180 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ December, 



approximation to its former gatherings, it can- 

 not fail to diffuse much useful knowledge. 

 Fruit-growing, as the years move on, is he- 

 coming a more important branch of human 

 husbandry than it formerly was, and as the 

 wheel of time presses forward, her claims upon 

 our social economy are becoming daily more 

 urgent. It is to be regretted that in our city, 

 there are so few who take a working interest 

 in her local organization. We hope that with 

 the beginning of our second century, the sub- 

 ject will become worthy of the epoch. 



For The Lancabtee Farmeb. 

 CABBAGE. 



What use to waste space to print, or time 

 to read, anything about cabbage ? Stop a 

 bit; in this Centennial year we want to know 

 about ye olden limes. I came across a pre- 

 mium receipt for making sour crout several 

 hundred years ago, and I think it is worth re- 

 publishing for the benefit of our readers. 

 Remember, cabbages were a favorite esculent 

 vegetable with the Romans and our Saxon 

 ancestors. I learn from ffn ancient record, that 

 "an agreeable pickle was made, by cutting 

 them (the head, I suppose,) into six or eight 

 pieces, according to their size, putting them 

 for a few moments into boiling water, and 

 then plunging them in vinegar, which, espe- 

 cially at first, should be occasionally changed, 

 throwing in a little salt each time. In°this 

 form they are an excellent antiscorbutic, and 

 are found a valuable sea-store. 



I will now copy verbatim the old mode of 

 making " sour-crout," which seems worthy 

 of all imitation save the "boots;" in that case, 

 I would recommend the wooden stamper. The 

 record says : "The Germans and other 

 northern nations have a still more salutary 

 and pleasant preparation, which they call 

 sour-crout. With an instrument made for 

 the purpose," (a cabbage cutter,) "they cut 

 the head of a large variety {hransica capitati 

 maxima) into small shreds, and then lay 

 them on a cloth to dry in the shade. They 

 afterwards put these shreds into a common 

 cask, open at one end, and if it has contained 

 wine or vinegar, it will be more favorable to 

 the necessary fermentation; otherwise the 

 inside should be rubbed with a little leaven of 

 old sour-crout. The cover of the open end 

 should be strong, that it may sustain a large 

 weight, and should have a handle fixed in the 

 middle that it may be readily put on and 

 taken off. A quantity of very fine sea salt 

 should be procured, in the proportion of two 

 pounds to twenty cabbages. A layer of this 

 salt is first evenly spread at the bottom of 

 the cask; on this is placed a layer of the 

 shreds six inches thick. A man in strong 

 boots, well washed and very clean, then goes 

 into the cask and treads down the mass till it 

 is reduced to the thickness of three inches. 

 Similar layers of salt and shreds of cabbage 

 are put in and trodden down in their turn, 

 till the cask is nearly full, but the last layer 

 must be of salt. Some large fresh cabbage 

 leaves are then laid on, and covered with a 

 wet cloth ; and on the cloth is put the cover 

 of the cask, pressed down by heavy weights 

 to prevent the "crout" from swelling and 

 rising during the time of its fermentation. A 

 sea.soning, either of juniper berries, or which 

 is much better, of caraway seeds, is mingled 

 with the cabbage, but not with the salt, and 

 an empty space of about two inches is left at 

 the top. The shreds are soon deprived of a part 

 of their vegetable juice by the pressure. This 

 fluid, which naturally rises to the top, is 

 green, turbid and feticl, and is drawn off by 

 means of a cock placed two or three inches 

 below it. A new brine is then added, which 

 also soon becomes foul, and is drawn off in 

 the same manner. After these operations 

 have been continued twelve or fifteen days, 

 more or less, according to the temperature of 

 the place, the liquor will remain clear and 

 sweet ; but care must be taken that there be 

 always about an inch of brine at the top, 

 and that no space be left between the cover 

 of the cask and the cabbage, which will 



otherwise acquire a putrid, offensive smell. 

 Sour-crout well made, and well kept, has a 

 very pleasant acid taste, especially if it be 

 washed after it is taken from the cask, and 

 mixed, before it is served up, with a little 

 vinegar. In has been found highly serviceable 

 in long voyages, as a preventive from the sea- 

 scurvy." 



Many of our farmers understand the art of 

 making sour-crout, but I question if any fol- 

 low up the rules laid down thoroughly in all 

 its details— if any have a superior "mode — 

 always excepting the "boot part." In short, 

 many may improve liy considering the above 

 receipt as made and approved of at least 

 one hundred years ago. In this fast age, we 

 we do things up in a hurry, and too much at 

 a single jump, and fail to have the full benefit 

 of the experience of those who were more 

 slow and sure. An English lady, fond of 

 sour-crout, begged me to inform her how it 

 was made. This I did, and presumed others 

 might wish to know. 



I have so far, simply copied from an old 

 record found in the hands of but a few indi- 

 viduals. I will futher remark that as a 

 botanical student, the genus Brassica is a very 

 remarkable one ; for instance all the varieties 

 of Borecole or Ka'e, such as the Green curled 

 Scotch, German greens, or Sprouts, Cottagers, 

 Siberian, the Abergeldie, superfine Variegated, 

 Tall Green Curled and Csesarean, or Jersey of 

 the Catalogues, all well marked varities, are 

 derived from Brassica Oleracea acephalo, lin. 

 The Broccoli, eleven marked varieties, under 

 as many distinct names, are derived from the 

 variety Brassica oleracea botrytis, hn. Brus- 

 sels sprouts, four varieties, from Brassica 

 oleracea bidlata, lin. The true Cabbages, 

 have twenty-six well marked varities — twenty- 

 seven if we add the Savoy (Dwarf Early 

 Ulm,) all derived from the variety — Brassica 

 Oleracea capitata, lin. Several species were 

 originally known to grow wild — and from one 

 or both, all the numerous sorts have sprung 

 through cultivation. Brassica oleracea is in- 

 deed the parent of all the sorts. It is not 

 generally known that in the island of Jersey, 

 from the effects of particular culture and of 

 climate, a stalk has grown to the height of 

 sixteen feet, and " had its spring shoots at the 

 top occupied by a magpie's nest. The woody 

 stems are not unfrequently from ten to twelve 

 feet in height, and are there used as rafters" 

 and as walking sticks. We are thus reminded, 

 says Dirwin, "that in certain countries 

 plants belonging to the generally herbaceous 

 order of the cruciferae are developed into 

 trees." An article on "Cabbage Timber," 

 in Oardemr''s Chron, 1856, P. 744, quoted from 

 Hooker's Journal of Botany, says : " A walk- 

 ing-stick made from a cabbage-stalk is ex- 

 hibited in the museum of Kew." 



We thus see that a cabbage-stalk may be- 

 come a formidable club— while a squint at the 

 diversity of the cabbages, under cultivation 

 may be food for thought, and to some English 

 readers the good old way of making sour 

 crout may be new, and induce them to try it, 

 and have reason to be thankful for it, which 

 is all respectfully submitted by—/. Stauffer. 



for 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 CHEERFUL DOTTINGS FROM 

 LEOLINE. 



Dear Editor : You will please excuse me 

 not writing more at this time. Merry 



Christmas will soon be upon us, and I must 

 make all the little ones glad ; and that will 

 require; work yet, on my part. Permit me, 

 however, in advance, to wish you a "Merry 

 Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

 Buckwheat Cakes. 

 1 quart buckwheat flour; 1 pint wheat 

 flour ; 1 teaspoonfull of good baking soda ; 

 1 teaspoonful of fine salt. Mix all well to- 

 gether. Now add thick milk enough to 

 make a thin batter. Bake on a griddle, not 

 too hot, nor too cold, as much depends on that. 

 If you get all mixed rightly, they will be 

 light and spongy. 



Another Formula. 



1 quart buckwheat flour ; i pint of wheat 

 (lour; 1 teaspoonful of salt. Mix all well 

 together, and add hike-warm water enough 

 to make a pretty thin batter, and add a tea- 

 spoonful of good yeast. Stir all well to- 

 gether and set aside in a warm place, and in 

 two hours the batter will bo light enough to 

 bake. ' " 



Corn Cakes. 



1 quart of good corn meal ; 1 pint of wheat 

 (lour ; 1 teaspoonful of good soda ; 2 e<^g8 

 beaten up light ; 1 teaspoonful of salt. ]3ix 

 all with good buttermilk, not too thin. 

 Bake on a griddle, and if properly manipu- 

 lated, you will pronounce them excellent. 



Leoleste. 



If we were the female head of a house 

 coming from such a practical source, we be- 

 lieve we should adopt the above without 

 hesitation. At any rate, we shall make an 

 attempt to "hurry up those cakes," in our 

 own family. 



The micaceous sand, from Shrewsbury twp. 

 York county. Pa., sent us by our fair- 

 correspondent contains some minute flakes, 

 that have the appearance of gold, and 

 some of them may be gold, but we incline to 

 the opinion that they are all of a micaceous 

 character. They differ widely from the gold- 

 flakes we have from California. Gold is 

 never found brittle or flexible— it is always 

 tough and malleable. Nearly two hundred 

 years ago the English colonists found large 

 quantities of this mineral about Jamestown, 

 V'a., and shipped it home to England for 

 gold, but it proved otherwise. Possibly a 

 seam of it extends up through Virginia and 

 Maryland, and "crops out" on the surface in 

 York county, and other localities. 



Substantial. 



The heart of the editor has been made glad 

 by the generous Thanksrjivimj oferiny of his fair 

 correspondent, I.eoline, for which he desires 

 to express his unqualified gratitude. Such kind 

 consideration can only emanate from the mind 

 and heart of woman, and is a solace for the 

 many weary hours we have devoted to the 

 almost bootless task of catering for the 

 moral, intellectual, and economical elevation 

 of our readers. The fruits of Pomona, were 

 lucious and generously ;fragrant; the Ajnum^ 

 crisp and healthful ; and the Castanean con- 

 tribution, vividly recalled 



'The days when we went ch.cstntuitu/^ 

 A long time ago." 



She may rest in assurance that her bounty 

 will be "twice blessed"— blessing the giver 

 as abundantly as the receiver ; for such out- 

 ward manifestations cannot be otherwise than 

 the dictates of a benevolent nature, which 

 have their fountains in the inner chambers of 

 the heart. 



Public Acknowledgment. 



We cannot close this voluhie without 

 making it the occasion to return our sincere 

 thanks to those friends who have from time 

 to time favored us with their valued contri- 

 butions to our columns, and especially to 

 Messrs. .Jacob Stauffer, Jacob B. Garber, 

 Walter Elder, Henry M. Engle, Levi S. 

 Reist, Peter S. Reist, A. B. Keiss, Wilmer S. 

 Bolton, John C. Linville, .John B. Erb, W. 

 A. Buriiee,Wm. H. Spera, F. R. Diffenderffer, 

 W. L. Pyle, M. B. Eshleman, C. L. Hun- 

 secker, Jacob Bollinger,and also to "Leoline," 

 and a number of others, who have laid us 

 under obligations for valued assistance. 



We shall always, with grateful feelings, re- 

 member the pleasant relations existing be- 

 tween us ; and hope that they may not become 

 weary in well doing, but that they m.ay con- 

 tribute to other local journals on such topics 

 as interest the agriculturist, fruit-grower and 

 gardener, should our literary intercourse 

 terminate witli this number, which seems to 

 be now foreshadowed. In any event, we feel 

 jjhat it is neither their fault aor ours.— Ed. 



