EE maby gi Ni. 8 
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450 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
quickly to a boil, skim and add the plums; cook very slowly till 
tender and clear, which will take about one-half hour; take them — 
out caretully and put into a pan; boil the syrup a few minutes lon- 
ger till it thickens; pour it over the fruit; seal or tie them up. 
Spiced plums.—Make a syrup allowing five pounds of sugar and 
one pint of vinegar to each seven pounds of plums; to this add a tea- 
spoonful of allspice, one of cloves, two of cinnamon and one-half 
ounce of ginger root, tying these spices into muslin and cooking 
them inthe syrup. Whenit boils add the plums, bringing all to 
the boiling point, then simmer slowly for fifteen minutes and stand 
in a cool place over night. Next drain the syrup from the plums 
into stone or glass jars, boil the syrup till quite thick, pour it over 
the fruit and set away. 
Another correspondent recommends pouring the boiling spiced 
syrup over the plums ina stone jar, drawing it off and bringing it 
to a boil every other day and pouring over the plums again until it 
has been heated five times, after which the fruit and syrup are 
placed in a kettle, boiled slowly for five minutes and sealed hot in 
glass jars. This is said to preserve the plums whole. 
Other ways of using native plums. The choicest varieties, peeled 
and served fresh are equal to the finest peaches. By simply cover- 
ing the fresh plums with cold well water, they may be kept for 
three weeks or longer, and the water removes all harshness from 
the skin and pit. They may be kept in good condition for use until 
winter or the following spring by placing in a barrel or jar and 
pouring boiling water over them. 
ARE HEDGES DESIRABLE ? 
(SELECTED.) } 
I have had experience with both Osage hedge and barb wire 
fences, as well as board and barbed wire, woven wire and board 
fences. I now have more than two miles of Osage hedge fence, the 
greater part of which is far better than the average hedge fence. I 
know that my hedge fences are by far the most expensive fences 
that Ihave. Inorder to secure it,one must first prepare the ground 
where the fence is to be. He must then build a temporary fence on 
each side to protect the hedge for the first few years. He then sets 
out his plants, and works the ground around them for two years. | 
As soon as the hedge is large enough, it must be lopped and tied 
down, He must then trim at least twice each year, which is worth, 
on the average, three cents per rod for each time. Now add the cost 
of plants, the expense of preparing the ground, setting out and care 
of plants, the damage.to the materials used in the temporary feaces 
and the expense of erecting and taking down the same. Reckon the 
expense for ten or fifteen years, to say nothing of the waste land 
on each side of the hedge, and I believe that you would have one of 
the most expensive farm fences possible. Not only that, but the 
fence is not stock proof and is a harbor for weeds and a dangerous 
fence in case of fire, and one that will do more to blockade the road 
with snow than any other used in this part of the country. My 
advice to the farmers would be, do not set out a hedge for a fence, 
but if you are unfortunate enough to have one, and itis notin good 
condition, get rid of it as soon as possible. 
