1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
147 
til this takes place, in the case of grain, would have 
little or no solvent power upon it. To assist in this 
mill-like operation of the gizzard, granivorous fowls 
swallow small pebbles or stones—a practice clearly in¬ 
stinctive, and sometimes carried to a greater extent by 
domestic fowls than would seem necessary. Neverthe¬ 
less, without a sufficiency of these pebbles (and fowls 
should never be so kept as to be unable to obtain them,) 
digestion is suspended, the body derives no nutriment 
from the food (unless indeed it be puitaceous,) and the 
bird droops and wastes away.” 
Mr. M. adds the following from Sir Everard Home’s 
Comparative JLnatamy : 
“ When the external form of this organ [the gizzard] 
is first attentively examined, viewing that side which 
is anterior in the living bird, and on which the two bel¬ 
lies of the muscle and middle are more distinct, there 
being no other part to obstruct the view, the belly of 
the muscle on the left side is seen to be larger than on 
the right. This appears, on reflection, to be of great 
advantage in producing the necessary motion; for if the 
two muscles were of equal strength, they must keep 
up a greater degree of exertion than is necessary—- 
while in the present ease, the principal effect is produ¬ 
ced by that of the left side, and a smaller force is used 
by that on the right to bring the parts back again. 
“ The two bellies of the muscle, by their alternate 
action, produce two effects,—the one, a constant fric¬ 
tion on the contents of the cavity; the other, a pres¬ 
sure on them. This last arises from a swelling of the 
rnusele inwards, which readily explains all the instan¬ 
ces which have been given by Spallanzani and others of 
the force of the gizzard upon substances introduced into 
it—a force which is found by their experiments, always 
to act in an oblique direction. The internal cavity, 
when opened in this distended state, is found to be of 
an oval form, the long diameter being in the line of 
the body; its capacity nearly equal to the size of a pal¬ 
lets egg; and on the sides there are ridges in the hor¬ 
ny coat (lining membrane) in the long direction of the 
oval. 
11 When the horny coat is examined in its internal 
structure, the fibres of which it is formed are not found 
in a direction perpendicular to the ligamentous substance 
behind it; but in the upper portion of the cavity they 
have a direction obliquely upwards. 
From this form of cavity it is evident that no part 
©f the sides are ever intended to be brought in contact, 
and that the food is triturated by being mixed with hard 
bodies, and acted on by the powerful muscles which 
farm the gizzard.” 
Raising Chickens. 
Eds. Cultivator— Many persons fail in raising 
chickens, for want of a little attention to them at this 
season of the year. Convenient boxes for them to 
lay and hatch in should now be made. They should be 
nailed securely in sheltered places, and filled with soft 
hay. Old boxes should be cleansed, scalded with boil¬ 
ing water, and the bedding renewed. As soon as a hen 
shows a disposition to sit, 12 or 15 eggs should be given 
her and a date 21 days in advance, should be marked with 
chalk in a conspicuous place. Hens should be pre¬ 
ferred that have proved themselves good sitters, and 
that have been successful in raising their broods. The 
difference between a good and bad hen is worth atten¬ 
tion. I have a hen whose long and polished spur proves 
her six or eight years old, which to my recollection, 
has hatched her eggs and raised two broods of vigor¬ 
ous chickens every season. A. B. Setzler’s Store, 
Chester Co ., Pa., Jan., 1849. 
Plant well, if you would reap abundantly. 
domestic Sconcing, Rmpes, &c. 
Bread from Sprouted Wheat. 
Eds. Cultivator —In your November number, page 
354, a correspondent at Granville, Ohio, wishes to 
know the best mode of making bread from the flour of 
sprouted wheat. Good bread can be made from such 
flour, by adding a portion of whiskey, when mixed into 
dough. The quantity to be ascertained by trial—de¬ 
pending upon how much the wheat is sprouted. No 
more specific directions can be given, that would be of 
service; but your correspondent may be sure of as good, 
light, sweet bread, made from the flour of sprouted 
wheat, when the proper quantity of whiskey is ascer¬ 
tained and added, as from the best of flour. Wm. A. 
Tryon. Grand, Rapids. January 22, 1849. 
Substitute for Wringing Clothes. 
Eds. Cultivator-— In reply to the inquiry, made in 
your February number, by “ D. E.” of Meriden, N. 
H., I would inform him that there is a very simple and ef¬ 
ficient substitute for the destructive operation of wring¬ 
ing clothes, known as “ Robinson’s Drying Machine.” 
One suitable for a private family, say of twelve or fif¬ 
teen persons, would, with its enclosing case, occupy 
about the space of an ordinary chest of drawers, and 
would resemble it in its exterior form. Within this 
case, are two open or spare boxes, revolving on an ax¬ 
is, into which the clothes are thrown dripping wet from 
the wash tub, whether of linen, cotton or woolen, whe¬ 
ther wearing apparel, house linen, blankets, counter¬ 
panes, or what not; when by the working of the machine 
five or six minutes, which requires very little strength, 
a current of atmospheric air is produced, and a centri¬ 
fugal pressure created sufficiently to discharge the wa¬ 
ter so completely from the articles in these boxes, that 
fifteen minutes exposure to the air renders them fit for 
the ironing board ! 
This is what the patentee claimed when showing me 
the invention; and from the experiment I saw made on 
some heavy pilot cloth, I could have no doubt of the 
correctness of his statements. 
On further inquiry of those who had it in use, I found 
it gave universal satisfaction; indeed, the saving to the 
clothing and the economy in fuel (where drying closets 
were in use) is so great, that not only large public es¬ 
tablishments and private families have adopted them, but 
laundresses, in the vicinity of eities and large towns are 
willing to meet the expense of purchasing these ma¬ 
chines; and they feel amply paid for the outlay, by the 
saving they make in time, labor and fuel. 
Machines on a large scale are got up for manufac¬ 
turers, as by its use all kinds of scoured wool, woolen 
clothes, baizes, flannels, blankets, &c., &c., can be 
dried in the short space of six minutes, leaving only 
sufficient moisture to work and finish off the goods. 
Carpet-makers and calico-printers also find these ma¬ 
chines of the greatest value in expediting their work. 
In our cold climate where the hanging out of wet 
clothes with the thermometer at zero is a matter of po¬ 
sitive suffering, and the taking of them in, at night, al¬ 
most a matter of impossibility, I know of no addition 
to our household comforts that would be so desirable as 
such a substitute, to say nothing of that fruitful source 
of family discontent—a rainy washing-day. R. But¬ 
ternuts, February, 15, 1849. 
Recipe for Cure of a Cough. 
Take of boneset as much as you can grasp in your 
hand, and two quarts of water; boil it to one quart; 
add a pint of molasses; let it simmer a few minutes, 
