THE CULTIVATOR. 
poisonous crops, and from the complaints of some of 
your correspondents, conclude that others may embrace 
the same opinion. Is it from its exhaustion of the pot¬ 
ash in soils not liberally supplied with this substance, 
or is it caused by poisonous qualities thrown off by 
the'roots, and which have a deleterious influence on 
some of the organic elements of the soil 1 Many of our 
old farmers refuse to raise this crop, although it may 
be done at times of comparative leisure, for the reason, 
as they say, that it is poisonous to the land. Let us 
have scientific and practical agriculture come to terms. 
I would also add, on the field were raised 50 two-horse 
loads of very nice, yellow pumpkins. Vermonter. 
West Pawlet. 
itasrmife. 
Preserving Eggs. —The newspapers are constant¬ 
ly furnished with new rules for preserving eggs. One 
of the latest is the following: “Wran each egg closely 
in a piece of newspaper, twisting it tightly to keep out 
the air, place them in layers in a box with the small 
ends down, and set them where they will be cool with¬ 
out freezing.” We have no doubt this is a good way, 
but it would be nearly as difficult to exclude air by 
printing paper as by gauze or net work, paper being 
a very porous substance. The great secret of success 
in preserving eggs is to keep the small ends down¬ 
wards , the air-bubble which occupies that end sup¬ 
porting the weight of the yolk, and preventing its ad¬ 
hesion to the shell. If the egg is laid on its side, this 
adhesion will soon take place, and the egg will be 
spoiled, no matter however completely excluded from 
the air. Eggs preserved as above, or by packing in 
salt, or oats, or on shelves purposely made for them by 
boring with large auger holes, so as to hold the egg 
upright, without allowing it to pass through, are all 
good ways, provided the small end is kept down¬ 
wards. There are other requisits that should not be 
forgotten ; for example, the eggs should be quite fresh 
when packed away, and especial care should be taken 
that none are cracked, as these soon spoil, and com¬ 
municate the fermentation to the others if they are in 
contact or close proximity. Packing in salt is a good 
way, but it is not so convenient as the others, because 
the salt is apt to become hardened, and to adhere to 
the shells. A cool place is indispensible. 
Salting Beef for Summer Use.— For 100 lbs. 
beef take 16 quarts fine Aston sack salt and 4 ounces 
saltpeter; cut the meat and pack it in edgewise, after 
rubbing the pieces all over with the salt; and after a 
layer is completed, take an axe or mall, and pound 
down solid. Then sprinkle on a little saltpeter and fill 
up all interstices with salt, and so on until the cask is 
full. Those who, do not like saltpetre may omit it 
without injury to the meat. 
I have salted my beef in this way for fifteen years. 
It needs no soaking before boiling, and will be tender 
and sweet the year round. ‘By this way of salting, it 
makes its own brine, and never wants repacking'—nor 
the brine scalding. If the brine should not cover it in 
the spring, sufficient may be added for that purpose. 
A. Wanzer. Sherman , Ct. 
To make Pumpkin or Squash Pies. —Stew the 
pumpkin or squash as dry as possible, without burn¬ 
ing ; rub it through a cullender or sieve. To a pint bowl 
full of the sifted pumpkin, add three eggs, one quart of 
milk ; if you live in the country call it a pint of milk 
and a pint of cream, a small teacup full of sugar, half 
a teaspoon full of salt, nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger to 
the taste. The above quantities will make two large 
sized good pies,but if squash is substituted you may dis¬ 
pense with one of the eggs, and half the sugar and have 
better pies; by retaining them and adding two spoon- 
fulls of melted butter, you may have the best pies. 
The cooking books prescribe more eggs, to which 
there is no objection if the quantity of milk is increased 
accordingly; I have however eaten tolerably good 
pumpkin pies without any eggs at all.—A House¬ 
keeper. » <> 
Manufacture of Maple Sugar. 
Mr. Tucker —On receiving the last number of the 
Cultivator, I read a notice of the samplo of sugar and 
molasses I sent you. On my return home, I found I 
was mistaken as to where we obtained the receipt. It 
was given us by the Hon. J. S. Pettibone of this town, 
and was taken By him from some agricultural work or 
from a Patent Office report, he is not certain which, 
but thinks it was taken from the report. 
The specimen of loaf I sent you, was merely some 
made for family use, as we did not design making any 
for market. The molasses was made from syrup, of 
which we made about 8 hundred pounds of sugar, or 
its equivalent in molasses. We have but small works 
in which we make sugar, from 225 to 240 trees ; gene¬ 
rally make from 10 to 15 hundred pounds, sometimes 
less. 
I send you the receipt as we make it. Scald the 
tubs thoroughly in lime water before setting them out, 
and also when they are taken in, and as often as they 
may become in the least sour. Boil the sap in a sheet 
iron pan and caldron, under shelter. When the sap is 
boiled to syrup, strain it through flannel, and usually let 
it settle over night. To cleanse syrup, for 50 pounds 
of sugar, take the whites of 3 eggs beaten to a froth, a 
teaspoonful of saleratus dissolved in a pint of milk, 
stir it into the syrup while it is cold, and keep a slow 
fire until the scum is sufficiently raised to take off; 
boil down to tub sugar; pour it into the tubs while 
warm ; when it is cold, bore holes in the bottom of the 
tubs; take white flanel cloths, and wring out in cold 
water and place upon the top of the sugar, and set it to 
drain. The cloths should be wet as often as once a day. 
After a short time, the specks of cleansing remaining 
in the sugar, and coloring matter, will begin to rise to 
the top. Take a dry flannel cloth and wipe them from 
the sugar as often as the cloths are wet, before laying 
them on. 
For loaf sugar the procees is the same, except that 
it is taken from the tubs, melted and run into tin 
cans, and drained again, at the same time keeping the 
flannel cloths on the top of it. Walter B. Dean. 
Factory Point , Pec. 19 th, 1853. 
The sugar and molasses sent us by our correspondent, 
were the best samples we have ever seen. 
