24 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
• 
our energies. It is idle to disguise the fact. We are 
fast becoming the bond-slaves of the brokers of Lon¬ 
don and Paris, and the destinies of our nation, if not 
openly, yet actually, wielded by foreigners. So long 
as we continue to add to our foreign debts, so long must 
we be subject to the caprices and fluctuations of the 
times, and if our farmers could be induced to rely more 
on themselves and their own productions, and less on 
the manufactures and workshops of Europe, there would 
at least be a reasonable hope of brighter days. Such 
fairs as those happily becoming so common in this coun¬ 
try, have an excellent tendency to arrest the evil; the 
addresses and labors of talented individuals may effect 
still more. Among the first of these, ranks Mr. Col- 
man, and we trust his book will be extensively circula¬ 
ted and read. 
Domestic Economy. 
We have been requested, for the benefit of our nume¬ 
rous lady subscribers and readers, to give an occasional 
article on subjects connected with domestic manage¬ 
ment ; a request with which we shall comply with plea¬ 
sure, albeit we do not pretend to be versed in the mys¬ 
teries of cookery, or the kitchen; and believe that men 
should eat to live, and not live to eat. 
Coffee has become so general a substitute for tea, as 
a morning beverage with farmers, as well as others, 
that a short account of the most approved process for 
making it may be acceptable. Multitudes of substi¬ 
tutes have been attempted for coffee, but with little suc¬ 
cess; and the most of them are unpalatable and un¬ 
healthy. Mocha or Java coffee is the best, but that 
from the West Indies is the most common and cheap¬ 
est. No imperfect berries should be allowed in it. 
Much of the goodness of coffee depends on the burn¬ 
ing. When it reaches the proper point, it will be of a 
dark brown throughout, and brittle. Roasted in a cof¬ 
fee roaster it is best, as in an open vessel much of the 
aroma or flavor, depending on an essential oil, is lost. 
Where the best coffee is required, it should be roasted, 
ground, and drawn at once; as any delay in these pro¬ 
cesses injures the quality. An ounce of coffee or a 
good table spoonful to a pint of water is about the pro¬ 
per quantity. The water should be poured upon the 
coffee boiling hot, and boiled about twenty-five minutes ; 
longer than this is prejudicial. Various methods are 
used to clarify or render coffee clear. Some people drop 
in an egg, and stir it up with the coffee, just as the roast¬ 
ing is completed; the albumen of the egg assists in ren¬ 
dering it clear when cooked. Others use fish skin for 
clearing it; a piece as large as a shilling piece is suffi¬ 
cient. Some use a filter; and others strongly recom¬ 
mend tying the ground coffee in a clean flannel cloth, 
which is then placed in the boiling water. A gill of 
cold water poured into the coffee-pot when taken from 
the fire, and allowed to stand a minute, will render it 
tolerably clear, but not thoroughly fine. Much of the 
goodness of coffee is depending on the quality of cream 
and sugar used with it. Skimmed milk and rich coffee 
are incompatible. — 
Poultry. 
There is many a good housewife that can roast or 
boil a chicken, turkey, or goose, to admiration, that does 
not understand determining the age of the fowls they 
are to cook, and hence serious mistakes sometimes oc¬ 
cur ; part of the chicken-pie, or one of the brace of 
roasted fowls being over-done, while the other is utterly 
unfit to send to the table. They who undertake to cook 
a pullet with its maternal progenitor of the third re¬ 
move, or spit a ten months duck or goose by the side 
of their grandsires, will probably be unsuccessful in 
producing a dish to their satisfaction. 
The breast bone of a fowl gives one of the surest in¬ 
dications of the age of the bird. If it is soft and bends 
or gives easily, the fowl is young ; if it is hard and in¬ 
flexible, whatever may be the quality of the bird in 
other respects, time will be required to cook it. Much 
may also be known by the appearance of the toes and 
feet—those of the young being usually perfect and flexi¬ 
ble, while older ones rarely have their feet in that state. 
In young geese, the cavity under the wings is very ten¬ 
der, the web between the toes thin and partially trans¬ 
parent, and if the head of a pin is passed along the 
breast or sides, the skin will readily tear like fine paper 
under a knife. By attending to these points, disap¬ 
pointment may at times be avoided, as the time requir¬ 
ed for cooking in any manner, young and old poultry, is 
widely different. — 
Preparation of Souse. 
Pig’s feet, ears, he. when properly prepared or cook¬ 
ed, make one of the best of dishes; and as these can usu¬ 
ally be procured at a low price, the use of them at 
times may be ec« nomical. In preparing them the wa¬ 
ter in which they are cleansed, should not be very hot; 
the hoofs should be peeled off with a sharp-pointed 
knife, the hard, rough places cut off, then thoroughly 
singed, and boiled until they are thoroughly tender, or 
till they are with difficulty taken out with a fork. Four 
or five hours are generally sufficient. When taken out, 
the souse should be put into cold water. The bones are 
then to be removed, and the whole carefully packed 
down tight, in a wooden or stone vessel. After it is 
packed close, boil the jelly-like liquor in which it was 
cooked with an equal quantity of vinegar. Salt as re¬ 
quired for the seasoning, and add cloves, allspice, and 
cinnamon, at the rate of about a quarter of a pound to 
a hundred weight of the meat. The vinegar with these 
ingredients added, is to be poured upon the souse scald- 
ing hot. When wanted for cooking it may be cut in 
slices, and prepared either by broiling or trying—the 
latter is the most preferable. 
Hard Water. 
There is nothing that gives more annoyance to the 
housewife in the management of her domestic affairs, 
than what is usually called hard water. This is water 
impregnated with the muriate or sulphate of lime, the 
acids of which unite with, and neutralize the alkali of 
the soap she uses, leaving the grease free to float like a 
dirty scum on the water, and rendering all attempts at 
clean washing, a failure. The best way to avoid this 
evil, is for the farmer to provide a good rain-water cis¬ 
tern ; but where this has not been done, water may be ren¬ 
dered fit for washing in two ways—the first is, to “ put 
a couple of quarts of wheat bran into a bag, which is 
placed in the water, while heating over the fire, and the 
water, when hot enough for use, will be found soft. 
This quantity of bran has been found sufficient for any 
common washing.” The second method is to use soda, 
for the purpose of neutralizing the acid of the substan¬ 
ces that occasion the hardness. “A few ounces of soda 
will soften a hogshead of the hardest water. It is 
greatly superior to either pot or pearl-ash; (or the com¬ 
mon ash-ley which is sometimes used for the same pur¬ 
pose;) giving a delicate whiteness to the linen, without 
the slightest injury; and it never, unless excess is used, 
in the least affects the hands.” The expense of either 
method is trifling, compared with the trials of patience 
arising from unprepared water. 
Batter Cake. 
The following is from a Lady :—“ One pint of cream, 
one pint of sour milk or buttermilk, four eggs, a tea¬ 
spoonful of salt, saleratus sufficient to destroy the aci¬ 
dity of the milk, and three pints of sifted flour, or 
enough to make a stiff batter. Stir the articles well to¬ 
gether, and bake in a deep dish. To be eaten hot with 
butter.” 
Extracts from our Correspondence, 
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES, &C. 
The following is from an esteemed contributor in New- 
York, and refers to some remarks of ours on an extract 
from a correspondent, who is, we believe, a native of 
Great Britain, and a first rate farmer. The remarks 
may be seen in the last volume of the Farmer. On the 
subject of draining, there is no necessity for ‘ re-consi¬ 
dering’ our opinions. We are its most strenuous advo¬ 
cates, having abundantly experienced its beneficial ef¬ 
fects on our farm, and consider it essential to any sys¬ 
tem of good farming. We are at the same time aware, 
that expenditures for this purpose, to the extent practi¬ 
ced in G. B. would be ruinous here ; and should our far¬ 
mers in general attempt such a course of expense, they 
would soon find themselves without a farm to drain. 
Four-fifths of the farms in the United States would not 
sell for more than from thirty to forty dollars per acre ; 
and on such farms to attempt an extended system of 
draining, at from 50 to 80 dollars per acre, where the 
land, when the process was completed, would not sell 
for more than half the sum, would be an absurdity, of 
which we are confident few men would be guilty. Our 
correspondent seems to overlook the difference between 
the profits of a farm near the city, and those in the coun¬ 
try ; and this is the point which must determine the po¬ 
licy of expenditures. If by an expenditure of 80 dollars, 
an acre of land worth 200 dollars, can be made worth 
$500, few men would hesitate about the outlay. If a 
man expends 80 dollars in draining an acre of land 
worth but 40 dollars, which would only be worth 50 after¬ 
wards, we apprehend common sense would pronounce 
him in “ not a very good way.” 
“I have drained a few acres at an expense double the 
extravagant sum ($70 or $80 per acre,) mentioned in 
the editorial remarks, and I think the outlay has been 
highly judicious. Not one farmer in ten, who has lands 
that require draining, can pull up stakes and hie away 
to other sections of the country, and buy lands cheaper 
than he could drain his own. But very few farms re¬ 
quire more than a comparatively small portion of them 
to be drained—and this portion, owing to its particular 
location, its appearance and other circumstances, must 
be drained at a price even greater than that for which 
the owner can buy superior lands in the neighborhood. 
I wish, Messrs. Editors, you would re-consider your de¬ 
cision, and I am sure you would come to the conclusion, 
that nine-tenths of the farms in this country that are in¬ 
jured by excess of water, should be drained as soon as 
the owners can possibly do it. I may add, that nearly 
the same exceptions may be taken in respect to the re¬ 
marks on gathering leaves for a manure. S. F.” 
Water Proof Cloth. 
“ As the cold and wet season of the year has commenc¬ 
ed, it would be of great service to farmers, when expos¬ 
ed in rainy weather, to wear a coat, or large cape, made 
of some light, but water-proof cloth, to throw off the 
wet; and I would thank you, or any of your numerous 
correspondents, to inform me of the best mode of mak¬ 
ing cloth, either cotton, linen, or woolen, water-proof, by 
means of India Rubber or other substance, provided the 
method be easy and practicable, and that the cloth will 
be durable and not liable to crack in wearing.” 
The substance most commonly used for making cloth 
water-proof, both in this country and abroad, is some 
one of the varieties of the gum Caoutchouc, of India 
rubber. All that is necessary is to dissolve the gum, 
and with it to saturate the cloth. Purified sulphuric 
ether, will dissolve it, as will spirits of turpentine, but 
the last solution is so long in drying, as to be objection¬ 
able. The fluid now commonly used is purified naptha 
from coal tar, (the Seneca oil of the shops, is this sub¬ 
stance formed by nature,) which is a cheap and power¬ 
ful solvent, and does not change the properties of the 
gum. A thin covering of this solution laid on cloth, 
renders it impervious to moisture. 
A late volume of the London Encyclopedia gives the 
following directions for its preparation and use. “ In 
Europe, caoutchouc is also used extensively in the manu¬ 
facture of water-proof cloth. For this purpose it is usu¬ 
ally dissolved in the oil distilled from coal tar, and spread 
upon the surface of a piece of the cloth, upon which a 
similar piece is then extended, and the whole passed be¬ 
tween a pair of rollers. Thus the fabric consists of two 
pieces of cloth, with a layer of the India rubber inter¬ 
posed, and uniting them together. The cloth thus pre¬ 
pared is so impervious to moisture, that floating or hy¬ 
drostatic beds for invalids, are formed of it, and even 
beds and cushions are rendered elastic by inflating 
them.” 
Notwithstanding, the preparation of water-proof cloth 
may be performed by individuals, we imagine it would 
be preferable to purchase such cloth already prepared, 
at some of the manufactories of water-proof cloth and 
goods. Of its value for the purpose suggested, there can 
be no doubt. — 
Internal Improvement. 
“ A Traveler,” is respectfully assured, that although 
in the main we agree with him on the question he has 
discussed; yet, as the subject is not strictly in accord¬ 
ance with the design of this paper, and may be constru¬ 
ed as an interference with matters more properly treat¬ 
ed elsewhere, we shall not insert his communication. 
We are the decided advocates of internal improvement, 
believing, that wisely constructed, and well managed, 
they aid the producing classes most essentially; and de¬ 
sire their progress as far and as fast as the undoubted 
resources of the state treasury will justify. We are far¬ 
ther as decidedly opposed to any crude or ill-digested 
projects, founded on conjecture, or calculations mani¬ 
festly erroneous, and which in their progress may in¬ 
volve the expenditure of uncounted millions, and create 
the hazard of entire loss, or the fearful result of future 
taxation. This state has so far done honorably; that 
career is not yet closed. 
East and the West. 
We have received from Liberty county, Mo. a well 
written paper, defending the west against some of the 
charges which eastern tourists and writers have brought 
against it, and with no inconsiderable success. As on 
all these subjects however, we know but one country 
and one people, we must decline publishing the paper ; 
confident that whatever of error exists, will be speedily 
dissipated by enlightened intercourse; and knowing 
that none but feelings the most friendly and fraternal 
prevail in the Atlantic states toward their brethren of 
the west, we cannot willingly aid in causing or perpetu¬ 
ating a feeling of querulousness or complaint. 
We thank our correspondent for the suggestion in his 
last paragraph, and will endeavor to make such arrange¬ 
ments as shall meet his wishes and that of others, in re¬ 
gard to a supply of the back volumes of the Cultivator. 
Silk Culture. 
Our respected correspondent, T. W. Smith, Fauquier 
county, Virginia, requests us to give a plain and unso¬ 
phisticated account of what we ourselves know experi¬ 
mentally about the profits and losses of raising mulberry 
trees for the exclusive purpose of making silk—and asks 
that our experienced subscribers will do the same. We 
quote the last paragraph of his letter : 
“ I have myself at this time upwards of 20,000 of the 
morus alba, (four years old next spring,) for all of which 
I now only ask $100, and must take them up and throw 
them away in the spring, if I cannot have some assur¬ 
ance that the manufacture of silk, will be more profita¬ 
ble than the raising of wheat and corn.” 
We answer for ourselves, in the first place, that we 
have never attempted the cultivation of the mulberry ei¬ 
ther for silk or for sale; have never made a single ex¬ 
periment on the subject, and of course can have had no 
personal experience or knowledge on the subject from 
our OAvn practice. We have had, however, from the 
first, great confidence that the culture or production of 
silk, was destined to occupy a prominent place among 
the articles grown by our agriculturists, and the expe¬ 
rience afforded the past year, has confirmed us in the 
opinion, that for ease and profit, silk may soon rank 
with our most valuable staples. The production of silk 
will be found to be a very different matter from growing 
mulberry trees, partaking less of the nature of specula¬ 
tion, and taking its place at once among the sober occu¬ 
pations and business of the farmer and his family. 
Two instances have come to our knowledge of the 
operations of the last season, the facts of which are be¬ 
yond doubt, and which will show what has been done in 
the production of the raw article, of which, by the way, 
there is nothing has a quicker and more certain sale. 
“A Connecticut farmer, the past season hatched out 
some worms to be fed by his children, three in number, 
who went to school every day; and they gathered leaves 
and fed the worms in the morning; returned at noon to 
feed them again, and at night completed the feeding for 
the day. The worms had little attention, but what was 
