VOX.. XII. NO. 36. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



275 



LIME AS A MANURE IN TIIK GENESEE 

 COUNTRY. 



[ have had some opportunities to observe the 

 extraordinary fertility of lands lying at the base of 

 limestone ridges; and have been led to believe that 



though our firms were comparatively rich, they 

 might very profitably he made richer by the ap- 

 plication of lime. 



Some farmers have held the notion that lime 

 ■was not useful except when applied in its caustic 

 state ; but it is an error that ought to be corrected. 

 Marl, which commonly contains about fifty per 

 cent, of calcareous matter, is never caustic. So 

 that if the limestone be finely pulverized, its effects 

 will be tin' same, whether it lias been ground, or 

 burnt or disintegrated by the weather, and the par- 

 ticles carried dow.n From these rocks in heavy rains 

 ars fuund greatly to fertilize the lands below. 



I remember an instance of this kind, in which 

 a horizontal stratum of limestone, only a few feel 

 in thickness, occurred on the side of a high hill. 

 Below the rock, the- land was remarkably fertile : 

 and differed entirely in the luxuriance of its veg- 

 etation, from the more unproductive soil above. 



In making a valuation of some land a few yen- 

 ago, in company with an old shrewd farmer, who 

 had become wealthy by employing his eyes as well 

 as his bauds, he remarked to me in reference to a 

 small tract lying at the base of a calcareous ridge, 

 " I would be willing to give a hundred dollars an 

 acre for that land ;" * and on conversation with the 

 occupant, he said it never failed to produce extra; 

 ordinary crops. It bad a bluish cast like some 

 kinds of marl, mixed with some vegetable matter. 



New countries have generally been settled by 

 persons who never inquired whether the lands 

 were calcareous or not. In a state of nature, there 

 is little to indicate to the unirrstructed that some 

 lands under culture will be more durably fertile 

 than others. A thrifty growth of timber is often 

 found on silicious soils, not well adapted to heavy 

 crops of grass or grain ; and many of our wild 

 plants grow luxuriantly, and seem to require noth- 

 ing more than vegetable earth. Yet from these 

 two circumstances, many a new settler judges of 

 the quality of land. The axe however cuts oil" tin- 

 supply of leaves ; the plough and the harrow expose 

 the muck to a new action of the elements ; and in 

 a few years under the operation of severe cropping, 

 the dark color and the fertility of the soil disap- 

 pear together. The proprietor discovers that his 

 farm is not worth half as much as some neighbor's, 

 who was so fortunate or so skilful as to settle on 

 limestome land. — A. F. Genesee Farmer. 



that sowed in other ground, or as the first crop. 

 Another circumstance inclines me in favor of this 

 practice. — While others were complaining of blight 

 and mildew, my wheat was untouched with either. 

 As I consider an ounce of facts worth a pound of 

 theory, I merely give them, yielding to abler hands 

 the task of theorising. And satisfied am I, that 

 I every farmer that wishes to thrive, should be 

 awake to the improvements of the day. R. F. 



From the Ohio Farmer. 

 WHEAT. 



Mr. Editor: — As the object of your paper is to 

 benefit the farming interest of the country, I would 

 take the liberty of suggesting a simple experiment 

 in the raising of wheat, which I think I have tried 

 to my full satisfaction — I mean the continuing of 

 wheat crops upon the same land, for three or four 

 years in succession. 



My mode is this — after the crop is off, I turn in 

 my cattle and hogs to range on the stubble, and to 

 pick up such loose heads and grains as they may 

 fiud, until the first of October, or thereabout. I 

 then give the ground a single ploughing, sow the 

 seed and barrow it in. I have tried this for three 

 years in succession, and the last crop was better 

 than the first, and equally as free from rhrat, as 



* When oiimr lands were worth from twenty-five lo thirty 

 dollars an acre 



POTATO BALLS. 



\ lapv of our acquaintance recommends the 

 following preparation : 



'• Mix mashed potatoes with the yolk of an egg 

 — roll them into balls — flour them — or egg and 

 bread crum them — and fry them in clear drippings 

 [tii- lard], or brown them in a Dutch oven." — Gen. 

 Farmer. 



HINTS TO HOUSEWIVES. 



It is easy to have a supply of horse-radish all 

 winter. Have a quantity grated while the root is 

 in perfection, put it in bottles, fill it with strong 

 vinegar, and keep it corked tight. 



Poke-root boiled in water and mixed with a 

 good quantity of molasses, set about the kitchen, 

 the pantry, &c, in large deep plates, will kill the 

 cockroaches in great numbers; and finally rid the 

 bouse of them. The Indians say that poke-root 

 boiled into a soft poultice is cure for the bite of a 

 snake. I have heard of a fine horse saved by it. 



A little salt sprinkled in starch while it is boil- 

 ing, tends to prevent it from sticking; it is like- 

 wise good to stir it with a clean spermaceti candle. 



A few potatoes sliced, and boiling water poured 

 over them, makes an excellent preparation for 

 cleansing and stiffening old rusty black silk. 



Green tea is excellent to restore rusty silk. It 

 should be boiled in iron, nearly a cup full to three 

 quarts. The silk should not be wrung, and should 

 be ironed damp. 



Lime pulverized, sifted through coarse muslin, 

 and stirred up tolerably thick in white of eggs, 

 makes a strong cement for glass and china. Plas- 

 ter of Paris is still better ; particularly for mending 

 broken images.of the same material. It should be 

 stirred up by the spoonful, as it is wanted.* 



A bit of isinglass dissolved in gin, or boiled in 

 spirits of wine, is said to make strong cement for 

 broken glass, china and sea-shells. 



Do not wrap knives and forks in woollens. 

 Wrap them in good, strong paper. Steel is injur- 

 ed by lying in woollens. 



Do not let coffee and tea stand in tin. — Scald 

 you wooden ware often ; and keep your tin ware 

 dry. 



Barley straw is the best for beds ; dry corn 

 husks, slit into shreds, are far better than straw. 



Straw beds are much better for being boxed at 

 the sides ; in the same manner as upholsterers pre- 

 pare ticks for feathers. 



Brass and iron should be cleaned, clone up in 

 papers, and put in a dry place, during the summer 

 season. 



If you have a large family, it is well to keep 

 white rags separate from colored ones, and cotton 

 separate from woollen; they bring a higher price, 

 Paper brings a cent a pound, and if you have 

 plenty of room, it is as well to save it. ' A penny 

 saved is a penny got.' — Frugal Houseioife. 



* Some think il an improvement to make whey of vinegar 

 and milk, and beat il well up with the eggs before the lime is 

 put in. I have heard of iioa maided with il. 



Prom lh<' American Farmer, 

 CORN BREAD. 



Virginia, Feb. 1, 133 1. 

 As receipts for making different kinds of 

 bread are occasionally published in the Farmer, 

 perhaps it may not he deemed obtrusive in me to 

 mention a way of making corn bread, which, if 

 properly done, cannot fail to be highly esteem- 

 ed. 



Take one quart of corn flour, one half spoonful 

 of lard, half a spoonful of salt, two spoonfuls of 

 yeast, and warm water sufficient to make a batter 

 that will drop freely out of the spoon. Set it in a 

 pitcher or other vessel by the fire to keep moder- 

 ately warm. It will become very light in eight or 

 ten hours, and should be baked in a Dutch oven or 

 spider, at the same time greasing the oven well. 

 A cooking stove will answer equally well. The 

 bread will be soft and spongy if properly manag- 

 ed, and greatly superior to what is termed pone. 

 It should be served hot for breakfast or supper. 



In order to have good bread it is very necessa- 

 ry to have good meal. It should not be ground 

 too fine, for that will make the bread clammy and 

 unwholesome. There is also great choice in the 

 kind of corn. The best I have ever seen for fain- 

 ly use, is what we call in Virginia hominy corn. 

 The grain is white, very flinty and clear, some- 

 times almost transparent. It makes a richer 

 bread than the softer varieties of the species. 



CLEANING PLATE WITH DRY PLATE POW- 

 DER. 



This gives plate a most brilliant lustre, if it is 

 only well done, and should be rubbed on with yorti 

 naked hand, such as spoons, forks, and dessert 

 knives that have silver blades. These small ar- 

 ticles arc cleaned by taking some of the powder 

 between your finger and thumb, and the longer 

 you rub, the better it will look ; any article of 

 your plate that is ornamented, this part may be 

 rubbed with a piece of leather dipped in the plate 

 powder, and rubbed quick, and hard ; then it 

 should be brushed with your plate brushes, and 

 polished off with your shammy or wash leather; 

 and I will warrant your plate to look beautiful. 



In the next place you must remember to keep 

 your plate in a dry place, for if you let any arti- 

 cles that are only plated, lay about dirty, or in a 

 damp place, they are sure to rust if plated on steel ; 

 and if plated on copper, they are sure to canker ; 

 therefore you should be particular, and not leave 

 salt or acids of any kind on plated ware, as it is 

 sure to take off the plate, and leave a stain< and by 

 rubbing this stain the plate will rub off; by which 

 means the article is perfectly spoiled. I very weH 

 know that there are many articles of this kind, that 

 are often spoiled through the neglect of Servants, 

 anil especially young hands, that have had no ex- 

 perience of those things ; therefore, my young 

 friends, I have here given you such directions as 

 I trust will enable you to keep your plate in such 

 order as may give general satisfaction to your em- 

 ployers, and gain credit for yourselves. — H. Dire*. 



BEEF CAKES. 



Make fifie some beef that is rare done, with a 

 little fat bilcon ; season with pepper and salt, and 

 otherwiseas preferred : mix well and make into 

 small cukijs three inches long, and half as wide and 

 thick, and fry them a light brown, and serve with 

 gravy. — Northern Farmer. 



