316

REPLY TO QUERIES ON BUTTER-MAKING.-ETC.

Of these historians, first in the series, came the make good my original position. This I shall do, late George Culley, of Grindon, Northumberland, because of the reason that my views and opinions who, in 1784, published a book on Cattle. He was have been harshly assailed, and against me, in cona Short-Horn-breeder (and that of distinction, versation, I have had quoted Youatt and Berry as twenty years before either Colling commenced), authority, as if they were the only people in the and the Herefords fare badly in his hands. Next world who ever did, or could, know anything of followed Bailey, of Durham; and then in the suc- Short-Horns and Herefords. cession of time, the Rev. Henry Berry; and, finally, Youatt, who merely re-produced the account of Berry, re-written by Berry. All these men were the open advocates of the Short-Horns, and two, Culley and Berry, breeders of them. Is it wonderful, then, that in America we should have erroneous opinions respecting them? In the only histories we have of them, written by interested parties, they are decried by interest, and that of the keenest kind,—a rival interest.

By the issue I will abide, trusting at some not distant day, to see the Herefords scattered all over those regions of our country which grow beef and travel it on the hoof to market. In such regions the Short-Horn can never beat the Hereford.

Let me not be misunderstood. I am the advocate of Short-Horns; the best cattle I ever saw were Short-Horns, bulls cows and oxen. But the Short-Horns are far from an even race of cattle. The worst cattle I have ever seen were ShortHorns. Not so are the Herefords; they are very even in quality, and are far superior to ordinary Short-Horns in everything, and are superior as travelling and working beasts to any Short-Horns.

A. S.

REPLY TO QUERIES ON BUTTER-MAKING
I HEREWITH reply to the queries on butter-making,
which appeared page 252, August No. of the
Agriculturist.

Here we have never heard of the great number of Hereford breeders, equal in skill and success to Price (father and son) and Tompkins. Who ever, among us, heard of Westcar and the two Seignors, and I might add a host of equal reputation? And yet these men, for an age almost, held sway, and uninterrupted sway, at the Smithfield Christmas Cattle Shows; and have been succeeded by others equally unknown, who now carry away eight out of every ten of the prizes offered by the Smithfield Club. And still the Herefords are merely the Let the cows be milked early in the morning, tenant farmer's cattle, and only in one instance before the flies trouble them, and as late as possihave they found a titled patron, the Earl of War-ble in the evening-for the same reason. wick; while the Short-Horns are the gentleman's Let the milk be immediately strained into pans, cattle, and Dukes, Marquises, Earls, Viscounts, which have been previously filled to the depth of Barons, Baronets, Gentlemen and Tenant Farmers, half an inch, with fresh cool spring water. are the breeders and feeders of the Short-Horns. Against the Herefords are wealth and rank, and only in the hands of wealth and rank have the Short-Horns been able to beat the Herefords, when shown at Smithfield. How many prizes have been won at Smithfield by tenant farmers, with Short-Horns? None. Earl Spencer and Sir A teaspoonful of salæratus to a gallon of cream Charles Tempest have won. Can any man in is sometimes an assistance when the butter does America say he has ever heard of prizes carried by not come readily-a little salt may also be usedShort-Horns fed and shown by untitled men? Can but these are not certain remedies. The surest all this mean nothing? Surely no. Wealth can way is to keep your cream in an ice-house in do almost anything. It can unprofitably feed and warm weather. show a Short-Horn, and win the prize against a profitably fed Hereford. But this it will rarely do, and the result is, that rarely do the Short-Horns beat the Herefords at Smithfield, and this is the only field of any distinction where they meet in common, and on equal terms.

I mean this as a sort of preface to a criticism upon the histories of Culley, Bailey, Berry, and Youatt. The two last are regarded as authority as to cattle in America, and by a certain party, Youatt is looked upon with veneration. As to Berry, I think Mr. Lewis F. Allen, in his lately published (and capital) book, the History of the Short-Horns, has entirely demolished him as authority on Short-Horns; and I shall endeavor to show that he is not entitled to regard as authority on Herefords.

Skim off the cream while the milk is sweet. Keep the cream cool, and churn it while it is sweet. I prefer stone churns, they being more easily kept clean and sweet-this is all important. Great care must be taken to keep the milk pans sweet.

Sour milk, we find, will not produce so much nor so good butter as fresh milk.

We churn our cream at a temperature of about 60°-cooling the churn by pouring into it, during the churning-say three times a little cold water.

The steadier the churning, the sooner the butter will come-say from 15 to 30 minutes.

We always churn our cream-never the milk. The above is the result of three years' careful experiments, and may, I hope, be of service to the inexperienced.

For want of a better, a stone pot may be converted into a churn in 15 minutes, by any true farmer-as all such understand the use of tools. Setauket, September, 1846.

A. H.

PLANTING TREES.-The Spaniards are infinitely Mr. Youatt did not even write the various accounts more careful than other nations in planting trees; which he published, and is not regarded in England for it rarely happens, when a Spaniard eats fruit in by breeders of any of the approved races of cattle, a wood or in an open country, that he does not set the Short-Horns, Herefords, Devons, &c., as entitled in the ground the pips or stones; and hence in the to the least consideration. I feel that it is necessary whole of their country, a vast number of fruit-trees to make a clear field before I proceed to attempt to of all kinds are to be found.

DEVELOPMENT OF BUDS IN CORN.-PLASTER-CASTS FOR FRUIT.

317

DEVELOPMENT OF BUDS IN CORN. to dispose of them. If not, you will fully appreciWHILE recently conversing with an observing ate their value. The practical reasonings from them and experienced farmer upon the laws of develop- belong to another lecture, which I may, at some ment in the kingdom of nature, I mentioned a de-time, present to you. Light, or rather want of monstration which I had observed, and used before light, doubtless has much to do in reversing the the Senior Class in our Institute, in my course on order of development. J. DARRACH. Vegetable Physiology. The facts were new to Walden, Orange Co., N. Y., Sept. 8, 1846. him, and supposing them so to farmers generally, he requested their publication.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING PLASTER-
CASTS OF FRUIT.

PROCURE a square box large enough to admit the fruit, and leave a space of at least half an inch on every side; divide this box into two equal parts by a horizontal section, and fit the parts together with pins, in order that it may be taken apart and put together again in the same position with facility; fit a tight bottom to one half, and having made a composition by melting together two parts of beeswax and one part of rosin, fill the half box having the bottom with it, nearly to the brim, and when nearly cold, sink the fruit into it to its greatest diameter, and hold it steadily there until the composi

"You will observe, gentlemen, that this stalk (a stalk of sugar corn from my garden, about in the bunch, as they say at the South, dissected longitudinally) has twelve leaves or blades. At each axil of the seven lower blades, you perceive a bud cut through its longest axil. The white line in the centre, with the indented line on either side, is the pith of the cob; those delicate silky filaments pass-tion is hard enough to bear its weight; the fruit ing from each re-entering of the indented line, are the styles or silk, exterior to these are manifest the blades of the husk.

should first be prepared by covering it with a thin coat of oil that it may slip readily from the mould -and if of a kind having cavities at the ends, as the apple or pear, a hole should be made through it from the blossom to the stem, to allow the air to escape when pressed into the wax. When the composition is hard in the lower box, grease the surface around the fruit to prevent its adhering to

the upper half the box, and pour in the composition until the fruit is covered; a plug should be placed between the boxes in such a manner as to form, when taken out, an opening into the mould; when all is perfectly cold, the boxes may be sepa

"I would call your attention to the fact visible before us, that of the seven buds upon this stalk the lowest is at this period most developed. Did you ever see seven ears of corn upon one stalk? I did, once; it was several years since, in a garden upon the eastern shore of Maryland, the white the wax of the upper half of the mould-place on dog-toothed corn. It grew alone. . . . Next autumn when corn is ripe, you will find this present manifest order of development reversed. Those stalks which perfect any of these buds into full ears, will perfect the top ones. Then you will find the degree of development decrease as regularly down-rated, and the fruit and plug taken out; cover the ward as it does now upward. This lowest bud, now the largest, will probably be found to have made no advance the next a small one-the next an increase upon that, and thus to the perfect ear. Should you find a stalk with no manifestation of sets, an examination will exhibit every bud, and with the same relative degrees of development, though each less advanced than when the top bud is perfected.

"The formation of the buds always takes place if the leaves are developed. The order of early and later development, though reversed in regard to each other, is in all my observations the same. I speak of corn as usually cultivated. The degree of development depends upon variable circumstances, and is consequently variable. The number of buds depends upon the variety; some varieties forming more, some less. This sugar corn, you perceive, has seven; our varieties of field corn vary from five to seven buds. Our modes of cultivation perfect from one to two, sometimes three, and Occasionally four, very rarely five."

Since copying for you the above extracts, I have examined the Peruvian corn, the seed of which I received through your kindness last spring. It has nineteen leaves, and has formed ten buds, though none are perfected.

If the facts mentioned above have before been noticed in your paper you will of course know how

inside with a slight coat of grease rubbed on with the finger; place the boxes together again in their proper position, and the mould is finished. Mix now sufficient well calcined plaster with water, to about the consistency of thick cream, to fill the mould, and pour in immediately; and in a few moments the plaster will be set, and may be taken out.

Before painting, it is well to give the cast one or two coats of copal varnish. Oil colors should be used, they stand the weather better.

The greatest difficulty I have found in making a perfect cast is in getting it free from the little bubbles of air that remain in the plaster and settle on its surface; to prevent this, shake the mould while the plaster is "settling."

Care should be taken to place the fruit in the box in such a position as will allow it to " draw;" the division of the mould must be exactly at the greatest diameter of the fruit. The mould may be taken with plaster in the same manner as with wax, in which case it is necessary to varnish it before using.

The stem of the fruit that is cast, should be preserved and put in the cast; it adds greatly to the appearance, and is sometimes characteristic of the variety.

If there is anything peculiar about the flesh or core, the cast may be cut in halves and painted to represent the inside.-Ohio Cultivator,

318

MANAGEMENT OF HONEY-BEES.-No. 4.

MANAGEMENT OF HONEY-BEES.-No. 4.

THE only covering or roofing necessary for hives placed as before described, is a couple of boards, say 15 inches wide, fastened together with stout leather hinges, and placed upon the top of the hives, with a small block of wood upon each hive, in order to raise the centre of the boards, and give a descent to the sides, to carry off water. Previous to strapping the boards together, they should be secured from warping by cleats upon the upper sides, fastened with wrought nails. When there are several hives to cover, it is best to divide the roof into strips of six feet long, or half the length of ordinary boards, for the greater convenience of removing them, which, at certain seasons, is necessary to do, in order to remove hives from one station to another-a very important matter-as will be shown hereafter. This roofing may be secured from removal by heavy weights, by cords attached to the sides, and secured to the posts that support the hives. The question may be asked why it is necessary to have any roof at all. A roof of about 2 to 3 feet wide, is important for various reasons. In the first place, to protect the hives from natural decay. Secondly, it affords protection to the bees when they cluster out largely, as they will take to the inner sides of the hives, and thus be secure in almost any storm. Thirdly, it protects the supers from the melting rays of the sun, which would endanger the combs. I once found the honey run-east. ning in a stream from the bottom board of one of my hives, and on examination I found the combs in the super melted down flat, from the effects of a June sun, in a case in which I had omitted to cover the hive. Even the old combs below would be in danger of melting, without any roof; but this kind of roof will shade the hives half-way down to the bottom, which is sufficient. In the spring of the year, let the roof be removed back, so as to present the entire front of the hives to the sun, as it helps generate the necessary heat within to bring forward the young brood. As the season advances, say about the first of June, then let the roof be brought forward to the centre, if fronting the east, and somewhat past the centre, if fronting the south, in order to give the bees the greater shade.

I consider this kind of bee-stand as the most economical, and, at the same time, the best adapted to the natural requirement of bees. It allows the hives to be suspended, instead of resting upon a shelf or board at the bottom, and permits the bottom-board to be suspended also, with small wire hooks, the importance of which has already been spoken of. It gives a free circulation of air around the hives, and affords as little shelter to the insects as possible; and when they do get a footing, one has an easy opportunity to dislodge them. When made with care, with posts planed and painted, its appearance is not bad, but rough posts and rough boards for a roof, with a good coat of whitewash, will answer the purpose very well.

The situation of the bee-stand will next claim our attention. The reader will, as a matter of course, say, "it should front the south," because he has always seen them so. I admit that we generally see them so, and we also see the hive housed up in the warmest possible situation in the winter season, where not a breath of air can reach them,

except from the south, and we find such situations
calculated to decoy out the bees in the dead of
winter, when the sun shines clear! But do these
bees ever return? Look upon the snow around
your bee-stands-that will answer the question. I
I have often seen the old women, and even men,
picking up the torpid bees in pans, and endeavor-
ing to warm them into life; and if they should be
restored to the hives, perhaps the next day they
would be found in the same condition. These
people had not sense enough to know, that by
beating out the backs and ends of their bee-houses,
the bees would stay at home! Well, my dear
reader, if you have always seen bee-houses face
the south, I do not care, I shall front mine to the
east. There were upon a time two certain husband-
men living near each other; the one allowed his
hired hands to sleep till the sun had reached a con-
siderable altitude-and it was remarked how little
he performed during the season. The other called
forth his hired men as soon as the dawn of day
would admit, and people were astonished at the
quantity of produce gathered into his barns!
Now, the result of two stocks of bees, the one
facing the east, and the other the south, may not be
dissimilar. The bees facing the south wait for the
morning sun to throw his rays upon their place of
egress, before they will venture forth, which is
some two hours later than upon the hives facing the
Then you will see the bees of the one at
work long before the bees of the other think of
sallying forth, and the result of their labors, when
the honey-season is past, may not be disproportion-
ate to the result of the labors of the two husband-
men. This difference of the bees departing to the
fields in the morning, is the most perceptible in the
When the heat of
months of May and June.
summer approaches, there is not so much difference,
from the fact, that the bees find the temperature, at
any time, suited to their wants. When there is but
a single hive suspended on my plan, with the bot-
tom-board hung so as to admit ingress and egress
from all sides, it does not matter how it fronts; but
when there is a tier of hives, they should face the
east, as the easterly end hive would only be rightly
placed if all should face the south. The bee-stand
must either face the south or the east. It will do
well to front the south, but better to front the east ;
and in either of these positions, it should be ex-
posed to the full force of the sun.
In the spring it
is very important, but not so much so in the sum-
mer. Avoid the shade of trees, for the drippings
retard the bees in sallying forth after showers. Let
your location be one without shelter from any quar-
ter, and particularly where the winter winds will
have a fair chance to sweep among the hives, for
by this means the bees are kept at home, where
they belong in the winter season. I do not advo-
cate a change of situation for hives in winter, as
some do. It is attended with too much trouble
where there are many hives, and a good winter lo-
cation is a good summer location, and vice versa.
If your dwelling stands very near to the banks of a
river, pond, or lake, place the stands as far from the
water as possible, as the bees are liable to be forced
down into the water, by high winds, while they are
T. B. MINER.
returning home heavily laden.

Ravenswood, L. I., Sept. 16th, 1846.

COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE COTTON CROP.

COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE COTTON

CROP.

A GREAT many readers of yours will run over your news of the "Last Year's Cotton Crop," without giving an examination, and will thus be influenced-may be, it will have considerable effect in our market. I presume that none but the bigoted will hesitate to admit, that the cotton crop has more influence on the welfare, or probably on the prosperity of America, than that of any otheralways premising that we had our daily bread;" therefore, the correction of any unfavorable impression would be of more or less advantage. But to the matter in hand.

By the Report of the Board of Trade, it is proved that, in 1845, 1,069,320 cwt. of cotton were imported into Great Britain; during the present year, 1,019,738 cwt. The difference in weight is thus reduced to a trifle less than 50,000 cwt., or above 15,000 bales. In other words, the falling off in weight this year, as compared with last year, is over 4 per cent., but the falling off in the number of bags above 26 per cent! The inference then! drawn, is that there is no faith in the shortness of the crop, and that prices cannot improve.

I have seen the remark made-" deliver us from our friends," and well may the cotton region repeat it, when alluding to our Northern friends. I am very willing to admit that we have often erred in our estimates, but I deny the inference, that we intended to deceive. The cotton crop is more difficult to estimate until gathered, than any other grown, so much depends on the season and the lateness of frost. We have been so sanguine at times of a shortness of the crop, and desiring to have an honest advantage of the fact, that we have prematurely judged; the season proving more favorable has made our estimates fail. I may not know myself, nor may I know others, but I believe, nevertheless, that a more magnanimous and honest people than the cotton planters do not exist this side of heaven, and I would tell my own dear parents that they spoke hastily at least-if they would say that we made false statements for money. To say to you precisely my opinion of this estimating,-I do not believe there is any man who can tell within 100 lbs. per hand, what I will make, scarcely one year out of ten, on the 1st day of August, and that he will frequently fail one bale, and just as apt as not full 100 lbs. per acre, of seed cotton. In alluding above to our Northern friends, I mean to say that they generally give publicity to the largest estimates, and some insist that they know best.

The estimates above are truly, I suppose, from foreign data, but the data are so glaringly absurd that any one ought to detect the error.

319

Agreeably to information received from a cotton merchant in New Orleans, J. A. Ruff, I am able to Now, sir, you see at once that your data are too show that the falling off in receipts in the United erroneous to be any criterion, and that we must States, up to August 1, was 361,745 bales; I would rely on the receipts and exports according to the like to see how this deficit is made up in Great U. S. accounts-which will place the crop without Britain. The quantity you state as being imported much doubt on the 1st of September, that being into Great Britain in 1845, 1,069,320 cwt., if multi-the usual date at which the year closes, at plied by 112 lbs. in a cwt., will give 119,763,840 full 500,000 bales short, which, added to the deĺbs. ONLY, and the receipts in 1846, 1,019,738 cwt., creasing stock on hand, will and must leave the or 114,210,656 lbs. stock at less than 700,000 bales, supposing the

If the first number be divided by 350, which is consumption to continue in '46, as in '45, at over

29,000 bales per week. As to weight of bales, the same fix, or if not, the grass in cotton fielas it is impossible that the increase in weight of bales shows they ought to be. The thing is certain-it is can make up the deficit between the apparent de- impossible for Mississippi with her mammoth load crease of 26 per cent., and the real one of 4 per of 550,000 bales, to get it into market as cent., and I believe it is a mere catch penny ma- early as last year; and though she may make the nœuvre. Consider, the bales of the southwest average crop, yet, with an ordinary season, much of it must about 420 lbs., and those of Carolina about 330; add be a total loss. Again, all cotton planters know, to these even 25 per cent., and we have Mississippi that a seasonable, rainy year, is not favorable for a bales at 525 lbs., an increase that never occurred in large crop, and that a crop in the grass from May to one year even on one plantation; and I venture August, cannot mature as early, nor make so much, that the difference in weight has not varied 20 lbs. and that large, pretty cotton, is always deceptive. for 15 years, if we take out the advance made on I therefore conclude the crop of '46 is more decotton per bale, by banks. I mean to say, that the pendent on the latter part of this season than any I present average weight of bales has not been 10 lbs. ever saw; that an early frost, with these constant less or 10 lbs. more for any one year, in 15 years, rains, will cut the crop under two millions of bales; except the banking years. And I say further, that and if the fall be very late and favorable, that we a jury of twelve men selected from the cotton make the largest one that ever was made—but the fall states, or from the cotton-receiving cities, would must be very late, because there is not a crop of say the difference in weight has not been over 20 early fruit, nor a fair show for a middling one; our lbs., if that, for the past five years. And why dependence then is for a late crop of fruit. I should it be? Freights have not advanced, our would not be at all surprised if our crop dropped presses are not more powerful, nor is our cotton under two millions, which, with peace with Mexi easier compressed-and a majority of us could not co, and no more experiments by the Government of press 500 lb. bales without a greater loss of time these U. S., will bring forward the most thrifty and labor than would be compensated by the little times we have seen for ten years. M. W. PHILIPS. saving. That the shortness of crop admits now of Edward's Depôt, Miss., Aug. 9th, 1846. no possible doubt, I am well convinced, and I believe it exceeds the apparent difference. Why, say you. Because I know of some planters who held on to a part, or the whole of 1844 crop, hoping better prices, and that the improvement in 1845 caused them to send it forward, which was added to the '45 crop, but of course it does not affect the quantity received. If you will refer to page 279 of the Report of the Commissioner of Patents, you will see that I estimated a probable decrease of 300,000 bales, on the 5th of last September.

DISEASES OF FOWLS.

A CORRESPONDENT in your journal (p. 241, current volume), who signs his name S., has thought proper to condemn my mode of curing fowls by a surgical operation. He says he has opened the crops of many hens, but never saved one. His modus operandi must have been wrong; for, from its simplicity, a child with a common penknife, could perform the operation. S. comes to the conclusion that, had I given my fowls plenty of lime and gravel, the case would not have happened, Now I contend that my fowls had plenty of lime, gravel, and fresh water. Consequently, it could not have been that your correspondent intended to lead your readers to believe that my fowls had none, and had become crop-bound. Furthermore, he says that he doubts whether any fowl would swallow anything liable to obstruct the passage of the stomach. If any one has any doubt of this, I can only affirm that the most apt thing that hens are liable to swallow, is dead particles of grass, which become matted, and create a stoppage.

In conclusion, I would merely say, provide your hens with proper food-lime, charcoal, gravel, and fresh water; and if they get crop-bound, resort to the knife, as directed on page 142 of this volume.

The matter now that presses forward-" what hopes have we in an advance ?" I believe we may hope for it, not only on account of the certain vast reduction of stock that must be on hand, January, 1847, but from the prospect of this crop. I am aware that new cotton has gone forward already, a few bales, and I believe it will injure the U. S. to hundreds of thousands of dollars, because the fact of cotton going into market before the 8th of August, is too strong proof of the forwardness of the crop, for the opinions of all planters to the contrary, to show the truth. Notwithstanding this, and that I will have no credence, I assure you that the crop, so far as I see, or can hear, is from two weeks to one month later than the last crop. I have seen many large fields, have conversed with a large number of planters, and the information is"two weeks later," "three weeks later," "I believe about one month later" than last year's crop. ATMOSPHERE NEAR THE SEA. From various In my immediate vicinity, there are five families experiments made by the savans of Europe, it has belonging to our connexion, of which I am one, been ascertained that the atmosphere over the sea and I know we were picking cotton at this date last contains less carbonic acid than that over the land; year, whereas I can see no prospect of being three that, when the sea is rough, and especially when weeks hence where we were at this date. As to the wind is violent, particles of sea-water, in a myself, my cotton book, kept accurately for 15 state of great tenuity, float in the air, particularly years, will show that on the 15th of August, 1845, on the coast where the waves break; and that these I gathered an average of 160 lbs. per hand, and that particles are carried to greater or less distances, acI began to pick on the 4th of August. This year I cording to the violence of the wind, and the degree have not seen an open bowl, and have not yet to which the sea is agitated. Hence the influence stopped my team or my hoes, a thing that never of sea-air upon the soil and vegetation in places occurred before. My neighbors are generally in near the sea.

Keyport, N. J., Sept. 5th, 1846. H. T. LLOYD.