20 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[February, 



grain to feed the birds, and shiill put up a bird 

 net 300 feet high along the Ohio, to keep their 

 inhabitants from invading Kentucky. 



The bill was defeated. 



Some people in Indiana seem to have -'quail 

 on the brain ;" at any rate, the state seems to 

 have "too much quail." When the children 

 of Israel were in need of flesh, as they traveled 

 through the wilderness, the Almighty sent 

 them quails as a needed blessing. AVhat a 

 pity that Indiana could not be invaded by an 

 army of flesh-hungry Israelites, to consume 

 her surplus quails, and thus save the time and 

 wind of her legislators. Fifty-flve thousand 

 laboring men, in New York alone, are now 

 out of employment, and no doubt would 

 be glad to receive daily consignments of 

 Indiana quails. AVhy cannot these quails 

 be utilized ? Why not organize a quail- 

 line as they some years ago did an "oyster 

 line ? or, why not send them packed in ice to 

 Europe, or to such parts of the United States 

 as have no quails ? Texas is sending mil- 

 lions of pounds of fresh beef to Europe, and 

 we are of the opinion that it would be as easy 

 to send cargoes of quails. If quails are as 

 abundant, and as prolific as the above state- 

 ment indicates, we should think it as good a 

 crop as any that could be raised in any State. 

 Here in the State of Pennsylvania, we are 

 constantly regretting that our laws are not 

 stringent enough to [irotect our quails, whilst 

 in Indiana they appear to have too much of 

 that "sort of thing." Send on your surplus 

 quails. We have not had a quail on ourtable 

 for more than twenty years. — £d. 



FISH, FLESH AND FOWL. 



The following from a Baltimore paper, may 

 help to illuminate the minds of the people of 

 Indiana as to what disposition to make of 

 their "terrible quails," in order to diminish 

 their numbers profitahly : 



" The exportation of fresh meats, fish, game 

 and oysters has during the last ten years be- 

 come an important element in the trade of the 

 coast cities. The experience gained in this 

 time in preparing these perishable commodi- 

 ties for transportation has been very valuable, 

 and has converted what was once a doubtful 

 venture into an assured success. The market 

 abroad is rapidly becoming a very desirable 

 one, especially in England and France. Some 

 small trade is done with Germany, but the in- 

 habitants of the fatherland do not take eagerly 

 to this class of American delicacies. In the 

 exportation of fish, all the principal cities of 

 the coast jiarticipate in varying amounts, 

 Baltimore is the largest market for fine-grained, 

 delicately-flavored fish, though she does not 

 send du-ectly abroad so manj' as New York. 

 Salmon, shad, bay mackerel and salmon trout 

 flourish in the waters of her bay and its rivers, 

 which seem admirably adapted to produce the 

 finesf varieties of these flsh. The fish are pre- 

 pared for transportation by being frozen. 

 Barrels or other suitable vessels are filled with 

 the fish, and are then placed in a refrigerator 

 until thoroughly frozen. When shipped, they 

 are placed in similar refrigerators on board. 

 The freezing does not appear fo injure the 

 flavor of the flsh, though some have claimed 

 that it does. One of the largest dealers in 

 Baltimore has a very neat refrigerator barrel, 

 in which he puts up all the fish he sends any 

 distance. The barrel is lined with zinc, and 

 between the lining and the wood there is a 

 narrow air space, as well as a layer of hair 

 packing. This arrangement very effectually 

 prevents great changes to temperature in the 

 inside of the barrel when closed up. Inside 

 of the metal-lined barrel is a galvanized iron 

 can in which the fish are placed. Around 

 this can a freezing mixture of ice and salt is 

 placed, which is renewed as fast as the ice 

 melts. The water runs off by a pipe at the 

 bottom of the barrel. Fish packed in this 

 manner can be shipped with the greatest 

 ease to any clime, and kept any length of time. 

 "In the shipping of oysters in the shell 

 great care is exercised in packing. A layer 

 of the oysters is placed in the barrel with their 



mouths up. They are then packed with sea 

 grass which is very jjorous and holds large 

 quantities of sea water, which provides par- 

 tial nourishment for them. Over this layer 

 of oysters corn meal is sprinkled. On the 

 corn meal another layer of the oysters, packed 

 in tlie same manner is placed, and so on until 

 the barrel is filled. By this arrangement the 

 oyster can feed nearly as well as if he were on 

 his bed on the river or bay bottom. The 

 grass will hold its nourishment from a 

 month to six weeks, a sufficient time to 

 make the longest voyages. Tlie extent of 

 this trade is difficult to estimate, as it is 

 wholly retail. No house abroad has yet 

 entered into the trade, receiving regular 

 consignments from Baltimore, but negoti- 

 ations are now pending to effect such a result. 

 Caterers in London and Paris, and American 

 residents abroad are large consumers, and 

 they order directly from Baltimore, or indi- 

 rectly through New York. An attempt 

 to plant American oysters in foreign waters 

 jiroved a complete failure. Some Ave years 

 ago, through the influence of the Turkish 

 consul residing in Baltimore, a number of 

 gentlemen were induced to try the experiment. 

 A vessel was loaded with them, packed in the 

 same manner as they are on the pungies 

 which bring them to the market — that is not 

 packed at all — aud of course nearly all died 

 on the way. Satisfied with what they lield to 

 be a proof of the impossibility of transporting 

 them, these parties did not repeat the experi- 

 ment. In the face of the fact that oysters are 

 being sent across every day, which arrive in 

 the best condition, it would be ridiculous to 

 deny the feasibility of the project. Whether 

 the oysters will thrive in those waters is an- 

 other question, only to be determined by ex- 

 periment. 



Terrapin are shipped from Baltimore both 

 alive and canned. When sent alive they are 

 simply packed in boxes or barrels, without 

 food, ice, or any other accompaniments. Be- 

 tween the months of September and March 

 they do not eat anything, and this is tlie time 

 during which they are shipped. Those put 

 up in cans are boiled and then hermetically 

 sealed, the same as other canned meats. Those 

 sent abroad go exclusively to England and 

 France, where they are highly prized. Soft 

 crabs, fried and put up in oil cans, are quite 

 largely sent to foreign markets. In game 

 the principal export is canvas-back ducks. A 

 common way of i)acking them is to tie them 

 by the feet around the edge of a circular bas- 

 ket. This keeps the birds separated, and 

 leaves a space in the centre for ice, if neces- 

 sary. The basket of ducks is generally placed 

 in a refrigerator and frozen before they are 

 shipped. This method of packing them has 

 proved remarkably successful. One dealer 

 affirms that he has not lost'a single basket in 

 five years." 



LEEK. 

 Allium Porntm. 



The leek is a member of the onion family, 

 and has been cultivated from time immemo- 

 rial. It has always been regarded with par- 

 ticular favor by the Egyptians, who eat it raw 

 with their bread, or as sauce for meats. It is 

 frequently associated with the name of St. 

 David, the patron saint of Wales, for the rea- 

 son that Welshman are accustomed to sport 

 leeks in their hats upon his festival, the first 

 of March. This is a very ancient custom, and 

 we find frequent mention of it in the old 

 writers. Some persons have thought that it 

 commemorates the introduction of the plant 

 into that country by St. David ; but more 

 probably, as Sliakspeare says, in liis Henry 

 the Fifth, it is "worn as a memorable trophy 

 of pre-deceased valor. " According to "ancient 

 tradition," in a celebrated victory of the 

 Welsh over the Saxons, in the sixth century, 

 the former imder the prelate's directions, were 

 distinguished by leeks^which they gathered 

 near the battle ground. As he was supposed 

 to have power to work miracles, it is not 

 strange that their glorious success should have 

 been attributed to this cause. Whatever may 



be the origin of the custom, it would be quite 

 as remrakable to find a Welshman without 

 his leek on the first of March, as it would to 

 discover a genuine Hibernian without a sham- 

 rock in his button-hole on St. Patrick's day. 

 For certain purposes the leek is preferred to 

 the onion. The varieties most worthy of cul- 

 tivation, and perhaps of equal excellence, are 

 the London and the Scotch. 



Culture. — Sow the seed in March or 

 April, as soon as the ground becomes open, 

 and the weather settled. One ounce of seed 

 will yield between two and three thousand 

 plants. Select for the bed a warm sheltered 

 border, and sow in drills, three quarters of an 

 inch deep, and eight inches apart. When the 

 plants have become established, they ought to 

 be thinned out to distances of about two 

 inches in the drill. Frequent and thorough 

 hoeing is of the first importance, while an oc- 

 casional application of water during a dry 

 time, proves of great benefit. As soon as the 

 seedlings acquire a height of eight or nine 

 inches, they are fit for transplanting. 



The leek is best suited with a mellow loam, 

 which has been deeply dug, and made rich by 

 the application of old dung or compost. The 

 sub-soil should be dry, and the exposure 

 rather open. Make shallow trenches across 

 the bed, one foot distant from each other, for 

 the reception of the plants, which are to be 

 drawn from the seed bed, either during 

 showery weather, or after the soil has been 

 rendered yielding by the application of water. 

 Some should be allowed to remain at the dis- 

 tances of six inches asunder in the drill. 

 Shorten the extremities of the tops and roots 

 of those which are taken up, and insert them 

 in the trenches, by means of the dibble, eight 

 inches apart. They ought to be inserted just 

 so deep, that the centre leaves and buds shall 

 not be covered with earth. 



In dry weather, give water freely ; and, at 

 all times, during the season of their growth, 

 make good use of the hoe. The soil must be 

 kept mellow, and, every now and then, a little 

 should be drawn up around the stems. Some 

 gardeners cut oft' the tops of the leaves, at in- 

 tervals perhaps of tliree weeks or a month, in 

 order to increase the size of the roots. A 

 portion of the crop can be raised as wanted 

 for use, by the beginning or middle of autumn. 

 The plants will stand the winter well ; but, 

 on the approach of hard frost, it is customary 

 to store in sand a quantity sufficient for the 

 wants of the family until the ground opens. 



For seed. — Remove some of the best 

 plants, in spring, to a warm sheltered border. 

 The flower-stems should be supported by 

 stakes, or tied to the fence, to prevent their be- 

 ing broken down by the wind. Cut the heads 

 when they turn brown, with a portion of the 

 stems attaclied, by which they are to be tied 

 together in bundles of three or four, for con- 

 venience in hanging them up to dry. When 

 the seed becomes perfectly hardened, it can 

 be beaten out at any convenient time. 



Use. — From its mild, agreeable taste, as 

 well as on account of its liardiness. the leek is 

 by many preferred to the onion. The whole 

 plant is used in various ways, such as being 

 boiled plain to be eaten with meat, in soups, 

 stews, etc. — Schenck''s Gardenerl'i Text-Book. 



It is nearly forty-five years since we first 

 saw the le(k in the Philadelphia markets, or 

 knew it to be used in soups, or in dressing for 

 "Fish, Flesh aud Fowl ;" and yet, in propor- 

 tion to other vegetables used for the same or 

 a similar purpose, it cannot be considered 

 common, in the markets, nor in the culinary 

 preparations, of Lancaster county. Stewed 

 leeks are certainly as healthful, and to many 

 as toothsome us stewed asparayus, and never 

 subject to that objection to the latter which 

 grows out of its stringy or woody and bitter 

 toughness; and which sometimes so deceitful- 

 ly distinguishes the very finest specimens of it, 

 to the great disappointment of the un- 

 sojiliisticated purchaser, or the patrons of the 

 hostelry. 



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