440 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



should be mown, and, with the trash from the 



swales, see if they cannot be made to augment 

 the compost heap very materially. By the way, 

 just uproot those alder thickets along the brook 

 that meanders through the meadow, before they 

 seed the land any more ; and then see if a week 

 or ten days spent in this way does not pay — in 

 the looks, and the satisfaction with which you 

 can view your premises, as well as in the pocket. 



Clear out the old ditches around your reclaim- 

 ed meadow, and if you have rails to cut soon, cut 

 them this month, and if it is hot weather, peal 

 off the bark, and they will undoubtedly last 

 much longer than if cut in any other month. 



Farmer Fearful, just underdrain that piece of 

 wet mowing land, or invest a little in reclaiming 

 that alder swamp ; cut wide ditches, and throw 

 the muck to landward, for you will want it next 

 winter. Cut up the brush by the roots, and make 

 a fair beginning this seasan. Perchance there is 

 gold in that meadow ; certainly this peat is val- 

 uable, either in the barn-yard, hog-pen, or on 

 your sandy fields. Persevere, and see if gold will 

 not come out of it. j. a. a. 



Springfield, Mass., August 8, 1859. 



Interesting to Lovers of Peaches. — At a 

 recent meeting of peach growers in Mercer county 

 (says the Camden West Jerseyman,) it was ascer- 

 tained that in a space of country about three 

 miles square there would be at least 20,000 

 baskets of peaches for shipment. In this space 

 there are over 92,000 trees planted, 22,000 of 

 ■which are bearing. The peach crop in the upper 

 part of Mercer county, and in Hunterdon, prom- 

 ises a large yield. Of late years the region for- 

 merly celebrated for this delicious fruit has been 

 abandoned, it being found that peach orchards 

 will succeed but once on the same ground — at 

 least an interval of several years' cultivation with 

 other crops is necessary before a second orchard 

 can be expected to succeed. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



PICKLES. 



Kettles lined with porcelain should always be 

 used in preference to those of brass, copper or 

 bell-metal. The verdigris produced by the vin- 

 egar on these metals is extremely poisonous. 



For most kinds of pickles, cold vinegar is the 

 best. By boiling, much of the strength is lost by 

 evaporation — consequently, the pickles are more 

 liable to spoil. 



Those requiring hot vinegar poured over them, 

 should remain uncovered until perfectly cold. 



Pickles should be kept in cither glass or stone 

 jars, and closelj- covered to exclude the air, other- 

 wise they soon become soft. A small piece of 

 alum in each jar will make the pickles firm and 

 crisp. One tablesponful of sugar to each quart 

 of vinegar will be found a very great improve- 

 ment to all pickles. 



Pickled Cucumbers. — Wash your cucumbers 

 very clean ; make a pickle of salt and water, suf- 

 ficiently strong to float an egg, and pour it over 

 them. Put a weight on the top of the vessel to 



keep the cucumbers under the brine, and let them 

 stand nine days ; then take them out and wash 

 them in fresh water. Line the bottom of your 

 kettle with green cabbage leaves, put in your 

 pickles, and as much vinegar and water, mixed 

 in equal quantities, as will cover them. Put a 

 layer of cabbage leaves on the top. Hang them 

 over a slow fire ; let the water get hot, but do not 

 allow them to simmer, as that would soften them. 

 When they are perfectly green, take them out 

 and let them drain. Wipe them dry, put them 

 in jars with some allspice, cloves and a few small 

 onions, or cloves, or garlic. A piece of alum in 

 each jar will keep them firm. Cover your pick- 

 les with the best cider vinegar — tie them close 

 and keep them in a cool, dry place. By adding 

 one tablespoonful of sugar, it will be found a great 

 improvement. 



Pickled Peaches. — Throw your peaches, a 

 few at a time, in hot lye ; let them remain in it 

 but two or three minutes, then put them in clear 

 water, and wipe off all the down. 



Make a strong brine, lay them in. and let them 

 stand for two or three days. Take them out, 

 wash and wipe them. Place them in jars, and 

 cover with white wine vinegar and loaf sugar, in 

 the proportion of one quart of vintgar to one 

 pound of sugar. Put them in glass jars, cover 

 close, and keep in a dry, cool place. 



Pickled Tomatoes. — Take a peck of toma- 

 toes — the small ones are best — wash them, pierce 

 each one with a fork, put them in a deep pan and 

 sprinkle salt between each layer. Let them stand 

 two days, then rinse them in clear water. Put 

 them in stone jars, cover with vinegar and water 

 in equal parts, and let them remain til! next day. 

 Allow one gill of mustard seed, half an ounce of 

 cloves, half an ounce of pepper grains, half an 

 ounce of whole allspice with two heads of garlic. 

 Separate the garlic and take off the skins. Take 

 the tomatoes out of the vinegar and water, empty 

 the jars, put the pickles into them again, alter- 

 nately with the spices, until the jars are three 

 parts full. Then cover with cold vinegar, and 

 cover close. 



Pickled Green Tomatoes. — Puncture the to- 

 matoes with a fork, place them on a dish, and 

 sprinkle with salt. Let them remain for two or 

 three days, then rinse off the salt in clear water ; 

 put them in a preserving kettle, cover them with 

 water, which keep scalding hot for one hour ; then 

 take them out, let them drain, and put them in 

 jars. 



Boil the vinegar, with some cloves, allspice, 

 and stick cinnamon. When cold, pour over suf- 

 ficient to cover them. — WiddifieW s Cook Book. 



Old Maids. — Many of the satirical aspersions 

 cast upon old maids tell more to their credit than 

 is generally imagined. Is a woman remarkably 

 neat in her person, "she will certainly die an old 

 maid." Is she frugal in her expenses, and exact 

 in her domestic concerns, "she is cut out for an 

 old maid." And if she is kind and humane to 

 the animals about her, nothing can save her from 

 the appellation of "old maid." In short, we have 

 always found that neatness, modesty, economy, 

 and humanity, are the never-failing characteris- 

 tics of an old maid. 



