1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



115 



from Mr. Barry, planted on a liglit loamy knoll died in 

 the same way, except; that the dead ring was just below 

 the KUrfacp of the ground. Many of my neighbors have 

 lost peach trees in the same way, mostly tiie last spring. 

 Now if you can understand me, I should like your opinion 

 on the sulyect through the Genesee Farmer. It may be a 

 Batislixction and advantage to many subscribers, besides 

 myself. Yours. &,c., 



Lockport, N. Y., Feb., 184S. ' N. B. Rogers. 



Your peaches were no doubt winter-killed. Such cases 

 are quite common when a yearling tree is transplanted in the 

 fall, and a severe winter succeeds. You will find wherever 

 a limb was cut oil' or a bruise made, a black spot in the 

 spring, and most frequently on the side most exposed to the 

 gun. These spots sometimes spread aroimd the tree and 

 kill it. The success of the two year old trees proves this, 

 they being more able to resist the intliience of the sun and 

 frost. The fact of some being affected just below the 

 surface of the ground was owing to the same causes, thaw- 

 ing and freezing, 'llie heat of the surface soil and other 

 objects reflected against the tree during warm days, and the 

 sudden formation of ice around the same place at night. 

 Newly transplanted trees from their looseness, usually 

 have more or less of a basin around the base, that admits 

 of water accumulating and ice forming. Those that get 

 entirely encircled with tke black or dead spot will live and 

 appear to grow until the sap previously deposited in the 

 part of the tree above the affected part has been exhausted ; 

 it will then die, as did yours when they began to expand 

 iheir blossoms, <'ommunicafion existing no longer between 

 the upper and lower extremities. 



We shall be glad to hear from any of our readers in re- 

 lation to this subject. 



RETARDING VEGETATION. 



G. B. — Lafayette. Have you not seen trees in certain 

 •ttuations, with the buds in the top of the tree beginning 

 to swell, and even expand while the earth was yet frozen 

 around or above the roots, and when it could not be possi- 

 sible they were in a corresponding state of vital activity ? 

 We have seen such instances. Dr. Lindley recently gave 

 in the " London Gardener's Chronicle,'' a very plain article 

 on this subject, and we shall probably quote it entire next 

 month ; at present we will give the following. 



"As to the idea that the bleeding of a tree begins first at 

 the root, and in connection with this supposition that what 

 is called the rise of the sap is the cause of the expansion 

 of buds, and leaves and branches, nothing can well be 

 more destitute of any real foundation. * * * jf in the 

 spring, when the buds are first swelling, a tree is cut across 

 at the ground line, no bleeding will take place, neither will 

 the sap flow for some distance upwards, but among the 

 branches the bleeding will bo found to have commenced. 



The fact is that the «ip is driven into .accelerated motion 

 first at the extremeties of a tree, because there light and 

 warmth first tell upon the excitable buds." 



Try this, and if you find it so, you will agree with us 

 that if the roots are retarded, so ought to be the tops. 



Jas. H. Watts. We are much obliged for your splendid 

 specimens of iVewtown Pippin Apples. They are the 

 finest we have ever seen. The celebrated Pelham orchard 

 is outdone. Your friend in Brighton who grew them must 

 have the right sort of soil, and should plant this fine fruit 

 largely. 



B. W. S. — Raisin, Mich. Your communication is just 

 received. Your suggestions in regard to the French names 

 of fruits are very good, and we will endeavor if practicable 

 to carry them out. 



Planting Locust Seed. — M. M. — Sheboygan Falls, 

 W. T. You w ill find an answer to your question at page 

 85, present volume. * 



S. M. — Lebanon, Pa. We have attended to your request. 

 If convenient, we would be glad to have you communicate 

 some of the results of your experience. 



W« ore under obligations to Wm. G. Waring, Esq., 

 Boalsburg, Pa., for a drawing of nn excellent nursery im- 

 plement, the •' Double Shovel Plow," and for several va- 

 rieties of Apple, Pear and Grape Scions, which were re- 

 ceived iu good order. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



Milk-illaids turned Pianists. 



A correspondent of Batkham's excellent Ohio Cultivator 

 regrets that the rosy cheeked variety of the genus Milk- 

 Maid is fast disappearing from our native land. What a 

 pity ! I never see a farmer's wife milking, and hear the 

 NOISE of a piano in the house, but I feel an involuntary 

 sensation of pity. It puts me in mind of a young friend of 

 mine who married a farmer's daughter, with a piano. As 

 all the country girls in the vicinity said it was the piano 

 that married the Mian, I felt a desire to disabuse them. At 

 my first inquiry in the premises my friend frankly confessed 

 that so far from being cajoled by the piano, that luckless in- 

 strument had come well nigh driving him from the house. 

 But, said he, she had the tact to discover my aversion, and 

 I believe she has never played "Bouncing Bet," or "Bound- 

 ing Billows" since that day. I wanted to see her milk, 

 said he, and with a sly coquetish smile she said she would 

 gratify my curiosity. 'Twould have done you good to see 

 the nonchalance with which she stepped about among those 

 cows, not with the dainty tread of one alike afraid of the 

 cows and the ground they walked on ; but with that grace- 

 ful practiced step which avoids dirt as if by intuition. And 

 then the way she despatched her task — with what a slight 

 of hand she made each cow yield her lacteal treasure. But 

 the best of it all was the unconscionsne.«s of the actress of 

 the fact, that she was more than Fanny Kemble Butler, in 

 the part she was now acting. 



All connoisseurs not directly or indirectly in the trade, 

 will agree that a masterly performer on the piano forte, is 

 a person rarely seen — while the number who profane sweet 

 music, and caricature its variations, is legion 1 Then what 

 a mistake it is for a farmer's daughter to spend her time and 

 money in attempting so hapless a task, as that of becoming 

 even an e^idurahU pianist, when she can be so much more 

 re.spectably employed both physically and intellectually. 



S. W. 



Corn Meal Cakes. — In the first number of the Farmer, 

 Vol. IX, page 35, you published a recipe for making " Corn 

 Meal Cakes.'' My wile has tried it and found it good. As 

 sour milk is not always readily obtained, we have found a 

 substitute in the use of cream tartar ; tlms, two quarts of 

 meal, cold water, yeast, salt, &c., (according to recipe,) 4 

 eggs, (which may be piit in at night,) and two tcaspoon- 

 fuls of cream tartar — mix well together. In the morning 

 dissolve a large teaspoonful ofsaieratiis in water, stir quick, 

 and bake in a dripping-pan. Good while warm ; and if left 

 to become cold, will be equally good when warmed again. 

 Those who are fond of sweet, will find something to suit 

 my taste, (if not theirs,) by putting half the above quantity 

 into a separate dish, (at night,) and adding thereto a half 

 teacupful of molasses, more or less, as may suit the taste. 

 Add saleratusin the morning, as above, &c. 



N. B. The saleratus should be a little in excess, other- 

 wise the cakes will have a bitter taste. H. 



Weights and Measures. — As all families are not pro- 

 vided with scales and weight, referring to ingredients in 

 general use by every housewife, Dr. Brown gives the fol- 

 lowing list : 



Weight and Measure. — Wheat flour, 1 pound is 1 quart ; 

 indian meal, 1 pound 2 ounces is 1 quart ; butter, when 

 soft, 1 pound 1 ounce is 1 quart ; loaf sugar, broken, 1 pound 

 is 1 quart , white sugar, powdered, 1 lb. 1 oz. is 1 quart ; 

 best brown sugar, 1 pound 2 oz. is 1 quart , eggs, average 

 size, 10 eggs are 1 pound ; 



Liquid Measure. — Sixteen large table-spoonsfull are i a 

 pint ; eight table-spoonsfull are 1 gill ; four large table- 

 spoonsfull are i a gill ; a common-sized tumbler holds J a 

 pint ; a common-sized wine-glass holds i a gill. 



Incombustible W'hite-wash.— Pass fine freshly-slaked 

 lime through a fine sieve, and to six quarts of the fine pul- 

 verized lime thus obtained, add one quart of the purest salt, 

 and one gallon of water, and boil the mixture and skim it 

 clean. Then to every five gallons of this mixture, add 1 

 lb. of alum, 1-2 lb. of copperas, and slowly add 3-4 lb. 

 potash, and 4 quarts fine sand. It adheres firmly to wood 

 or brick. 



