164 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DEC. », IS40. 



M 1 S C E L L A N E P U,S 



ORIGIN OF VARIOUS FRUITS, >tc. 



RAISINS. 



In Spain and Tiirltey, wliero the vine jrrows nat- 

 urally anil Inxiiricnily, if the ijrapcs be galliereJ 

 and dried in tiie sun tiioy keep their llavor best. 

 In many in.'^tances t!iey aro dri.'d in nven.s, but in 

 this mode 'lliey do not retain their exquisite taste 

 so well, though the process being more rapid, the 

 greatest bulk of this kind of fruit brought over to 

 America, is thus prepared. Commerce, dealing in 

 quantities, must often make the quickest, or the 

 cheapest mode. 



When they dry raisins in the sun, ihey fre- 

 quertiy tic toi;elhcr two or three neighboring 

 bunches, and while yet on the vine, dip them into 

 a hot lie of wood aslies, having in it a little olive 

 oil. The effect is, slightly to shrive! and harden 

 the skin. In a few days, the bunches are cut off. 

 and dried in the sun. Those called raisins of the 

 sun, and jar raisins, are managed in this manner. 

 Soi.ie of them have a fine blue bloom upon them; 

 and some seem almost candied over with their own 

 sugary sweetness. 



Malaga raisins come from that part of Spain so 

 called. Smyrnas come, as the name intimates, 

 from Smyrna in Asia Minor. Hut these fruits, 

 though excellent for making wine, are not reckon- 

 ed fit for the table. 



ALMONDS. 



The tree which produces almonds nearly resem- 

 bles the peach, both in leaves and blossoms. It 

 grows spontaneoi;sly only in warm countries, as 

 Spam, and particularly Barbary. The almond har- 

 vest, in the island of Majorca, is a very merry sea- 

 son. Almonds are of two kinds, sweet and bitter; 

 the Jordan almond is of the highest qualily, and 

 the bitter almonds are mostly from Barbary. '1 he 

 best almonds are exported from Malaga. In med- 

 icine, the oil drawn from almonds is found useful ; 

 and that extracted fron) tlie bitter one, if dropped 

 into the ear, proves efficacious in cases of deafness. 



Figs are much cultivated in tiie Archipelago, 

 where they serve almost as bread to the inhabi- 

 tants. The best are those v.hich come from Tur- 

 key, packed in cases or drums. While fresh, they 

 are excellent eating ; and like grapes, they are 

 dried sometimes by the sun, and sometimes by fire. 

 They are covered with the candy of their own 

 sweetness, and are full of a delicious seedy pulp. 

 Figs of a good quality grow in the southern stales. 



PRUNES. 



Prunes were once plums. Some very rich one.s 

 neatly done up in little baskets, are called French 

 plums. The prunes have been dried in an oven. 

 They come to us chiefly from Bourdeaux. 



ORANGES. 



Oranges are thought to have been originally 

 brought from China. They were introduced into 

 Portugal many years ago; and it is said that the 

 very tree first planted there is still alive ; and it is 

 that from which all the oransc trees of Europe 

 have been produced. A great many oranges are 

 brought from Seville, in Hjiain, and the island of 

 Malta, situated in liii! Mediterranean, furnishes an 

 abundance. Oranges come to great perfe«tion in 

 the V\'est Indies and tlinae of the Bermudns are of 



an extraordinary size. Oranges are sometimes 

 raised in green houses with success; and they 

 thrive tolerably well in the southern states, but do 

 not form an article of exteniive exportation from 

 thence. 



I.KMONS. 



The ports of Lisbon and .Malnga, are the princi- 

 pal shipping places of ii'iiions ; and they come 

 packed in cases and boxes. They are always ship- 

 ped while green, aiui generally become quite yel- 

 low before they reach this country. The lemons of 

 the Bermudas are large, and of fine flavor, 



CITRONS. 



The citron is a sort of a lemon, but larger, finer, 

 and more fragrant. They are brought preserved 

 from iMaderia. They grow likewise to great per- 

 fection in many parts of Italy. 



TAPIOCA. 



Tapioca is a species of starch or powder, pre- 

 pared from the roots of the Jatropha manihat, an 

 American plant. The roots are peeled, and sub- 

 jected to pressure in a kind of bag made of rushes. 

 The juice which is forced out is a deadly poison, 

 and is employed by the Indians to poison their ar- 

 rows ; but it deposites gradually a while starch, 

 which, when properly washed is innocent. What 

 remains in the bag consists chiefly of the same 

 starch. It is dried to smoke, and afterwards passed 

 through a kind of seive. Of this substance the 

 caesara bread is made, as well as our excellent 

 modern puddings. 



ARROW-ROOT. 



Arrow-root is the pith or starch of the root 

 Maranta mundinacea. It has received its common 

 name from its being supposed to be tlie antidote 

 to the poisoned arrows of the Indians. The pow. 

 der is prepared from roots a year old. It is reck- 

 oned a wholesome and nutricious food ; it is often 

 adulterated, when in the shops, with the starch of 

 flour or potatoes. It is a native of South .Ameri- 

 ca; but it has long been introduced into the West 

 Indies, where it forms a pretty important article of 

 cultivation. 



The wonders of Horticui-tcre. — Innumer- 

 able are the advantages which mankind have de- 

 rived from the horticulturists. Few would suppose 

 that the peach (from which branched the nectarine) 

 had its origin in the wild lime. That favorite edi- 

 ble, celery, springs irom a rank and acid root, de- 

 nominated smallage, which grows in all sides of 

 ditches, and in the neighborhood- of the sea. 

 The hazlenut was the ancestor of the filbert and 

 cubnut, while the luscious plum can claim no high- 

 ei source than the sloe. From the sonac crah 

 issues the golden pippin, and the pear and cherry 

 originally grew in tiie forest. The garden aspara- 

 gus, wliich glows, though not very commonly, in 

 atony and gravelly situations near the sea, when 

 growing spontaneously is a diminutive plant; and 

 none indeed but a practised eye, examining into 

 the species wliich is reared by artificial culture, 

 can discern the least resemblance. Wondrous to 

 relate, the cauliflower, of which the broccoli is a 

 sub-variety, derives, together with the cabbage, 

 from the colewort ; a siiiall plant, in its natural 

 statr, anil scanty leaves, not weighing half an 

 ounce. The Crambe Maratima, which is found 

 wild adjacent to the sea, has been iinproved into 

 sea-kale ; the invaluuble potato is the ofl^spring of 



a bitter American root of spontaneous growth ; and 

 the all tempting pine-apple descends from a fruit, 

 which, " in foreign climates, grows wild by the side ' 



of rivulets, and under the shade of lofty trees. 



Gardener''s Gazette, , 



The Atmospheric Railway. — The r'.igliih 

 have succeeded in propelling huge rail road cars, 

 at the rate of thirty miles per hour, "by means of 

 the atmosphere forcing its way into an exhausted 

 tube or pipe laid down between the rails." A 

 London paper reports, that experiments have been 

 attended by the Government Commissioners, Sir 

 Frederic Smith and Professor Barlow, with the 

 greatest satisfaction. " Several of the most emi- 

 nent engineers and practical mert were also pres- 

 ent, and expressed themselves perfectly satisfied 

 with the results." It must seem wondrous to those 

 who have been accu.stomed to seeing the " cum- 

 brous locomotive engines roaring and smoking 

 along the lines of a rail road," to view them mov- 

 ing with such speed, without any perceptible pow- 

 er to put in motion the vast uiachinery. The 

 world is ever learning, hut "'ill never be able 

 to come to the knowledge of the truth. — .VashviUe 

 Agriculturist. 



Dr Franklin said, " When I see a house well 

 furnished with books and newspapers, there I see 

 intelligent and well informed children ; but if there 

 are no books or papers, the children are ignorant if 

 not profligate." 



Just so. The doctor was a sensible man. A 

 newspaper in every family — a Bible in every fam- 

 ily — and a school in every district — all valued and 

 studied as they deserve to be — are the principal 

 supports of sound and civil liberty. 



GRl!:EK'S PATKKT STKAW CUTTER. 



JOSKPH BRECK & CO. al iheNew England A;;neiil- 

 luial Warehouse and Seed Si.ire INnis. 51 ancL^a Korili Mar- 

 ket Slreei, liave lor sale, Green's I'alcnl Straw, Hay and 

 .-Slalk Culler, operating on a mechanical principle nol liefore 

 applied to aay implenienl ioriliis imrpnse. The most prom- 

 inent eifi'cis of ilus applicaliiin, and some of ihe consequent 

 pcculiarilies of llie machine are : 



1. So great a reduction of the qiranluni ofjinwer requisile 

 to use it, that the sirenglh of a half grown boy is sufficient 

 to work it efficiently. 



2. Willi even this moderate power, it easily cut? two bush- 

 els amiiiuie, which is full twice as fast as has been clniined 

 liy any other machine even when worked hy horse or sleam 

 power. 



3. The knives, owing In the peculiar manner in which they 

 cut, require sharpening less often than those of any other 

 slraw cutler. 



4. The machine is simple in its cnnsiruclion, made and put 

 together very strongly. It is therefore nol so liahjp as the 

 complicated machines in general use to get out of order. 



Oct H. 



TlirC NEW KNG(..\AO |.'A!il»! K.Il 



Is published every Wednesday Eveniiiff, ai S3 per anui'ii 

 |iayahleat the end of the year — hut those who p.iy kiiIi;i 

 sixiydays from Iheliiucoi suhscrihing are eiiuilctl to n i ■.- 

 duclionof fiS cents. 



TUTTl.E, DE.VNtTT AND CUISUOLM, PKI.VTFKS 



1) Mlloiil. iVUt.KT.. ..iio.iTmn 



■ i i! ; r ' ■I'' 



