Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-05-07

menting crowds that are gathering from
beyond the sea, admonish us to reverse
this policy and use as much labor as
possible in making the land as produc-
tive as 1t is susceptible of being made.
My theme is soiling; or, in other words,
cutting and putting their feed before
cattle, sheep, etc. This implies a revo-
luton; but the more we consider it in
theory or practice the more it COM
mends itself as true principle In its
favor we claim the saving of fence
which amounts to the heaviest tax the
farmer has to pagan increased belt
of land to till; the prevention of nox
lOus weeds and briars along fences, an
insurance of cutting down or ploughiDg
under all substances before their seed
maturity; making very large increase
Of manureal material for litter and ab-
sorbing droppings from stock; and,
most OF all perhaps, the prevention of
loss by cattle tramplng and fOuling what
they might eat. We are entirely safe
in assuming that by the soiling system
double the quantity ofstock can be kept,
and consequently a great increase Of
manure made to be applied to the hun
CRY soil. Many reasons might be added
to the above, but the object is to call
attention to this vital question and in
duce farmers to think it out for them
selves. All objections urged against it's
adoption are trifing compared to adj
vantages; the principal one being adj
ditional labor, which is small when
fairly considered-an additional hand,
,ar ,t thS| r. he
for l5O-acre farm.
The REASON WHY BEES WORK IN THE
DARK.-A lifetime might be spent in
Investigating the mysteries hidden in q
beehive, and still half the secrets
would be undiscovered. The forma-
ton of the cell has long been cele-
brated p.oblem for the mathematician,
whilst the changes which the honey un-
dergoes offer at least an equal interest
to the chemist. Every one knows what
honey fresh from comb is like. 1t is a
clear yellow syrup, without trace Of
solid sugar in it, Upon straining, how
ever, 1t gradually assumes a crystalline
appearance-it candies, as the saying
is, and ultimately becomes q solid
lump Of sugar. 1t has not been sus-
pected that this change was due to a
Photographic action; that the same
agent which alters the molecular
arrangement of the iodine Of silver on
the excited collodian plate. and deter
mines the formation of champion and
iodine crystals IN a bottle. causes the
syrup honey to assume crystalline
form. This, however, is the case. M.
Scheibler has enclosed honey in stop
pered TASKS, some Of which be has
kept in perfect darkness; while others
have been exposed to the light. The
invariable results have been that the
summed portion rapidly crystallized,
while that kept in the dark has re-
NAMED perfectly liquid. We now see
why bees work in perfect darkness, and
why they ar SO careful to obscure the
glass windows which are sometimes
placed in their hives. The existence
of their young depends upon the liquid
ity OF saccharine food presented to
them; and if light were allowed access
to the syrup it would gradually acquire
more or less solid consistency; it
would seal up the cells. and in all
probability prove fatal to the inmates
of the hive. f.
GATHERING BUTTER IN GRANULEs -
Several correspondents, who inquire
about gath herring butter in the granules,
says the New York Tribune, are IN
formed that the process differs from the
common method of gathering in a mass
chiefly IN dropping the temperature of
the cream five or six degrees at the
finishing of the churning, instead of
keeping it at the same temperature I'M
til it is done The mode Of procedure
is this: The churning goes on as usual
till the butter is about to gather, when
cold water enough is put into the churn
to reduce.its contents to 81 degrees or.
SIS degrees, and the churning is then
slowly finished. The water is generally
put in at two or three different times, at
intervals of a few minutes. BY reduc-
ing the temperature SO low at the close
of the churning, the butter, instead Of
adhering in a mass as is common, re-
curing the buttermilk to be worked
out, gathers in granules or pellets of
solid butter. At 81 degrees the gran
ules will be about as large as grains Of
wheat. and at 56 degrees about the size
Of peas; the lower the temperature the
smaller the granules, and the higher it
is the larger they will be till
they adhere in a mass. The
utility Of gathering butter in
the granular form consists in enabling
the operator to wash the buttermilk out
Of the butter without any working.
This is done by draining the buttermilk
out Of the churn, and then turning in
cold water and stirring the butter care
fully, and then drawing off the water,
repeating the operation till the water
will run off clear It is better to have
the last washing done with strong brine,
from half an hour to an hour, or longer
if it can be kept at 54e to $50. When
butter is gathered IN this way there is
no buttermilk inside of the pellets of
butter, and hence it is easy TO rinse the
buttermilk off without injuring the
grain in the least. If it is not conven--
lent to draw the buttermilk from the
churn, the butter may be dipped off
with a skinner ora ladle into a tub of
water of the right temperature, and the
rincinr rnnootoI ill 10 oIoo,, Tf # ic