuated form Into tho pulpit.and delivered his part¬ 
ing discourse, while the grout tears rolled down the 
liardy faces Of the worshipper*, lie then adminis¬ 
tered tho Lord'# supper to hi* spiritual children. 
Tired and exhausted, hut with his heart still swell¬ 
ing with emotion, lie went home. The old pectin In. 
spirutton came over him, and ho wrote the words 
and music ot bis l ist song. Ho had prayed that his 
last breath might he spent' swan like,’ 
" ' In songs Unit may not die, 
" and this effort was to prove a literal answer tolils 
prayer. The poem, com posed under these interest¬ 
ing circumstances, was tho well-known hymn-chunt. 
beginning; 
*• 'Abide with me j last fails the Eventide.’ ” 
Sold by all booksellers, and sent by mail, post-paid, 
upon receipt of price. 
Tho "HOW” SERIES of Instructive papers, by 
various authors, will tell HOW to bind your own 
books; HOW they mine coal; ROW to enjoy your¬ 
selves at home; HOW to be an agreeable guest; 
HOWto entertain company; HOW to boa carpen¬ 
ter; HOW to make an Ice-boat; HOW to build a 
house; HOW India rubber is gathered; HOW 
matches are made: HOW money Is made; HOW 
mackerel are caught; HOW they lain ttio Atlantic 
cable; HOW they mine In California; HOW they 
work Ln the tea-country; HOW to he a parlor ma¬ 
gician ; etc. There will bo ulso a series of stories 
and sketches Of Foreign Life, 
such as “ Old Nicolai" (a Russian story), “ A Day 
among tho Welsh Castles," “ Easter in Germany,’ 
" The Indians of the Amazon,” " How Kitty was 
Lost ln a Turkish Bazaar," “ Master Montezuma ” 
(a Mexican story), " IIansa, tho Lapp Malden," and 
many others. 
“Jnck-tn-the-Pulplt," “Young Contributors’ De- 
paitmeni," "Letter-Box," “ Itiddln-box,” and " For 
Very Little Folks,” will be continued. 
Tho four bound volumes of St. Nicholas already 
published are the most wonderful, beautiful and 
attractive Christmas Present for Young People. 
Each volume Is complete In Itself. Vols. 1 and 2, $3 
each; vols. 3 and I, $1 each. 
Hubscripiian Price, !|»3.0O u Year, postage 
paid. Single copies, 85 cents each. 
SOLD by ALL BOOK-SELLERS AND NEWS¬ 
DEALERS. 
SCRIBNER & CO., 
743 Broadway, New York. 
Publishers, Boston, .Hass 
