Vol. XI.-No. 8. 



AND HORTICULTURAL .JOURNAL. 



61 



ranee against mice. We all know, what a Imstle 

 there is to get in early peas. If tliey were sown 

 in the fall, they would start tip the inonient the 

 frost was out of the ground, and would be ten 

 days earlier in hearing, in spite of every etTort 

 made hy the spring-growers to make their peos 

 overtake them. Upon a spot, where I saved peas 

 for seed, last year, some that was left, in a lock of 

 haulm, at the harvesting, and that lay upon the 

 dry ground, till the land was ploughed late in No- 

 vember, came up, in the spring, the moment the 

 frost was out of the ground, and they were in 

 bloom full_^cen days earlier than those, sown in 

 the same field as early as possible in the spring. 

 Doubtless, they wonhi have borne peas fifteen 

 days sooner; but there were but a very few 

 of them, and those standing straggling about; 

 and I was obliged to plough up the ground where 

 they were growing. In some cases it would be a 

 good way, to cover the sown ground with liiter,or 

 with leaves of trees, as soon as the frost has fairly 

 set in ; but not before ; for, if yon do it before, 

 the seed may vegetate, and then may be killed by 

 the frost. One obj(!ct of this fall-sowing is, to get 

 the work done ready for spring; for, at that sea- 

 son, you have so many things to do at once ! Be- 

 sides you cannot sow the instant the frost breaks 

 up ; for the groimd is wet and clammy, unfit to be 

 dug, or touched, or trodden upon. So that here 

 are ten days lost. But, the seed which has lain 

 in the ground all the winter, is ready to start the 

 moment the earth is clear of the winter frost, and 

 it is up by the time you can get other seed into 

 the ground in a good state. Fall sowing of seeds 

 to come up in the spring is not practised in Eng- 

 land, though they are always desirous to get their 

 things early. The reason is, the uncertainty of 

 their winter, which passes, sometimes, with hard- 

 ly any frost at all ; and which, at other times, is 

 severe enough to freeze the Thaines over. It is 

 sometimes mild till February, and then severe. 

 Sometimes it begins with severity and ends with 

 mildness. So that, nine times out of ten, their 

 seed would come up and the plants would he des- 

 troyed before spring. Besides they have slugs 

 that come out in mild weather, and eat small 

 plants up in the winter. Other insects and rep- 

 tiles do the like. From these obstacles the Amer- 

 ican gardener is free. His winter sets in ; and 

 the earth is safely closed up against vegetation 

 till the spring, I am speaking of the north of 

 Virginia, to be sure ; but the gardener to the south 

 will adapt the observations to his climate, as far 

 as they relate to it. — CubbeU's Jimerican Gardener. 



riiped will eat the leaves of this tree; notwith- 

 standing it has its own phaleena and aphis. The 

 wood is used by the turner and mathematical in- 

 strument maker ; and is made into skewers for 

 butchers, tops, angling rods, and needles for weav- 

 ing nets." — Loudon. 



Willich says, "The leaves are eaten by sheep, 

 to which it is of great service, when diseased with 

 the rot ; for, if placed in a situation where they 

 can easily reach the bark and young shoots, they 

 will speedily cure themselves." 



The expressed juice of elder leaves, it is said, 

 will kill skippers in cheese, bacon, &c ; and strong 

 decoctions of it, poured or sprinkled over plants, 

 are said to be fatal to insects. 



Ill Europe, this shrub is sometimes propagated, 

 J but in this country, to destroy it is commonly an 

 object of more consequence to the cultivator. It 

 was remarked by the Rev. Dr Jared Elliot, in his 

 Essays on Field Husbandry, that " Elder bushes 

 are stubborn and bard to subdue, yet I know by 

 experience that mowing them five times a year 

 will kill them." 



ELDER, (sAMBucus nigra.) 



By the Editor. 



This shrub grows plentifully in most or all parts 

 of the United States, and is too well known to 

 need description. Something, however, may be 

 said with regard to its uses, some of which may 

 not be so well known. 



" This tree," professor Martyn observes, " is a 

 whole magazine of physic to rustic practitioners, 

 nor is it quite neglected by more regular ones. 

 An excellent healing ointment is made of the 

 green, inner hark, which is also purgative in mod- 

 erate, and diuretic in small doses. A decoction 

 ot the flowers promotes expectoration and perspi- 

 ration, and they give a peculiar flavor to vinegar. 

 The flowers are reported to be fatal to turkeys, 

 and the berries to poultry in general. No quad- 



ARTIFICIAL CITRON. 



Last fall we were very much pleased with some 

 artificial citron on the table of our friend Charles 

 A. Barnitz, Esq. of York, Pa. and solicited of the 

 young ladies a receipt for preparing it. We have 

 held back the publication of it till the present seas- 

 onable moment for obvious purposes. We may 

 remark here, that "Sj^ring Dale" is not more re- 

 markable for its improved stock — Durham Short- 

 horns, Southdown sheep, fine pigs, and Westpha- 

 lia geese — than it is for its luxurious and hospita- 

 ble table, excellent housewifery, and accomplished 

 and amiable family. 



RECEIPT FOR PRESERVING AMERICAN CITRON.* 



Pare the dark green from the outside, and 

 scrape the soft from the inside of the melon ; cut 

 it in different forms, boil it in akim water until 

 clear ; throw it into spring water where it may re- 

 main two or three hours, changing the water fre- 

 quently. To one pound of fruit take two of su- 

 gar, m.nke a syrup of half the quantity of sugar, 

 and boil in it all the citron until done, when it 

 will be transparent. At the expiration of two or 

 three days, take the jelly from it, add the remain- 

 ing half of sugar; boil and pour it over the citron, 

 which will he ready for use. Season it with gin- 

 ger, sliced lemon is preferable. — Bait. Am. Fanner. 



APPLE ORCHARDS. 



Benjamin Guild, Esq. Sir— Observing the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural Society have ofl^ered 

 a premium of fifty dollars for the best apple or- 

 chard, I have to request you will present my 

 claim to the Committee, with the following state- 

 ment. 



In the fall of 1822, the piece of ground, where 

 the orchard stands, was broken up, and holes dug 

 for one half of the trees. The trees were taken 

 from the nursery as soon as the frost permitted, 

 and set out in the Sjiring of 182:j, l Russetts, i 

 Greenings, i Baldwins. The ground was planted 

 with corn and potatoes in the fall of 1623 ; holes 

 were dug, and the other half planted in the spring 

 of 1824; the ground planted with corn where 

 the potatoes were, and so on till 1827, when it 

 was laid down with barley, clover and herds grass. 



* The American Citron is a small kind of water-melon. 



About five feet in diameter has been kept open, 

 and boed every spring and fall, — every other 

 year about a [leck of wood ashes has been put 

 round each tree. They have been trimmed and 

 washed every spring and fall, with a wash 4- lime 

 and I cow dung, till this fall, when I washed them 

 with soap suds. Your humble servant, 



John JIackay. 

 Boston, Sept. 1, 18.31. 



TO DESTROY MICE. 



Mr Goodsell — Take one ounce of Niix Vom- 

 ica, bruise it in a mortar, pour on to it a quart of 

 boiling water and let it stand from six to twelve 

 hours, then pour into it a quart of wheat and let 

 it stand again from six to twelve hours, by which 

 time the wheat will have swelled and absorbed 

 nearly all the water ; it may then be spread on the 

 floor to drain and dry. If a larger quantity is re- 

 quired, (observing the same proportion,) it maybe 

 increased to any extent desired. This wheat may 

 then be scattered over the field, and put in the 

 way of the mice, and in the woods if any harbor 

 there. 



I know that this will destroy rats and squirrels 

 and I believe will he found equally eflectual with 

 mice. Yours, &c. R. M. W. 



Scarcity of Fruit Crops. — Fruit of nearly all 

 sorts, will be scarce here this season. Peaches 

 none — pears none — plums I believe none. W^hat 

 few set on my trees were quickly despatched by 

 the Curculio. Tlie season of cherries is past by, 

 but there were none, except in a few favored local 

 ities. It is understood that apples will be scarce ; 

 yet, as apple orchards are abundant, there will 

 probably be enough. Grass is light, amounting 

 ])robably to little more than half the crop of pre- 

 ceding seafons. Wheat was extensively injured, 

 both by the snow of winter, and the operations of 

 frost in the spring. Yet, as great quantities were 

 sown, and as what survived the winter and spring, 

 is now almost sure to come in of excellent quali- 

 ty, it is likely the wheat crop will not be greatly 

 deficient. — [b. 



Receipt to cure Warts. — Take the inner rind of 

 a lemon, steep it four-and-tvventy hours in dis- 

 tilled vinegar, and apply it to the warts. It must 

 not be left on the part above three hours at a time, 

 and is to be applied afresh every day. Or divide 

 a red onion, and rub the warts well with it, or 

 anoint them with the milky juice of the herb mer- 

 cury several times, and they will gradually waste 

 away. 



To make Strong or Bookbinders' Paste. — Mix 

 wbeaten flour first in cold water, then boil it till 

 it be of a glutinous consistence; this makes com- 

 mon paste. When yon wish it to be of a stronger 

 nature, mix a fourth, fifth or sixth of the weight of 

 the flour, of powdered alum ; and where it is want- 

 ed of a still more tenacious quality, add a little 

 powdered resin. 



Slabbering of Horses. — It was stated by a wri- 

 ter for a western paper, that sulphur will relieve 

 the slabbering of horses, occasioned by eating the 

 Euphorbia or Spotted Spurge. " My method," 

 says the writer, " is to give a tea-spoonful of tha 

 flour of sulphur with a little salt." 



