438 



NEW ENGLAND FAR]\IEK. 



Sept. 



very great, and the leaves are then covered and 

 nearly consumed by these filthy insects. When 

 about fifteen days old they throw off their loads, 

 creep down the plant, and bury themselves in the 

 ground. Here each one forms for itself a little 

 cell of earth, cemented and varnished within by a 

 gummy fluid discharged from its n]t)uth, and when 

 this is dune, it changes to a pupa. In about a fort- 

 night more the insect throws off its pupa skin, 

 breaks open its earthen cell, and crawls out of the 

 ground. The beetles come out towards the end of 

 July or early in August, and lay their eggs for a 

 second brood of grubs. The latter come to their 

 growth and go into the ground in the autumn, and 

 remain there in the pupa form during the winter." 



FALL PLOUGHING. 



In connection with an article on this subject in 

 another column, we wish here to direct attention 

 to a series of ploughs which are adapted to all soils. 

 We allude to Holbrook's National Prize Medal 

 Ploughs, one of which is represented by the cut. 



These ploughs do a quality of work which no 

 skill in spading can equal. Six sizes are made. 

 Four of the large sizes arc arranged for two mould 

 boards— one for sod and one for stubble ploughing. 

 A skim or forward plough can also be attached to 

 either of these large sizes for "Michigan," or sod 

 and sub-soil ploughing. They are manufactured 

 and sold by F. F. Holbrook & Small, 10 South 

 Market Street, Boston. 



MAKIXO PICKLES. — CANXIXO TOMATOES AND 

 COHN. 



Please inform me, if possible, through your 

 paper, how cucumbers are pickled for market, also 

 how tomatoes and green corn are canned in tin 

 cans, and oblige Subsceiber. 



Shelburne, July 30, 1868. 



Remarks. — Large space would be required for 

 full answers to these short questions. As to pickles 

 for market we believe they are generally preseiwed 

 in salt, and then put into vinegar. We will try 

 soon to get a full account of the process from 

 Sonne of the pickle-makers in this vicinity. In the 

 mean time we copy the following from the Coun- 

 try Gentleman: They should be one-third grown. 

 Cut them otF with scissors, leaving about half an 

 inch of stem — if cut with a knife it will displace 

 the vines, and if pulled off Uy hand, a small torn 

 place will be made, where decay will commence. 

 Wash or rinse each one in a vessel of water, and 

 without wiping, lay it in the tub, cask or jar, in- 

 tended for the cucumbers. Put in just enough 

 salt to imbed them without interstices. The water 



on them will make a strong brine, or rather mix- 

 ture of brine and salt, in which they will keep 

 months and years, and in this state they are sold. 

 They are afterwards make into pickles. Many, 

 however, who I'aise cucumbers sell them in the 

 city as they are picked from the vines. 



As to canning corn, we'believe that the drying 

 process described in another column will be found 

 the safest, surest and easiest. 



The canning of tomatoes is done by scalding and 

 peeling the tomatoes, throwing them into a kettle, 

 — iron will do if not rusty — l)ringing them to aboil 

 and allowing them to remain about five minutes; 

 then take the kettle off the fire, till up the cans 

 and solder on the caps. That's all. But how 

 many fail in their attempts at carjning ? And 

 why ? Simply because they don't understand the 

 trade. It is very easy to tell on paper how to make 

 good butter, but not quite so easy to Icam. In 

 the first place, good tight cans are essential. If 

 there is any defect here, the labor is lost. Then 

 the proper cooking, heating, filling, &e., are con- 

 ditions that imply skill and experience. And 

 lastly comes in play the exercise of the art and 

 mystery of the tinker's profession. How many 

 cans of fruit have been lost by imperfect soldering ! 

 After the soldering iron, the solder, the rosin, &e., 

 are all made ready, the following directions for 

 doing the work are given, by a correspondent of 

 the Country Gentleman : — "In filling up the cans, 

 if any of the juice is spilled into the gutter wipe it 

 out with a dry cloth. Having adjusted the cap, 

 sprinkle a little powdered rosin around the edges ; 

 then taking the hot iron drop three or four little 

 globules of melted solder around the gutter and 

 pass the iron around till all is fast. The heat of 

 the iron, together with the hot tomato, will cause a 

 considerable escape of steam during the process, 

 and if it has to force its way out under the edge of 

 of the cap, it will be difficult to make the solder 

 stick. It is best, therefore, to punch a hole in the 

 centre of the cap for the escape of the steam. The 

 hole can be stopped by a drop of solder after all is 

 tight around the edge." 



mildew on gooseberries. — trimming white 



PINE groves. 



Can you give any remedy for mildew on goose- 

 berries ? What is the best time for pruning white 

 pine groves ? a. s. b. 



Guilford, Vt., 1868. ' 



Remarks. — As the gooseberry in this climate 

 suffers from heat and drought, the cultivator should 

 guard against their effects, by choosing a cool, 

 moist soil, by deep cultivation, — some say two 

 spades, — and by thick mulching. A writer in the 

 New York Horticulturist planted in rows three-and 

 a-half ftct apart each way and trimmed to single 

 stems. Karly in November, after pruning the 

 plants and dressing the borders — digging in plenty 

 of stable manure,— he hauled several loads of tan 

 and covered the bed six inches thick, and there it 

 remained all winter and '•still remains." The re- 



