1851 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
207 
the economy of time in reading. Let him reduce his 
reading to a system and he will he astonished at the 
amount of agricultural and other reading that he can 
master in one winter. But if any reading must have the 
preference, let it be that which relates to the farm. L. 
Durand. Derby , Ct., Jan. 28, 1851. 
Destruction of Quack Grass. 
There are few foes of cheap and easy cultivation so 
unconquerable, by common means, as quack grass. Its 
horny headed runner pushes its way readily through all 
sorts of soils, not stopping for a potato, through whose 
tubers I have twice known it to penetrate. A large 
amount of labor is often spent upon quack grass to little 
effect. The secret of its cheap and ready destruction 
lies in hoeing it frequently and thoroughly in dry weather, 
in connection with a crop that admits of being worked 
among all summer. Indian corn and cabbage are those 
crops in the cultivation of which I have frequently era¬ 
dicated quack in a single season. On small spots, and 
amid the culture of delicate vegetables, it is undoubted¬ 
ly best to extract it from the soil with the spade and 
rake, removing and burning the whole. But faithful 
hoeing and shaking it up, in dry weather, in the cultiva¬ 
tion of the abovementioned crops, will certainly destroy 
it in a much cheaper manner. C. E. G. Utica , Jan. 
23, 1851. 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 
Dairy Matters. 
Scalded or “ Clouted” Cream.—A practice has 
been long pursued in Devonshire, England, and has been 
to some extent introduced in this country, of scalding 
the milk for the purpose of making butter. It is a com¬ 
mon opinion that the scalding process increases the 
quantity of cream and butter from a given quantity of 
milk. But in the report of a late survey of the county 
of Somerset, published in the Transactions of the Royal 
Ag. Society for 1850, there is an account of an experi¬ 
ment, by which it appears that there is no increase in 
the weight of butter by scalding the milk. Two lots of 
milk, of twelve quarts each, were taken—the one scald¬ 
ed, and the other set in the ordinary mode—the butter 
from each was carefully weighed and then subjected to 
analysis by Prof. Way. The analysis showed that the 
proportion of pure butter in that made from the scalded 
milk was not greater than from the other. It appears, 
however, that there are some practical advantages at- 
tached to the scalding process, which are 11 that the 
butter is more quickly made by stirring with the hand 
or with a stick; and that it keeps much longer.” The 
analysis throws little or no light on the question why 
the scalding process should add to the keeping quality 
of the butter. The advantage in churning is attributed 
to the bursting of the bubbles of casein which contain the 
oily matter, by the heat, thus facilitating the process of 
separation; and it is probable that this perfect separa¬ 
tion of the oil from the casein, is the cause of the butter 
from the scalded milk keeping better. 
Scalding Milk. —A correspondent of the Dollar 
Newspaper, says that in Cornwall, England, milk, after 
having been cooled some hours, is scalded over a very 
slow fire, and then again cooled. “ The cream is taken 
off from 24 to 30 hours from the time of milking, as 
needed. Cream from milk thus managed, is delicious— 
too good to talk about—and so rich and thick that I have 
seen a common dinner-plate laid on the pan on the cream, 
without breaking its surface.” 
Profitable Cow.—John Nichols, of Salem, offered 
at the last exhibition of the Essex county (Mass.) Ag. 
Society, a cow seven years old, which he stated had 
given in the preceding sixteen months, 6,100 quarts of 
milk. Of this quantity, he states that he sold and used 
1,274 quarts at six cents per quart, $76.44, and 4,826 
quarts at five cents per quart, $241.30—making a total 
of $317.74. The expense of feeding the cow in the 
same time, was stated at $104,74,—leaving a profit of 
$213. Her average yield of milk for the sixteen months, 
was twelve and a-half quarts per day. She calved twice 
during that time: viz: April 29th, 1849, and March7th, 
1850. 
Another Yermont Dairy. —The Green Mountain 
Freeman states that E. Marsh has made, the past season, 
from four cows. 934 lbs. butter, and 100 lbs. cheese, be¬ 
sides the milk and cream used in a family of two per¬ 
sons ; from the skimmed milk, and about eight bushels 
of corn, 648 lbs. of pork. 
Profits of Six Cows—Value of Skimmed-Milk.—• 
Joel Edmunds, of Framingham, Mass., gives in the 
Plowman, an account of the products obtained from six 
cows in 1847. In the first place he fatted and sold from 
them seven calves. He sold during the season, 963 lbs. 
butter, and 117 gallons of milk. In April he purchased 
three shotes which he fed entirely on the skimmed 
milk of the six cows—not allowing them even “ the 
crumbs that fell from their owner’s table.” The hogs 
were sold for $44,19 more than he paid for them. He 
sums up the proceeds^as follows: 
Butter sold 963 lbs. at 21§ cts. per lb.,. $208 65 
Seven calves,. 44 85 
Milk, 117 gallons,. 12 74 
Increase on pork,. 44 19 
Butter used in family, probably 75 lbs.,. 16 25 
$326 68 
Deduct for one calf purchased,. 1 25 
$325 43 
Lard Candles.— A correspondent of the Michigan 
Farmer, gives the following method of making candles 
of hog’s lard, which he says prove of best quality. Put 
all the lard, say enough for 5 lbs. of candles, in the 
smelter; after it attains a heat of about 200 Fahr. throw 
in 3 or 4 ounces of lime, and about an ounce of aqua¬ 
fortis, and then mould them. The lime purifies the 
grease and the aquafortis hardens it. 
To Keep Preserves, apply the white of'an egg with 
a suitable brush to a single thickness of white tissue 
paper, with which cover over the jars, overlapping the 
edges an inch or two. No tying is required. The whole 
will become, when dry, as tight as a drum. 
New-Water Cement. —It is said a very strong and 
valuable water cement has been made by Gen. Pasley 
of the British army, consisting merely of four parts by 
weight of chalk and five of blue clay. According to the 
experiments made to prove its strength, it must possess 
extraordinary tenacity. 
