The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-06-27
The Farmer.

crops Of corn, beans, clover, Sc. sc. this spring.
There is no substance used as stimuant of vegeta
ton more valuable than the ashes made on the far
mer's hearth. 1t has been estimated-and we think
not enormously that bushel Of ashes before teaching
is as we'll worth one dollar to the farmer as one dollar
is worth another.
Besides the immediate effects which they produce
in strengthening and sending forward the crop to
which they applied, there is another no less i'm
portant advantageous, which is not so speedily de-
veloped-the permanent improvement Of the soil to
which they are applied. Maine Cultirator.
SUcKERING CoRN.-D. III. Daton, in the South
'an Planter says:
"Aer trial of five years, have satisfied myself
chat rreparable injury is done corn by pulling off the
suckers. think that in consequence of the wounds
inflicted on the growing plant, tho crops of fodder and
are both greatly diminished. | will cite one
years experience, 1s4O. My corn was planted four
and halfby four feet, and two stalks allowed to
remain in the hill. In Juyt was not unusual to see
four suckers many stalks. ] directed twenty
rows through the middle of the field to DO suckered;
balance left with all the suckers on lat gathering time,
very many Of the suckers had each full ear on
them, growing from the side of the stalk, many of
suckered produced more than the unsuckered par
ent stalks the latter furnished additional guam
tty of both grain and fodder.''
PRosPEcr FOR GRASS. five may judge from
the signs of the times we shall have an excellent
for grass and hay. The warm rains Of last
autumn good for the grass not only that which
had been cropped for number of years, but that
which the spring previous. The coming
Of early before the frost had penetrated far
into the ground, the great body Of snow which laid
ate w ere bel ecia 8, the grass shows itself
where drifts melt away, vigorous and strong.-Some
of it has grown considerably. We plant the
ether day, that the now melted from it in the mor-
ning full two inches in heghth, all new growth. 1t
was bIanched and tender but by the day at
it was green and hardy. We have not seen single
piece of young clover grass that has winter killed,
and if the first part of June should be moist, we can
not help having one of our best hay seasons-such a
real ssbam buster'' as used to have in old times,
and such an one as we have not had for m airy
year. Ifthis takes place, and other crops come in
but ordinarily well, the good people of Maine will
have cause TO be thankful; for nothing cramps them
more and makes such real hard times than have
their hay and potatoes cut off.-JNaine Farmer.
AcIp ON WooD-ITs EFFECT ON SALT AND
BuTrER.-It has been frequently remarked by those
who are in the habit Of packing butter, that kept
hest put down in stone the next best in oak or white
ash frkins, the wood of which had been boiled sew
eral hours previous to working, and that butter pack
ed in rkins of unprepared wood frequently acquired
a'strong and dsagreeabe flavor, which seriously in
Iured its quay.--The reason Of this has not been
generally understood. Mr. NOR, of Scotland, has
been instuting series of experiments on SUBJECT
which appear to have thrown some light on the mat
ter. He found that most kinds of wood contained con
siderable quantities of pyrolgnic acid, which decom
poses the salt with which it in contact The
linden, or Eastwood, was the only wood he found
entirely free; but the other kinds he experimental
upon were easily freed from the acid by boiling three
or four hours well pressed under water. 1t is evil
dent that irkns made Of slaves prepared in this way
would be decidedly improved, and as the preserva-
lion Of butter in a sweet and pure state, is an impor-
sant matter to the darynan, we think much would
be gained by a proper attention to the vessels in
which it is packed-Seiected