DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



the choice of a wife, aud married farmer's 

 daughters.) 



In yonr remarks on tlie article I liave referred 

 to, you speak of tlie constant turning of eyes to 

 the cities for fasliions and customs; if tliat was 

 all I shduld not so deejjly regret it; hut tliere 

 is not a season passes but some relative or 

 neighbor is selling or leasing his ftirm,and going 

 to some village or city to live, and as far my 

 observation extends, it is generally chargeable 

 to the gentlemen. I fear my husband may take 

 the disease, which aj)pears to be contagious, 

 but liere there would be an obstacle in the way. 



I entirely agree with AVild Flower's notions 

 that the killing of all birds should be made a 

 crime, with attendant penalties, but I fear that 

 legislatures would be inefficient to the task. It 

 would be a more effectual stop if the mark of 

 odium could be put upon the hunter [except in 

 wild countries] by common consent, as it should 

 upon the tobacco user in any form. Then, and 

 not until then, will the thing be accomplished, 

 but as long as young ladies will countenance the 

 use of tobacco in any form by young men, just 

 so long will they use it. A Farmer's Wife. 



As a farmer's wife has not sent us her address, 

 we have no other way than this of expressing 

 our thanks and acceptance of her kind offer, 

 which accompanied the foregoing. Ed. 



I The Osage Orange. — [ know of no plant so 

 likely to prove valuable for hedges as the Osage 

 Orange. I have cultivated it many years; and 

 even in this climate it is quite haidy enough 

 for that purpose. It is true that very thrifty 

 shoots often have their tops killed down for a 

 foot or more in severe winters, but such branch- 

 es as have ceased to grow in good season, and 

 have had time to mature tlieir wood, sustain no 

 injury. And in a hedge i>roperly trimmed, the 

 twigs are greatly multiplied, and there are no 

 leading shoots to be injured or killed. 



The thorn forms a nursery for insects, and 

 often perishes in consequence ; but I know of 

 none that feeds on the Osage Orange. I con- 

 sider it also more formidable than the thorn; 

 and whoever encounters it, unprotected against 

 its spines, will be likely to remember that time. 

 I have a hedge-row, rather than hedge, through 

 which none who regard a sound skin, would 

 dare to creep. D. T. 



The Bi.ack Ant. — These marauders are df- 

 ten extremely troublesome in gardens where 

 they make their nests ; and from thence prowl 

 into tiie larder or the fruit garden, even at con- 

 siderable distances from their liome. Last 

 year, in the Cultivator, I mentioned having car- 

 ried off a large detachment in a basket of ap- 

 ples; and I have just been reminded of it by 

 the girl bringing me a tin can of sugar into 

 which the ants had found their way. Taking 

 them to a broad smooth stone, I let them out, 

 in such numbers as I could manage, and soon 

 destroyed about two hundred and fifty. That 

 happened yesterday ; and this morning a similar 

 scene occurred, though only about 100 were now 

 killed, indicating that their family was much 

 reduced. D. T. 



The Astrachan Apple.— Every householder 

 who owns land — if only a small lot — ought to 

 have one tree of the Astrachan apple, both on 

 account of its earliness, and its excellence for 

 cooking. It is so tender as to be cooked al- 

 most as soon as it is scalded; and so puie that 

 it has no unpleasant tang, like the Yellow Har- 

 vest. It is acid indeed, but sugar readily over- 

 powers this defect. 



It is a tree of vigorous growth, an abundant 

 bearer, and what is worthy of note, it bears 

 every year without tixil. Twenty feet from 

 where I now sit, stands a tree of this variety, 

 with braiiches bending under their load ; and a 

 very frequent dropping takes places. When 

 half grown, these apples may be used ; but like 

 most other fruits, the flavor increases with the 

 magnitude. A well grown tree would furnish 

 a common sized family for some four or five 

 weeks, thougli I cannot determine this period 

 exactly. 



The fruit is of great beauty, having a bloom 

 like the plum, on a fine red skin. I know of 

 no apple at this season that would command 

 more customers in maiket. D. T. 



Duration of Timber. — Much has been said 

 and writen upon the age of trees, both living 

 and after they have been reducid to the use of 

 man. That under favorable conditions the ve- 

 getable fibre is well calculated to resist the luth- 

 Icss ravages of time, many well authenticated 

 evidences have been accumulated to show. The 

 roof of Westminster Hall in Lon li n, which has 

 of late years given rise to repeated disputations 



