Connecticut western news., 1879-02-19
FARM AND GARDEN.


 that he has bad watermelon molasses on his table every day for the past sixteen months, and says his family are very fond of it. He made 1,123 gallons of it in 1876, and finding it such a valuable addition to domestic supplies, asks sug- gestions as to the best means of manu- facture.. The melons were full ripe, lay in the shade after being gathered seven weeks previous to being worked up. When crushed the pulp flowed freely. tried many ways to strain the water, but none of them proved satisfactory. In boiling, the pulp would get to the bottom and burn. On an average, I ob- tained one gallon of molasses to seven gallons water; molassesis dark or red, but l think the color arises from the pulp. --, 7. t---
 Mople Sugar.-I look for long ma pie sugar season next spring; for the old rule is that we will make sugar as long as the snowbanks last, and the snowbanks will last until May, even with an early spring. I think not more than one,fourth of the maple trees in Western New York are tapped at all.
 Maple sugar is the " earliest" farm crop, and is as profitable as any other, and comes at time when but little else can be done. I tap 800 trees, mostly second growth. The average make for
 thirty years past was from three to five
 pounds per tree some seasons as high
 as six, seldom less than three. I make
 all. except the last run, into syrup, and
 put boiling hot into glass fruit jars. 4
 jar will not break if free from cracks
 and stood on wet cloth while filling
 If when sugaring off" 1t is inclined te
 run over, few drops of sweet creau
 will stop it at once.-D. 4. Baker
 Genesee Co.,, ~. y. ........
 -Sheep.-It is folly to keep old sheep
 They should be turned off to the butche
 while they are in their prime. It doe
 not take half as much to fatten then then. When they get old and thin il order to put them in condition to slaugh ter tho whole esuperstructure must be re built. Four sets of lambs are all CIV should bear this will bring her to fiv years, and this is an age when with Gttl extra care she will round up to fin : and full carcass. Exceptions may b made when the breed isscarce, and tn
 blood is more desirable than anythin else. --GlenVille, ,Saratogo Co.,, ~. ) Corn Vs. Wheat. In note to th } American Cultivator, Professor W. Beal gives the following suggestive pol sible reason "why Indian corn yield . twice as many bushels to the acre { wheat :'-The two crops are not treate 5 with equal fairness. The wheat IS usr 5 ally sown (when it yields fifteen bushe to the acre) and allowed 10 struggle wit weeds and baked soil, while the India T corn, if we consider working in bot ). directions, is cultivated from four to S u times during it's early growth. Gi' J wheat good cultivation after the plan T come up, and we all know by numero7 $ experiments that the yield is very grea IL ly increased. Perhaps MT. Harris h U never seen the experiment tried of plan ls ing Indian corn and then allowing it IT fight it's own way with grass and wee l y with no hoeing by hand or horse.
 Michigan we have some enterprising n men, who have tried this valuable e k pertinent on corn, whether by design d shiftlessness it does not matter. 1T d result on the maize was amazing, al e far from gratifying. I have not seen t d crops measured, but I am certain r. some cases there could not have be st fifteen bushels of shelled corn to t il acre.