scorch, as there is more danger here than over the hot fire, where the boiling and commotion gives it no time to burn. EVAPORATING PANS AND CLARIFYING. If Cook's evaporator is used, it clarifies and makes the sirup and sugar without the aid of another pan, or the assistance of any chemical agents, and thus is preferable for a small business to almost any other pan with which we are acquainted. If one uses a pan of this style, (two would be needed,) it may be 25 feet long; the width of sheet iron 28 inches, 3 feet at the top, and made flaring. It should be partitioned off into three divisions, and be set upon a continuous brick arch 15 inches wide, and the fire should hug close to the pan. In this 100 gallons, at least, of good sirup can be made with half a cord of wood. One will need, however, with this pan, a defecating pan to receive the strained sap and clarify it as above described, and this clarifying pan will keep the long pan at work. But if one wishes very nice sirup, he should run the clarified sap, while hot, directly into the filterer, say a tank of seven feet high and four feet in diameter, with a perforated bottom, and with a cock twelve inches from way the bottom, to turn the juice from the tank into pan; place bars upon the perforated bottom, and a flannel cloth to keep the dust or coal from mixing with the juice; then put in three feet of animal charcoal or boneblack, and spread a cloth over it, and put two feet of wood coal upon the top of this, about as fine as shelled corn, and let in the juice. When ready to start the long cr finishing pan, turn the cock and let on the filtered juice as fast as it may be required, DISPOSAL OF THE SCUM FROM THE EVAPORA TOR. DRAINAGE OF MUSH SIRUP INTO SUGAR. This is the most difficult part of all our labors, for it does not naturally drip dry. The quickest and most successful way we have found to obtain sugar is to push the mush into a coarse, strong bag, and put it into a strong hoop similar to our common portable cider-mill hoop; then put on the pressure of the screw, and if the room is warm the molasses will soon leave dry sugar. Another mode of drainage is to have a large table, say twelve feet square, with sides four inches high, and the centre as high as the sides, and gradually sloping to the corners, where a spout should be placed to carry off the molasses; if the room is kept warm it will soon drain to dry sugar. By either mode clean, dry sugar will be obtained, free from any cane taste, as that leaves with the molasses. "Book Farming." MR. EDITOR Oh, the beauties of Book farming the papers, management says some some inexperienced [Slightly inconsistent, it strikes us, friend Pierce. You affect a contempt for "book farming," and yet you are not only a subscriber to the FARMER, but have even purchased a copy of Randall's Sheep Husban.. dry! You say, "the papers said, feed sulphur," &c. What papers? Probably the political newspapers, that make no pretentions to knowing anything about the value of the recommendations they quote. The scum is worthless till the juice is concentrated to about 15° Baume. except to feed to stock. They are very fond of it, and devour it greedily. After this one can save the scum by putting it into a tank for that purpose, and at leisure, after it has settled, draw it off and run it over the pan again, till the juice has arrived at about 20, when You certainly saw nothing of the kind in the the scum will produce as fine flavored sirup FARMER. By turning from the newspapers as any. It may be well to run it through to a book you convict yourself of either inthe filters, and the scum taken from tis will make good vinegar. In fact, if all the sincerity or inconsistency. Intelligent men washings are saved, ten or fifteen barrels of ought to know that very nearly if not good vinegar can be made in manufacturing quite all the really valuable information thirty or forty barrels of sirup; or, if some- possessed by the world, in these times of thing stronger is desired, an excellent brandy extraordinary facilities for printing, is to be can be made, from all fermented saccharine juices, that is worth from two to four dol-found in books, which are simply the recordlars per gallon. Forty gallons of this juice ed thoughts and experience of the best will make four of good spirits. thinkers and workers of all times.-EDITOR. Experience with the Chili Potatoe. MR. EDITOR: -In your last issue you mention the Garnet Chili potato and ask those who received seed of you to report progress. I planted a bushel and a half last year, not from seed obtained of you, but nevertheless you will be glad to hear of their success.They produced fifty bushels of very large potatoes perfectly free from disease; all I could spare readily selling at a dollar the bushel for seed. I planted thirteen bushels this spring, but owing to the dry time th-y do not look so flourishing as I could wish I presume I need scarce tell you it is a good keeping potato and first rate boiler. I shall have none for sale. W. Low. NOTE. We would like to inquire of friend Low whether he found the Garnet good for spring use. We tried a few them several ways and found them watery every time. EDITOR. Reasons for Taking an Agricultural Paper. Is not the subject one of sufficient im portance to interest you? Is not the prac tical experience of other farmers of value? Have you attained that degree of perfection in farming that you cannot farther improve by your own or the experience of others? You answer these questions, except the last, in the affirmative; but you say, "I have not time; if I get time to read the current news of the day, I think I do well." But, is not agriculture of sufficient importance compared with politics and passing events, so as to justify your giving it at least 1-30th of your reading time? When my boy comes from the post office with the newspapers and the Valley Farmer, I sit down and read the latter named periodical first, and for the following reasons: 1. Etiquette requires it. If you have two or more visitors, one only able to call once a month and the balance calling once a week; the former able to give you practical advice in your business, whereas the others only able to amuse or instruct-if these Mr. Weeklies are men of sense, they will excuse you for taking a preference to the conversation of Mr. Monthly, they know. ing, that when he is absent, you give them your undivided attention. 2. Interest requires it, because you may get a practical idea, that you can in your business improve by even the next day; whereas if a train of cars has run off the track, a steamboat or building destroyed by fire, through the carelessness of others, you could not help it. It may to certain parties be a severe calamity, but the knowledge of it to others is only valuable as one of those lessons of experience by which we may profit. 3. Labor is saved by it. A thrifty farmer has labor daily of a twofold character to perform; mental, to plan; physical, to accomplish; his success depends as much upon the former as latter. In a practical, agricultural journal, ideas can be gleaned to save much of the former, and ccasionally much of the latter. ་ Lastly. Success requires it. The great Understand your business; and, 2. Mind secret of success coupled with energy is: 1. your business.-Cor. Valley Farmer. Salting Hay. circulation against the practice of salting hay as it There is a good deal of testimony from farmers in goes into the mow, because it renders the hay moist, and is not a preservative. What do the practical farmers think about it? There is no doubt that there may be too much salt put on hay; but it by no means follows that a reasonable quantity will not be of bencfit rather than damage -Rural New Yorker. We hope none of our readers will be put in doubt by such nonsense as the above. If hay can be put into the barn or stack well cured it will, of course, need no salt to help season it; but if not, then we unhesitatingly recommend the use of a moderate quantity of salt-the amount being proportioned to the condition of the hay. One or two quarts to the load will serve a good purpose as we very well know by experience. Clover is much better for being put into the barn on the same day on which it is cut, as it is so easily damaged by dew, and will, therefore, usually require a little salt. The hay will keep better for it and your stock will eat it with a better relish. The Illinois Farmer. Mrs. C. M. Kirkland communicates to the Independent the following fancy sketch of those independent fellows, the Illinois farmer and his "help:" The Illinois farmer is a queer fellow.Full of energy, he is yet so proud that he despises the delving and steady industry on which wealth depends in the older States.He likes money, but he wears an air of sovereign indifference about earning it. His fences may be so poor that his fields enter tain all the stray animals of the neighborhood, but he says, "There's plenty for all, and it don't pay to be bothering with fences." His cattle and pigs are cut to pieces by the railroad trains, but he "can't help it! they will run therc." He scratches over a vast extent of ground, gets half a crop, and sits down perfectly contented, though the other half might have been had for a very little extra trouble. He has a poor "shackly" barn, and his barn-yard may be a pool, but he will not dig an outlet, even though there be a deep railroad drain within ten rods"its too much trouble!" His standard of home comfort is rather low, and you will find when you go to visit him that you must climb over the fence in front of his door, as a gate would be too troublesome. Inside the dwelling, comforts are so scarce that you may suspect poverty as well as carelessness. But no! there is money in bank, and very probably a cupboard full of silver cups and other nice things, prizes from fairs and cattle-shows. One cause for the apparent thriftlessness of farmers is the great price of labor here. What a man and his sons cannot do with their own hands, lies undone, because a hired man of whatever capacity, requires such wages as can only be earned by one at once faithful and capable. As a few of the men who will work out for wages are very competent, it becomes a question whether the work is doing at such cost. Thirty-five dollars a month is the wages of a common teamster or farm laborer of average skill; and no one, however poor, would work under twenty dollars. A boy of sixteen gets thirteen dollars and his board, and, according to Eastern idea of work and wages, earns about eight. Labor, skilled and unskilled, is the great want of this State. Can it be that there is any suffering from want in the great cities? Or is it that poor people will rather starve or steal than emigrate to regions where, while provisions are cheap, labor is paid at the very highest price?Domestic service, sewing, and laundry-work for women, and for men everything that strong arms can do, goes a-begging here, spite of the offer of excellent pay. Whoever does perform service at these high prices, feels that he confers a favor on his employer, and pockets his money with su preme coolness. Carpenters and blacksmiths are as scarce as four-leaved clovers; the shoe and boot maker is a most important person; and where so many barrels are needed for flour, pork, sorghum syrup, and, alas! whisky, the cooper is king. The best beef is six cents a pound; eggs ten cents a dozen even now, in mid-winter, and this is about double the summer price. Flour is just now six dollars-rather high, because the roads make it scarce. But other products of the mill are cheap enough to make up for that. Save the Fodder, A It is now certain that the grass crop has been below the average, and there fore it follows that the considerate farmer must carefully save and preserve all the material possible, that will go towards helping winter the stock. This is the season for practicing economy in the harvesting line.Save every pound of hay-see that the grass is cut clean and the hay raked clean. slack mower or a slovenly raker will usual y leave as much grass or hay behind him, and lost, as his daily wages amount to. Such hands shouldn't be tolerated in the field this season at any rate. A careful man, even if he asks a half a dollar more a day, is the cheapest in the end. There are the low wa te grounds which will yield quite a an abundance of wild grasses, &c., and the weeds and brakes, if cut while green and tender, or before being in blossom, will make a change of fodder quite palatable to the stock. All these little odds and ends, the stalks, vines, haulms, weeds, ferns, &c., should be carefully husbanded, and our word for it, next winter will prove the act to have been a wise one. Ventilate your Barns. Every barn should have a ventilator on top; and if any farmer's barn is not thus provided--as but few are--and circumstances will allow, we recommend that one be put on. Any smart carpenter can make and put it on in a day or two, and the better curing of your gathered crops will well repay all the expense. If your barn is roughly built and full of cracks, it will, of course, not be so essential that it should have a ventilator; but even then, especially in case your barn is to be crowded to the ridge, it is much better that it be so furnished with the means of getting rid of the heated air and steam which must otherwise accumulate in the upper part of the barn. By having a ventilator on the top, a constant upward current is established, which materially aids in the process of curing. Tappahannock White Wheat. tion for food, cessation of rumination, un Some days ago Willard Hodges, Esq., of willingness to move, slight heaving of the Brighton, in this county, left at the Rural the flanks, a frequent and painful cough, office, several heads of the above named va- becoming more and more painful and diffi riety of wheat grown from seed obtained cult, oppressed respiration, and finally a (through Patent Office) from Maryland. It discharge from the nostrils, succeeded by was sown Sept. 10, and harvested on the 2d inst. It grew by the side of Dickinson giddiness, stupor, delirium and death. It wheat (as early a variety of white wheat as is usually induced by sudden changes of we have in this region,) which was still weather or by a cold consequent upon caregreen and apparently would not ripen in a less washing, shearing at an unfavorable week or ten days. The label on the pack- time, driving hard, &c. Remedies, quite age of seed wheat said "It is earlier than the Blue Stem, and makes first quality of like those used for man. flour." The berry is plump and floe, but the heads short. It may prove the long sought desideratum for this region,-time and experimenting will decide. Mr. Hodges has no seed for sale, but thinks very favorably of the variety, and proposes continuing its culture.-Rural New Yorker. During the year past we have received from the Agricultural Department at Washington and distributed several bags of this wheat in Wis. Will not those parties who were favored with a trial of it send in their report? STOCK REGISTER. Consumption in Sheep. MR. EDITOR:-One of my neighbors wished me to write and ask through the Farmer the cause and remedy for the cough that sheep have. He says they are taken and if not cured will die the next year. OVIS. ANSWER.-The query of "Ovis" is so general and indefinite in character that we may not hit the case at all in our reply; for there are so many kinds of cough that no single description or class of remedies could be appropriate to all. The constitution of sheep and many of its diseases are so much like those of the horse and of man, that no physician could long be in doubt in any given case as to the method to be pursued in the treatment of those diseases wherein they agree. Chronic inflamation of the lungs results after a time in what is known in man as consumption, and is beyond the reach of any remedies of which we have any knowledge. As "Ovis" remarks, it would be very likely to prove fatal within one year. The cough is a usual symptom. In the early stages, putting the animal upon dry nourishing pasture, giving it access to salt, and careful protection during severe changes of weather and storm may be of service in retarding, if not in curing the disease. Youatt recommends the administration of dydriodate of potash in doses of three grains, morning and night, gradually increasing the dose to twelve grains, and in case a cure seems out of the question, that the animal be sent to the butcher while it will sell! Summer Care of Sheep. This is a general subject of much importance, and involving various particulars, which are so concisely and ably presented by Dr. Randall, author of "Practical Sheep Husbandry," in an article written for the Rural New Yorker, that we cannot do better than to quote therefrom such portions as are appropriate to the present season: WATER IN PASTURES.' We have already insisted that this is a point of the highest importance-that it ought to be regarded as indispensable--in the case of ewes suckling lambs; and there is no doubt that it is vastly better for all sheep. A cough in the sheep, as in man, may be occasioned by an acute inflamation of the lungs, or chronic inflamation. The former, when it has its free course, is characterized This, like the preceding, is very impor by fever, with hard, quick pulse, disinclinatant for nursing ewes, and very advantageous SHADE IN PASTURES. for all other sheep. In a bare field, with no from laying its eggs in the nostrils of the shade whatever but an ordinary rail fence, animal, it might be desirable to do so If it "would pay" to construct artificial shades proper food-that is, a portion of green food for ewes and lambs. It might be done cheap-in winter-will prevent colic in sheep, we ly near forests with the common pole shed, letting one end of the cover poles rest on the ground. Before this is rotted away, suitable clumps of well protected trees, set out on knolls, would be large enough to afford the requisite shade. SALT IN SUMMER. should give it to them If tar or fish oil near a wound will repel flies from that wound, it is prudent to put them on parts of sheep very particularly subjected to wounds. All this is simply proper management. It does not come in the category of drugging and dosing healthy sheep. A healthy sheep requires nothing inter. Sheep should be regularly salted as much nally but proper food, drink and salt. Salt as they will eat, once or twice a week is a condiment as much adapted to its inthroughout the summer, or else have salt stinctive appetite and desires as is its food. constantly accessible to them. The latter Nature, therefore, proclaims its usefulness would be decidedly best, did it not, during to sheep, even in health; but she makes no the busy periods of summer, tempt the flock such proclamation in respect to any other master to neglect seeing his sheep. They substance, which is included in the list of ought to be carefully looked over at least preventive medicines. twice each week, and counted as often, if pastured out of sight of the farm house, or in exposed situations. Besides, sheep are kept much tamer if frequently called about the shepherd by their desire to obtain salt. SULPHUR, ALUM, ETC. Profits of Wool Growing. I have just sold one thousand pounds of wool for $1000. "Does wool growing pay?" ELI STILSON, Oshkosh, Wis. Just the price that we predicted three Some people mix these things and other years ago, when the war had fairly comdrugs with salt, "to keep the sheep healthy." menced. Some very sound men (wool men Carrying coals to New Castle, salt to Dy- too) thought we were crazy and for our sake sart, or performing any other work of utter supererogation, is not, in our opinion, more regretted the rash prophecy. If a large absurd than doctoring" an animal in per- proportion of our readers had then taken fect health, and exposed to no unhealthy in- our urgent advice and turned their grainfluences, in order to guard against some spe- growing energies into the production of cial disease, or against diseases in general. And the misfortune is that the substances wool, there would now have been many more. administered are not, in the stomach of a farmers asking with exultant emphasis, perfectly healthy animal, merely harmless."Does wool-growing pay ?” All the effect they produce is just so far a departure from the useful and natural, and consequently the healthiest, discharge of the functions so affected. Instead of tending, therefore, to the prevention of disease, they rather invite it. There is not a greater fallacy in the whole range of popular errors than the one that, because a certain drug or substance is a good remedy for a particular disease, its administration in health will necessarily act as a preventive of that disease. These malopathic practitioners remind us of the "schoolma'm" who once a day spanked the school all round-the naughty children because they misbehaved, the others, to keep them from misbehaving! REMEMBER THE STATE FAIR, and prepare to make good exhibition of your stock. During the past three years much improvement has been made in stook-growing, in all its departments, in Wisconsin, and we shall be sadly disappointed if we do not see, at Janesville, in September next, the finest show of cattle, horses, sheep and swine ever yet made in this State. BEDDING COWS WITH SAND.-At the State Alme House, Mass., the manager of the farm beds his cows regularly with sand, which he considers superior to any other substance for that purpose. It is warm, easy to lie upon, prevents the cows from slipping when reaching for food, is an excellent absorbent of liquids, easily shoveled in and out, a superior divisor of droppings, and is an excellent substance to supply to cold lands. For these reasons he likes sand' Where the exciting causes of disease are at work, there is a legitimate mode of prevention. It consists in removing the sheep, or in removing or neutralizing those causes. If land is too wet, for example, lor sheep, it is "sound practice" to drain it. If we could devise any way to prevent the sheep gad-fly for bedding. |