WILLAMETTE FARMER.
Domestic EcoftopYv
Choice Treatment of Food.
In the choice of foods we cannot exercise too
mnch care. It is cheaper to procure only the
very best articles. All vegetables and fruits
should be grown an the best soils and the fer
tilizers nsed should be well decomposed and
not fresh and rank. Partially decayed food of
whatever kind should be avoided. For breads,
the best white wheat is none too good. If
grown in new soil it is likely to be better and
to contain abundance of the mineral matter so
needful to health. Fruils for eating without
cooking should be ripe, tender and nottoo tart;
while those for cooking may be either sweet or
sour, but they must possess the peculiar
quality of retaining when cooked their best
flavors. Potatoes should be fresh and ripe
old ones are less wholesome, especially when
they have been exposed to the light and air.
and bruised by much handling, or long exposed
to cold.
Animal food should be chosen with great
caution. Only healthy animals Bhould be nsed
for eating. They should be neither too old nor
too young, too fat nor too lean. In butchering,
all the blood should be removed from the body,
as otherwise the flesh putrefies readily. It
should be thoroughly cooled before eating.
It is also desirable that the animal be not
killed for several hours after eating or after
fatigue. The long journeys animals are sent
en crowded, filthy cars, render their flesh un
wholesome. The treatment of animal food is a matter of
importance. Why do we cook it at all? First,
to render it more pleasing to the sight; second,
to develop its best flavor; and third, to render
it digestible and palatable. Flesh cooked too
much is Tendered innntritioua and indigestible;
if cooked too little, it is disagreeable eating.
Liebig said he would never have flesh sub
jected to a higher temperature than 170 degs.
Fah., except tor a few minutes after it is put
into the pot, when it may be submitted to a
temperature of boiling water in order to coagu
late the albumen into a sort of crust on the
outside to hold in the flavors that might oth
erwise be evaporated. In roasting meat, also,
let the heat at first be high, and gradually de
crease to the boiling point for the same reason.
Stewed meats are more wholesome and nutri
tious than any other. Tho process renders
flesh tender and BUtculent and easy of diges
tion. f
The Origin of Pumpkin Pies.
The pumpkin pie is considered a purely
American dainty, and ample justice is dono it
at each annual return of the holidays. It is
to be hoped the institution will lose none of its
patriotism and favor, and that the digestion of
its lovers will not suffer when they discover
that this specialty of the Yankee, ij which he,
or, more properly speaking, she for the wife
is the concocter takes pride, is no American
specialty after all, but existed in England two
Hundred years ago, ana is to do lonnd in "The
Complete Cook," published in 1C55.
The English pie is a much more elaborate
affair than that of the Yankee, and contains
mole ingredients. As the season of good
things is now at band, when novelties of this
kind generally prove acceptable, we give the
recipe, which is so old, it can, like the dresses
worn at the same period, be introduced to this
generation and called new:
"To Make Pumpion Pie. Take about half a
pound of pumpion and stew it; a handful of
thyme, a little rosemary, parsley, and sweet
marjoram flipped off the stalk, and chop them
small ; then take cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and
six cloves, and beat them ; take ten eggs and
beat them ; then mix them and beat them alto
gether, and put in as much sugar as you think
fit; then fry them like a froize ; after it is fried
let it stand till it be cold, then fill your pie;
lake sliced apples thin, round ways, and lay a
row of the froize and layer of apples, with cur
rants betwixt them while your pie is filled, and
put in a good deal of sweet butter before you
close it; when the pie is baked, lake six yelks of
eggsand some white wine of vergris (ver-jnice,)
and make a caudle of this, but nottoo thick; cut
up the lid and put it in; stir them well together
until the eggs and putnpions be not perceived,
and serve it up."
Now, any lady adventurous enough to try
this pie can call it by a French name and give a
dinner party to introduce it.
Oatmeal and Cocoanut. Oatmeal mixed
with grated cocoanut produces a very attract
ive cake to both old and young. Take three
heaping teaepoonfuls of grated cocoanut, or
two of the prepared dessicated cocoanut; add
to it half a pint of the finest oatmeal and two
heaing teaspoonfuls of sugar; stir it into ono
gill ot boiling water, and mix it thoroughly to
gether; turn out on the rolling board, well
floured, and roll it as thin and cut out as for
common cracknels; put a bit of citron and a half
dozen currants into each cake, sticking them
into the dough. Bake in a slow oven and watch
carefully lest tbey brown a shade too deep.
To make them crispy let them stand a day in
an uncovered dish.
Gbahasi Floob Puffs. One quart of sweet
milk, two eggs, flour to make in a thin batter,
fill the gem cups two-thirds full, bake in a quick
oven.
Qood HeltH
Death fbom Tioiit Lacing. There has just
died at Pimlico, Mrs. Kezia Wheeler, an old
lady at the age of 77, on whom an inquest has
been held. Mrs. Wheeler was found dead in
her bedroom on Sunday morning last, dressed
for church, and with her Bible in her hand,
having apparently expired suddenly. The sur
geon said death had resulted from the bursting
of an aneurism, and the post-mortem examina
tion revealed terrible evidences of tight lacing
on the part of the deceased, who bad been a
very beautiful woman. In fact, one end of the
old lady's ribs had been pressed against the in
ternal organs, and had kept them constantly at
half action, as it were, until apparently an
aneurism was produced by the sudden rupture
of which she died. Mrs. Wheeler must have
been an exceptionally healthy woman to have
thus lived in spite of the corset which impris
oned part of her organs and interfered with
their natural development; had she not laced
she would doubtless have been a centenarian.
London Daily Telegraph.
Chapped Hands. The easiest and simplest
remedy is found in every one's kitchen closet,
and is nothing more than common starch. Be
duce it to an impalpable powder, put it in a mus
lin bag, keep it in toe table drawer. Whenever
you take your hands out of dish water or suds,
wipe them dry with a soft towel, and while yet
damp shake the starch bag all over them and
rub Jt in.
Whin to Takk a Wabm Bath. A warm bath
should be taken at night just before retiring,
and if the system is weak the bed and sleeping
room should be warm to prevent taking cold.
Very few persons can take a warm bath in the
daytime and go out Into the air and attend to
ordinary business without much peril.
Poisonino nr A Lamp Shade. At a recent
meeting of the medical society in Bonn, Pro
fessor Znntz brought forward a case in which a
gentleman who bad for several years been sub
ject to migraine observed that for some days
o had heartache late in tne evening, wmcii,
without interferina with sleep, contiuutd in the
morniDg, and was accompanied with loss of ap- ducing a rich, luxurious wine,
petite aud malaise. In about a fortnight the Amount ol Production,
symptoms became more severe and lasted the , Tfae secretnty for ngriculture of Victoria re
whole day. At the same time umilar symp- ,g ,hgt ,ho nfage 0f 1875 hos surpassed in
toms, but much less severe, appeared I iu two pr0liuctiveness that of any previous ear. Iu
students who Bat at the same table in tho oven- wjue Krowing district of the colony the
ing. The green shade of the petroleum lamp , M of wjn Js sported to have exceeded the
was suspected of being the cause of the mis-, averaRe of yetil. anft jn SOme it has doubled
chief, and on chemic.il examination it was . that anyprevious season. The Tabilk vine
found to contain arsenic Its use being dis- VHn, , ' h.s vi,Med. this vintage. G9.0C0 Gal
continued all the symptoms ceased in the thieo
Individuals. It was evident that the heat of
the lamp had set free the arsenic, and the
greater severity of tho symptoms in the first
mentioned individual was due to the fact that
he was near sighted, nnd therefore sat nearer
the lamp tnan tne otners aid. rrotessor .uuiz
said that he Himself was some years anected in a
similar way, tnougn less tevereiy, wnue i using nnnntit y made into wine and brandy was 00.
a green lamp shade, in which arsenic was found. ,jss cn Thtj totaI product f the vines is thus
STAnvEpioDEATH.-TheNewHavenJ?rajl e quanmyliTe'proed for the year
says: "A strange and painful fate was Police- en(U ftnrch 31st, 1875, was S77.493 gallons,
man John Benson's, who died on Thursday in b- . 14,780 gallons oUr the
Norwich at the age of sixty-cight. For three , At the end of March, 1875,
months he had suffered from a cancer on the . J "."" , ,'A ,v :, ' '
tongue possibly a result of too much smoking
For two months past the tongue has been so
swollen and sore as to absolutely prevent all
eating, and the sufferer was kept alive by semi
liquid food given by means of a tube. During
the past ten or twelve days it has been almost
impossible even to introduce this tube, so bad
was the cancer growing, and for four or five
days before his death the poor man was liter
ally starving to death. The immediate cause
of death was pronounced to be starvation. His
relatives and friends, aware of the fate which
as coming to him, stood powerless to avert it.
Thousands will remember Mr. Benson as the
excellent and efficient manager of the police
every summer at the Willimantio camp-meet-1
ings."
nr t.... ti.. t.i.i a.,..i..
reports that the board of visitors of the jail in
that city have assented to the testing of a novel
and interesting experiment that is expected by
those urging it to result in the radical cure of
" "" 3H XlfjX. I UO UtllllUlUlU lll. CI llUfl
w f . r wi i r;8hnu ,:; v, ,e
trial, are to be placed by hcmselves, and sup-
plied with no article of food or drink that Is
( fl0-.,i .vi.i, ,,!!, nv i,r, nt
in short, fiv-rtthimr i tn have a dash of
whisky. It is believed that, in a few weeks,
the tramps will become so disgusted that they
will loathe the very sight of liquor, and thus
cured of the degrading appetite, they may be
restored to manhood, solf respect and use
fulness. Ventilation of Clothes Closets. Too little
attention is paid in the construction of closets
to their proper ventilation. It is not always
convenient to have a oloset door stand open,
and if it were, full ventilation cannot be secured
in this way. There should bo a window or an
opening of some sort from the closet to the
outer air or to a hall, so that a current of air
might remove any unpleasant odors arising
from clothing that has been worn, from shoes,
or from anything else kept in the closet. A
garment that has hung for a length of time in a
close closet is as unfit to wear, unless it has
been thoroughly aired, as though vthe unwhole
some vapors it had absorbed were visible to
the eye. The charm of clothing new and clean
lies far more in the absence of these vapors
than many people are aware.
TlfE VlfjEYD.
Australian Vines.
The Colony of Victoria is divided by a range
nf mountains havincr a oeneral direction of from
unaf tn xet.at. Af fhn nnrfti niriA nf ihift rHvirilnrr
range is the Sandhurst district, thoroughly I
protected from the chilling blasts of the south I
wind, and having its natural sun heat much in-!
creased by radiation from the broad, treeless i
plains which stretoh to the banks of the river
Murray, the boundary between Victoria and
New South Wales.
This district is one of the largest and best
adapted for the production of generous wines.
It enjoys immunity from all danger of rainfall
during the vintage season, and consequently
the fruit is ripened to perfection and fermented
at an even temperature. The climate is hot
and dry, but not too dry for the vine, resem
bling, in a gieat measure, the climate of tho up.
per Murray, and consequently the wines pro-
ducedare entirely of a diflerent character to i
those made Bouth of the dividing ranoe. The
last and most important wine producing local
ity of Victoria is the district of the Murray and
Ovens rivers.
South of the dividing range, the Yerinc dis
trict, about forty miles northeast from Mel
bourne, is the most important.
The Varieties. '
The species of vines most generally cultiva- I
ted in Australia, are described by Mr. Fallon in
the following terms: The Beisling is one of the
most desirable grapes to cultivate. Although
u-;,;? I." i. , . ?&, .
large bearer, the vine is hardy, the fruit
not a
growing in small conical bunches, is far less
liable to danger from rust before vintage than
other kinds. The wine produced from this
grape is not surpassed in quality by any other
white wine made in the colonies.
Verdeilho produces a generous, rich wine, of
fine bouquet; like the Beisling, it is a shy
bearer, and easily affected by the cold winds
during the blossoming season. It is a Portu
gese variety, cultivated to some extent in the
Aporte district, and prevalent in the vineyards
of Madeira.
The Aucarot grape makes a wine equal to
any of the colonial white wines; but, like the
Verdeilho, it is tender and delicate while in
flower, and a full crop cannot always be relied
The Chasselas is a hardy plant, and gener
ally bears a large crop, and fiom it a pure light
wine, of delicate flavor, is made, which is much
luea as a ainner wine. , th- e)ement8 greatly preponderate, viz., pot
The Pedro Xemeney is a large bearer and u i u. ? u ' -JTj k-. i ft.
produces a strong wine of good keeping quail-,
ties, but rather coarse in l flavor, not unlike
sherry. Other white varieties cultivated to a ,
Xerez grape, the Uouais, the Pineaublanc, with '
th MnrRAnnn and Itonsnane. form a combina-
ICOS VAfcVU. 1W .. .WM..U, .wv ..WU........
tionof which White Hermitage is produced, I
and the Furment or Tokay (
?gra
ape.
Among the red varieties the
e Sbiraz is a hardy
vine a moderate bearer, yielding a lair crop,
and makes a fine strong wine ot good quality
and flavor. The Shiraz, or Sirrah, as it is
commonly styled in Europe, is the Hermitage
grape.
The Malbeo and Carbenet are both hardy va
rieties. The'planta yield a larger crop than
the Shiraz and produce wine of an excellent
flavor and bouquet, recommended as the best
wines that can be taken by persons of weak
constitution. Tbey are the grapes from which
the finest Bordeaux is made.
The Burgundy is a small producer, but af
fords an exoelfent wine. The bunohes are
small and conical, like the Belsling. A fair
average crop may bo relied on.
The Roussilon is a prolific bearer, n hardy
vine, not subject to blight, producing a most
agreeable dinner wine. The Oamais and Ma
turn nre two other varieties. Another popular
vine is Brown Muscat, o large bearer, anil pro-
Ions of wine, or about 523 gallons per acre over
its entire area.
Some idea of the growth of wine culture may
be had from the fact that the number of vines
in the colony of Victoria during the year ended
March 31st, 1875, was 8,545,304.
s' : . .Vn. ii r "..
From these wero gatuerea iy,yyj ewt. ot
, Brnnes. which were not made into wine; the
4,037 acres. Alia.
IUO OAtCUfa Ul fdUU WMAU Mf ".. .11.9.3 t.l3
l-otTicilLTvIiv;E.
Manuring the Orchard.
We give the following article on maturing
orchards, from the New York Timis, written
by Alexander Hyde, a practical oichardist:
Too many seem to suppose that fruit trees
need no manuriuc Thoir com and potatoes
are well fed. but tho orchard is left to shift for
I itself, and then they wonder that their apples
are small and knotty, while another orchard
t..f v.. .In .llntnH. nYi.4 nr cin.,tni. on.l ...-
unit uiiio iiioiiiuL, !.. uu niu.ii.ti Dun, uni
formly bears large ana lair truit. The
curse
of barren orchards does not come causless.
Hers and there an orchard is favorably located
on a saline soil, where tho decomposing rock
wi nurr iu s .'!
8 to supply the wan b ot the tree, or an in.
definite time withou artificial manuring.
Happy is the orchardist who has such a site for
! " trees. Again, there are other orchards,
looated at the base or on the foothills of moun
tains, that ore constantly receiving the wash of
these greater elevations, and are thus supplied
naturally with all the elements of tree and
fruit growth. We knew some orchards located
like this, and thy heem to thrive by neglect,
and make their (.wners rich returns with little
outlay. The soil does not look rich with or
ganio food, but th spring freshets and all the
great rains bring down to these trees the saline
elements, potash, lime, soda, etc., for which
tbey are so hungry, and in return for which
they produce large and luscious fruit. The
mountains form a shelter of a great rock to
these orchards, and the gre it rocks by disin
tegration from the action of air, rain and
frosts, furnish just the food to make trees and
fruit grow. The farmer who has land situated
like this, where saline fertility is yearly washed
upon it, had better make a specialty of fruit
raising. Apples, pears, peaches, cherries,
grapes, everything in the fruit line, will grow
in such a locality without much artificial cul
ture. Harvesting is the principal labor of
the culturist so located.
Treatment Necessary.
There are comparatively few fruit cultivators
who are so favorably located. Most orchard
ists must supply pabulum to their treos artifi
cially, or the orchards will be short-lived and
very unsatisfactory in their products while
they do live. Trees cannot wander around like
cows and sheep in search of food. Thoy are
confined to one spot, and though their roots
forage more deeply and widely than is gener
ally supposed, still II tney are taxed in produo
mg large crops of fruit yearly, they soon oxhaust
the inorRauio food of the soil in which they
Bw. The organio food of plants that which
Res into the air when plants are burned may
be derived from thtj air again. Tho organio
elements of plant lite are few, mainly four,
carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogon. The
importance of these gaseous elements iu tho
vegetable economy wo are not disposed to deny.
Every cultivator of tho soil from Cain's day to tho
present must nave noticed now animal tortlliz
ers give growth to every part of a tree or plant.
There Is no danger that the dung-hill will not bo
measurably appreciated. The action of saline
manures is not so obvious, and it is only with
in the last half century that their natures bare
een esteemed at auyt ing into tueir true value,
Liebig did great service to the orchardist by
his analysis of the wood and fruit of tho apple
I and other trees, Tand Prof. Emmons, of Wil
i liams College, followed up these investigations,
i showing conclusively that saline (inorganic)
substances form the skeleton or bones of all
vegetables as they more manifestly do in anl
i mals, and that these substances abound especi
ally in fruit trees. It has long been known by
observing farmers that the ashes of apple trees
furnished a lye rich in potash, and wero oa-
nerly sought for by soap makers; still it did
Sot occur to tbem that potash would be just
.,,. fnn(1 nn ,,, nn,B ree9 wonla thriB Jnnil
the food on which apple trees would thrive, and
the proper mode of manuring an orchard is not
now so generally understood as it should be.
We have little doubt that the trouble with our
J correspondent's orchard, end thousands of
other old orohards, is that the soil has become
I exhausted of potash, carbonate and phosphate
of lime, and other saline manures. He speaks
of barn yard manures as producing little effect
1 after a series of yearB. We recommend him to
try a heavy dressing of wood ashes, say 100
bushels to the acre, and more will do no harm.
In most parts of our country such a dressing
can be given for 25 to $30 an expense no
greater than that of a heavy dressing of barn
yard manure.
We mention wood ashes because these con
tain all the inorganio elements which enter so
, largely into the compobition of apples, and es
pecially of apple-tree wood. Dr. Emmons' an
alysis shows that in the ash of apple wood
, V v mmbe Bjxteen parts potash,
Beventeen parts(phosphate of lime, and eight!
een parts lime. The bark of the apple fur-
apple
half 1
nishes an ash which is more than half lime.
There is also a difference in the ash of the sap
naf! Itaoot utAAil tVa ait am rrtrlrt tnnra Hill.
!-- . -,
phnrio and carboLio aid, but les? phosphate
of lime. The leaves of the apple tree also
furnish an ash exceedingly rich in saline mat
ten. What Treet Need.
To make it perfectly clear what inorganio
substances the apple-tree needs for it growth,
we give Prof. Emmons' exact analysis of the
ash from the sap-wood of a sweet apple tree
nineteen years old;
Potaih
.18.19
Phoa.of magnesia.
Carbonic acid
Lime
Boda ,
Chloride of aodiam
3.11
.42
Sulphate or lime.
.05
Magneaia..
lagnea;
illc...
Phoaphate of Iron M Silica
PboaphAte of lime...,17.WlOrganic matter....
Total 100.00
To make tho analysis complete we add Prof.
Salisbury's report of the inorganto constituents
of the fruit ot the Bhode Island Greening :
Silica 1.413
Phosphate of Iron.... 1.571
rhosiihotic aclil 11.661
Lime 4.421
Potash 88.440
Sorta 22.701
Chlorine 2.27J
sulphuric acid 8 019
Organic matter. 7.50J
Magn-aia 2.211'
Every intelligent orchardist can see by a
glance at the above analysis what his orchard
wants to make his trees healthy and his fruit
of first quality. Barn yard ruaunre will not
furnish these elements in sufficient quantity,
unless tho soil is aided by some disintegrating
rock, rioh iu saline snbstance.s, or those aro
washed on by overflowing rivulets. When first
planted the trees may grow finely and fruit
well for a series of years, possibly twenty or
thirty, the time depending on the amount of
inorganic matter in the soil ; but the leaves and
fruit will finally exhaust tho land of its Balino
elements, and the trees will begin to decay nnd
the fruit to deteriorate.
As we have already intimated, wood ashes
furnish all these inorganic ,onstltutents of
apples and apple-trees, and this too at a cheapor
rate than they can be bought in any other form,
or at least this has been the caBe. Wood ashes
are, however, more appreciated than formerly,
ond may not be comeatahle in some places at
any price. In this case, we should recommend
tho application of shell-lime, ground bones,
German potash salts, gypsum, and tho com
post niado of leaf-mold as tho basis. It will
greatly aid the orehard if thu leavos whioh fall
annually can be kept from blou ing away. In
their decay they furnish just the food the trees
aud fruit require, and we have no doubt that if
the apples and leaves could both be left to per
ish under the trees the orchard would continue
to thrive indefinitely.
TrE Dity.
Butter Making.
It costs no more to make a good article than
it does a poor ono. For butter making, it is
important to have plenty of good, pure water
for tho cows to drink, aud for use in the dairy
Tho milk room should be so constructed that
the temperature can easily bo regulated, so that
the milk can be kept in good condition without
thickening until it has stood about thirty-nix
hours. It is very Important that the milk
room should bo kept at an even temperature of
sixty-two degrees. Tne cream snouid oo taiteu
off at lea9t as soon as the milk begins to thicken
ou tho bottom of tho pans. Be very careful
about this part of the work, sinco if the cream
is allowed to remain longer, tho butter 'vill lose,
not only in quality but in quantity. Tho very
poorest condition of butter arises from a
Neglect of Removing the Cream
Before tho milk becins to form whoy, and
keeping the cream too long in cans before
churning. Groam should never be allowed to
remain in cans more than one day, and the
sooner it is churned the better. If the croani
is allowed to remain on the milk until thero is
a separation of curd nnd whoy, then little pani
cles of curd will riso up and mingle with the
cream and also with the butter. This curd
gives the butter a cheesy flavor, and it will
soon become rancid and unfit for table use. In
tempering the cream before churning, yon
Bhould be governed by the temperature of the
atmosphere surrounding tho place of churning.
If tho air is very warm soino allowance should
be made and the cream should be tompered
down to about fifty-six or fifty-seven deg, but
ordinarily in this climate cream put into tho
churn at a temperature of sixty-one or
sixty-two deg. will bring good solid but
ter. Water, either hot or cold, should never be
turnod into the cream to temper it; tho one
melts tho cream and the other chills it. If
water is used for that purpose the can contain
ing the cream should be placed in a larger ves
sel, or tub, containing water, warm or cold, as
the case may reauire, and the cream should be
stirred gently to keep the outer edges from
being either chilled or melted. The stirring
shqnld bo continued until an even temperature
is obtained through the entire mass. When
the butter is woll formed in the churn, draw
tho buttermilk; then turn in puro cold water,
sufficient to rinse the butter thoroughly. Take
up the butter and spread it upon tho butter
worker, work it gently nnd turn on cold wuter
until nil the buttermilk is washod out, then
salt with pure salt; if for immediato use, one
pound to twenty oi Dutter; it lor pacKinf;,
one pound to Bixteen of butter. Work it
slowly until tho salt is thoroughly and evenly
absorbed. If the salt is not evenly absorbed
tho butter will not be of uniform color.
Do Not Work too Much Nor too Fast,
For in doing so you destroy the grain md tho
butter becomes salvy and Jard-hko in its tox
tare. Let it stand or put it away in the tray
for twenty-four hours, then work it enough to
remove whatever buttermilk there may be or
surplus brine. Mould it into rolls, set tho rolls
away for twenty-four hours, or until thoy bo
como firm, then clothe it with new white but
ter cloth, cut wide enough to lap over the ends
of tho roll. Butter ought not to bo taken to
market rolled up in brown house lining or
or old cloth. Cloth Bhould bo cut in pieces of
the right size and dipped or saturated in brino
and applied to the roll when dripping wet.
Butter Should Never Come
In contact with the baro hand. When iu bulk
it can bo handled with a ladle and a flat paddle
very conveniently, and the rolls handled nicoly
with two of tuese Hat paddles, tub tanner
who milks from three to five cows may gay
that the above rules are very good for a largo
dairyman to follow, but excuses himself by
saying that he cannot afford to go to all this
trouble. But I will say that he is the very man
I am talking to and it is for his benefit that I
write the above suggestions. Thero is no other
article of
Produce that Speaks for itself,
And rovoals tho neatness or exposes tho sloven
liness of its producer to the publio gazo so
readily as butter. Mrs. A brings her ten rolls
ot butter to mo store; ner nutter is iresn,
sweet, hard, and neatly clothed, her merchant
allows her the highest market price for it, say
forty cents per pound. The town customers
Bee this butter, and want to know who made it,
the clerks tell them that it is Mrs. A's butter;
they buy a roll. Now comes in Mrs, B. with
ten rolls likewise. She declares her butter is
good, and the clerk dare not tell her differently,
when in fact chunks of lard alloyed with a little
tallow, neither uniform in size or shape, with
a strip of brown bouse lining round the middle,
would be just as inviting as what she declares
to be good butter. She demands as much for
it as Mrs. A; finally, rather than offend her,
the merchant is generous enough to allow thirty
cents per pound, or sixty cents a roll, and then
offers it to his customers at fifty cents. But it
don't take at that, when Mri. A's butter sells
readily at eighty cents. Figures may induce
Mrs. 15 to try and do better hereafter. Now
suppose there is a difference of ten cents a
pound m we price, as suown auove, wnen
there is in fact more than that difference in
quality. Allowing each cow to make 125 pounds
during the season, (and a cow that will not do
this is not a good one tor butter-making,) this
gives a margin of $12.50 every year for each
cow. Just take five or ten cows as a basis and
make the calculation at your leisure and see
what it will amount to in ten years. Is not
this a handsome profit and worth saving? San
llenito (Caf.) Advance.
Stock Bceedecs.
Breeding for Useful Qualities.
At the recent convention of Short Horn breed
ers iu Toronto, Canada, Judge T. O. Jones, of
Ohio, one of the foremost Eastern stock breed
ers and writers, delivered an address in which
bo upheld breeding for thoso qualities which
are of real value nnd usefulness rather than
fancy points and estimates. This is what the
farmer wants in a breed of cattle. He wants
a breed that will do the best work with the
feed he fnrnisbe, either making tho most beef
or milk out of it, as tho case may be. It is
well for the success of the Short Horns that
their advocacy can be put upon such grounds ;
for this is the ground they muot statul or fall
upon in the farm economy. Judc;e Jones took as
his subject ' Short Horn breeding conducted as
n scienco with a view to maintaining the highest
excellence in useful qualities." He submitted
that the practice oi breeders should be gov
erned by a proper understanding of those gen
eral, principles that had been tested by the de
duction of animal physiologists or the experi
ence of practical breeders. While it must be
admitted that more speculative scientists had
heretofore accomplished very little in aid of
cattle breeding, it was nevertheless true that
considerable progress bad been made in estab
lishing systematic methods founded upon the
careful observation of facts and intelligently
couducted experiments. All intelligent efforts
for the improvement of domestio animals had
been founded upon two principles : (1) The
selection of the best animals to breed from ;
aud (2,) proper feeding and caro for tne devel
opment of the highest excellence. Thoso prin
ciples were acted upon in a rude way at the
very beginning of the history of races and
breeds ; and their observancolwos equally es
sential in the preservation of the valuable char
acteristics of the most perfectly developed
races of the present day. In the early history
of tho Short Horn race there was a good deal
of in-and-in breeding, a practice that seemed
justifiable because of tho limited number of
cattle ot approved excellence to breed from,
and because the tendency was, within certain
limits, to improve tho Bymmetry, refine the
bony and muscular structure, and increase
early maturity. The multitude of tho race now
disseminated throughout tho world wero, there
fore, all descended from a vory few- animals.
Tho fact that close interbreeding tends to re
fine tho extremities and to impart elegance
and style to the general appearanco of the an
imal would explain why men of tasto adhered
to the praotice, while we of a moro practical
turn of mind wonld have detected a diminution
in useful qualities. In case of in-brcd animals
commanding high prices, it could not be ex
pected that the ownors would change their
style of breeding and involvo pecuniary loss,
and so long as those linebred animals wero in
demand at higher prices than others, so long
would they be bred. There was now no neces
sity for resorting to the refining system to give
stylo and beauty of form, for, as observed
by Professor Law, tho external form has al
ready been brought to all the perfection which
art seems capablo of communicating; and
now those other properties romain to be at
tended to without which no further refinement
in breeding will avail for the purposes of profit
to individuals and benefit to the country. Gen
tlemen in the in-and-in praotice seemed to be
aware of its influonoe in impairing useful' qual
ities, as was shown by the fact that thoy were
constantly seeking bulls as remotely connected
as possiblo with their cowc. What was at this
day the essential matter to be attended to in
their practice ? Had they not carried refine
ment lar enough, and had not tho external form
been brought to all the perfection which art
seemed capable of communicating ? The form
of tho model Short Horn would seem to admit
of very little variety in the way of types, un
less thoy attempted something that was not os
nontial to useful profitable excellence. They
Bhould bring up the average to tho maximum
of excellence and keep it there. Ho urged that
cattle should be judged by a scale of points,
which might be subdivided to suit the fanoy.
He objected to incestuous breeding, especially
whero it was practiced merely for the purpose
of continuing in the line, because it tended to
impair constitutional vigor aud tho growing
and feeding properties, although it produced
high refinement of form.
Poisonous Potatoes. The sprouts of tho
potato when analyzed tiro found to contain a
vegetable alkuloid called by chemists solanlne,
wbich is very poisonous. Solanine is obtained
from various species of solauumageuus of
plauts comprehending the potato, tomato,
nightshade, etc. This alkaloid does not exist
in the tubers unless thoy nre exposed to the
light and air. If potatoes remain lor any length
of tlmo after having been dug in too bright a
light, or if tho earth IB nccidently removed from
them In cultivation, they aro changed by tho
chomioal action of light and become green In
color, which is owing to tho presoncu of sol
anine. 1'otutoes of a blackish-green tint aro
good for seed, and it is claimed by some that
the poison they contain is n snro preventive of
decay, but thoy should never bo cooked for the
table. If they aro boiled iu a large quantity
of water and tho water carefully drained off,
thty may bo fed to btook. Ex.
PiiKSEnviNo op Hors. A nowly patented
method of keeping hops employs carbonic acid
as a preservative agent. Air tight, tin lined
boxes are loosely filled with hops. Carbonic
acid (mndo in a sodn fountain machine by the
usual sulpburio aoid and marblo dust procoss)
Is then admitted to the box through a tube that
reaches to tho bottom. Tho gas fills the box,
driving the air out before it as it rises from the ,
bottom. The bops uro then compressed, and
more filled in with an additional supply of gas.
This is repeated till the box is loaded with
pressod hops saturated with carbonic acid. The
cover is put on, and moro gas is added under
pressure to drive out the last trace of air, and
then the box is quickly sealed hermetically.
Tho first experiments in this direction proved
entirely successful.
Cleanbino Wateb Mains. It frequently
happens in iron water mains that deposits of
rust are formed, sufficiently thick to reduce
materially the diameter of the pipe. To clean
the interior, Mr. E. Dodds, an English engi
neer, has lately devised a pipe scraper, wbich
operates as follows: The pipe is cut, the scraper
is inserted, temporary Joints are made, and the
water is turned on at highest pressure, which
drives the scraper on at great speed. In the
first experiment, a distance of 300 yards of
pipe was thoroughly cleansed in two minutes and
20 seconds.
An alloy for locomotive whistles wbich will
give a clear sound is made of copper, eighty
parts, tin, eighteen, antimony, two.