1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER? 



123 



Caliies' Elcpartmcnt.. 



FLOWERS, COHEESPONDENCE, &c. 



Wk are gratified that our efforts to interest and in- 

 struct the readers of this department have not been 

 in vain. The notes we are receiving from our fair 

 readers, thanking us for the information already given, 

 and asking still more, is a grateful reward for any 

 labor we may have bestowed. During the spring we 

 shall treat of gardens and flowers, but we shall not 

 forget the more responsible duties of life ; and if we 

 have our own way of teaching the useful in connec- 

 tion with the beautiful, we flatter ourselves that our 

 plan is not a bad one. That some of our friends 

 think 80 too, the following, and other communications 

 we have in our possession, is proof : 



Mkssrs. Editors : — If you will be so kind as to send me 

 the remaining Ladies' Rabe, I will try to use it with " zeal" 

 and " intelligence." I tlinnk you, in the nnmo of my sex, 

 for the '' Lntliea' Department" of your useful and interesting 

 paper ; and I earnestly hope your valuable suggestions, as 

 regards the choice and culture of flowers, will he continued 

 from time to lime, as the aweet season progresses. A Faum- 

 kr's D.\uguter. — RosedaU, AjiriL 1850. 



Whenever we stray away from home, and visit the 

 country, villages, or cities, we notice the gardens 

 more than people or houses, and we involuntarily 

 liave an impression made upon our mind, of the intel- 

 ligence and relinement of the people by the appear- 

 ance of the gardens. We have hoard some remark 

 that, whenever they heard music in a house, that 

 house became associated in tlieir minds with peace 

 and refinement, cultivated taste, and a happy home. 

 We take our key from the garden. 



Flower Gardftts are generally too '-fixed up" — 

 too "fussy," as the ladies sometimes say. Straight, 

 narrow paths, bordered with stones, or shells, or bo.v, 

 and even bones, — small beds in the form of triangles, 

 diamonds, hearts, fcc, are too common, but never 

 pleasing. You have often stood on the bank of some 

 beautiful stream, and watched it, delighted — almost 

 enchanted — as it wound its graceful meandering 

 course through the valley, lost to your view at some 

 points by intervening trees, and again appearing in 

 the distance like a bright silver thread. The baidt 

 of that river is fringed with trees ; but they stand 

 not at regular distances, like sentinels, but here and 

 there a group, connected perhaps by a few scattering 

 trees. Let this be your model. Lay out your walks 

 gracefully winding as the river ; plant your flowers 

 and shrubs and trees in little groups. Thus imitate 

 nature, and the efTcct will be pleasing. 



In our last we recommended Petunia.', Verbenas, 

 Dwarf Phloxes, Perpetual Roses, Scarlet Geraniums, 

 kc, for planting in masses or groups ; but we 

 would not omit the Dahlus, as no flower garden can 

 dispense with them — at least a dozen or two, to 

 cheer and brighten tlie fading autuinn, by their showy, 

 brilliant, and perfect flowers. All these plants that 

 we have alluded to, may he bought (excepting the 

 Roses and Dahlias) at a dollar or two per dozen, in 

 pots, at the nurseries, ready for turning out, and will 

 bloom in a week or two after planting. 



But, above all, the ground should at once be put in 

 readiness by trenching (deep digging) and manuring, 

 for without deep, rich, and mellow ground, success 

 cannot be expected. 



It appears from the following, that we have not 

 only attracted attention to the cultivation of flowers, 

 but even to the more useful and not less exciting: 



Messrs. Editors; — .\8 you areibndof gossiping with the 

 ladies, permit me to have a short gossip with you. 1 had 

 thepleasure, not long since, of perusing an article in yoar 

 March number, addressed to the ladies, on the dehghts of 

 out-door exercise, and have been induced, partly by that and 

 partly by my own inclination, to throw aside my books and 

 my embroidery, and turn my attention to the onion beds. 

 Yes, Messrs. Editors, I expect shortly to equal th&"fair union 

 vveeders of VVethersfield " in their sublime art, and though I 

 may not always have the "' smile on my lip," I shall proba- 

 bly have the " tear in my eye." But I am only a beginner ; 

 can not you give me some information in your next, as to 

 the best method of cultivation ? I intend to cultivate the 

 ornamental, however, as well as the uneful, (by the way, as 

 my onion beds are in a conspicuous situation, how do you 

 think a border of phloxes would look around them?) and, 

 Messrs. Editors, I have fallen in love with the Ladits' Floral 

 Rnk'', which you say you are willing to give to "any lady 

 who will make good use of it." Can you doubt, after what 

 I have said, that I am the one ? I know your gallantry will 

 not permit you to refuse such a request from a lady ; there- 

 fore I shall expect the rake will arrive by the next express, 

 as I shall soon want to use it, and I tind it perfectly impossi- 

 ble to use a heavy garden rake to advantage among tho 

 flowers. E. C. \X— Brook's Grove, March, 1350. 



We believe in a place for every thing, and we 

 think an onion bed is a poor place for phloxes. We 

 really had no idea of causing the unbidden tear to 

 flow, yet we think it far more sensible to weep over 

 a bed of the Jillium cepa than at the misfortunes of 

 an imaginary hero or heroine. 



Mkssrs. Editors: — In your March "gossip with the 

 ladies," I practically ajjjiire your ideas of female accomplish- 

 ments, albeit / cun ^t saddle the horse. You also proft'er 

 to any of your fair readers, "who will make good useof it," 

 that neat Ladies' Floral Rake you speak of. Now, those 

 ladies who praijtice your precepts, will hardly fail to be 

 " slightly tinged with brown," and thereby must be excluded 

 froni the prize. 



Pa wished to say, in regard to pruning peach trees, that 

 his experience of several years. With a large orchard, has 

 taught him that early pruning will cause the branch to " die 

 buck" — that the trees should not be pruned until the bad is 

 near blooming. Lucretia. 



If " Lucrf.tia" will send her address by mail, we 

 will send her the rake, even if she be " slightly tinged 

 with brown." You are quite right in regard to 

 pruning the peach. We hope that "Lucrktia" will 

 send us some of her own experience in floriculture, 

 during the season. 



Messrs. Kditoks : — I can see no part of your valuable 

 paper that ought to be dispensed with, not even the " Ladies' 

 l)epartment, particularly when supplied with such articles 

 as the .March number ; for the cases are too rare in which it 

 would not apply with truth. Yet, if farmers' wives would 

 contribute (not their grievances) some of their real, practical 

 knowledge, would it not do good iu more ways than one 7 

 perhaps beget an interest in llie good, orderly house-keeper, 

 who sometimes complains that her husband takes so many 

 papcrv, it keeps her busy arranging them, or that it takes all 

 they can earn to pay for them. 



The following recipe for making Apple Dumplings is at 

 your disposal : — Fill a four quart pan half full of sour apples, 

 pared anil sliced ; add a quart or sutlicicnt water to cook 

 them : put several bits of butter, about the size of a walnut, 

 around the edge of the pan. For the crust, take a small 

 sized tea-cupful of sour cream, two of sour milk, two tea- 

 apoonfuls of pulverized saleratus rubbed into the flour ; add 

 the welling and a little salt. Roll it to lit the pan, and press 

 it firmly all around ; cover tight with another pan ; set it 

 upon the stove, and cook briskly ihree quarters of an hour ; 

 then remove the cover and try with a fork to see if done ; if 

 so, run a knife around the ecJge of the crust and turn the 

 whole upon a platter, and you have a dumpling proper. 

 Serve hot, with good butter and new maple syrup. 



Preparation fou Boots. — Place an iron vessel upon the 

 stove, put in two or three pounds of tallow, and as much 

 India rubberas tlie half of an old shoe, keep it very hot two 

 or three hours, then add a little lampblack. When sufli- 

 ciently cool apply freely. .4 Farmer's Wife. 



