1877.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



109 



HORTICULTURAL. 



Blackberry Culture. 



Ae we are iipproacliiiij; tlie lilacklicrr-y sramm it 

 will do no harm to reflect on how great and how rapid 

 has been the improvement of this I'rnit. Thirty years 

 ago there is no mention of it in any nursery eatalogue, 

 and the wild fruit of the hedges was all that was in 

 use. These at best were dry, seedy things ; but Ihey 

 served some good purpose in [mdding-niaking, and 

 now and then in pies and tarts. This is about the 

 position the blackberry occupies in Knglish fruit- 

 eating; and to this d.ay they, naturally unaware of 

 the rapid progress wc have made, wonder at our taste 

 in admiring such things. 



But the discovery of the " New Koehelle," a wild 

 sprout fron\ llic couinion high bush blackberry, at New 

 Rochelle, N. Y., gave the whole class a start. Good 

 varieties are now " as plentiful as blackberries," and 

 new ones arc apjieariug every year. It is singular 

 though that all the new ones arc chance seedlings, 

 found wild, as the first good one, the New Koehelle, 

 was ; and, indeed, few if any are yet superior to it. 



But even this and the best of them, whichever 

 one's taste may decide the best one to be, is very 

 much improved by good cultiire ; and, conversely, 

 very much injured by bad. Almost yearly we are 

 told that tills or that variety is "not hardy," just as 

 If we were speaking of some exotic i)Iaut, forgetting 

 that the original plant was pcrhajis found in our 

 ncigbborhoocl's neglected fenec-corncr, where it had 

 been growing many years, and never thought of giv- 

 ing way to the fiercest winter's wind. Why should a 

 plant, hardy in nature, become tender when planted 

 in our gardens ; There can be but one answer : Our 

 systems of culture are not favorable to hardiness. In 

 wh.at particular respect is our culture del'ective i 



There can be little doubt that the injury to the 

 roots, which our system of culture entails, must be 

 injurious. In a wild state the blackberry has a few 

 creeping roots that run near the surface and collect 

 the food. The hoeing and cleaning necessary in gar- 

 den culture keeps these roots in continual disturb- 

 ance. It is well-known to cultiva'ors of peach or- 

 chards that the stirring of the soil has to be aban- 

 doned in summer, otherwise the disturbance of tlie 

 roots results in ill-ripened wood, and the peach buds 

 and even peach wood is easily destroyed. It is just 

 this way with the blackberry: and it is worse in field 

 culture than in garden culture, bei-.ause the cultiva- 

 tor goes deeper, and by so much more is it an injury. 

 From New Jersey especially, the land of the black- 

 berries, comes the cry of blackberry disease and 

 blackberry winter-killing, and of kinds "dying out;" 

 and there is no doubt the root injury is the cause of 

 it all. Some of us put blackberry plants near board 

 fences or other places where the roots can get a little 

 protection from hoe, spadeor plow; and in such cases 

 no one ever hears of blackberry disease, or winter- 

 killed plants. They go on growing and bearing year 

 after year, as well as if though they were in the 

 old farmer's fence row, where they were once found. 



But, says some one, are we then to let our black- 

 berries grow up to grass and weeds, and have the 

 whole garden look like a wilderness; By no means. 

 We must keepthe gardenand farm, blackberry patch 

 included, neat and clean: but remembering that it is 

 an injury to cut off the blackberry roots, we must 

 begin to keep down the weeds early in the spring, po 

 that there shall be no trouble in the fall ; and when 

 we do clean, cut the surface as lightly as wc can. — 

 Gcrmantown Telegraph. 



Varieties of Celery. 



Many who plant celery are puzzled to account lor 

 the inferior quality of the product, though mmb 

 pains have been taken in selecting a g<.)od variety. 

 Under these circumstances it is customary to abuse 

 the seedsman, and to declare that there has been some 

 unfair treatment on his part in furrushing a good 

 article. 



There can be no doubt but that a good variety is of 

 consequence. Some kinds are very inferior in quality' 

 toothers. But when a seedsman advertises a red 

 "solid," a white "solid," or a ".solid" of any other 

 kind, he rather invites the wrath he brings <in his 

 head when the article does not turn out well. If he 

 pretends that there are solid varieties and pithy va- 

 rieties ; that he has the solid kind and that other fel- 

 low over the way has the pithy kind, it is a fair moral 

 retribution when he is charged with fraud when his 

 own "solid" kind turns out as pithy as that of any- 

 body else. 



Of course no seedsman would deliberately go to 

 work and introduce as a good article a pithy kimi. 

 There is no doubt but all kinds are of some value 

 when introduced, and when a variety of this charac- 

 ter turns out poorly, it is but a reasonable charity to 

 believe that it is as much in the season or mode of 

 treatment, as in the variety itself. Still it is true that 

 some varieties will prove more permanently firstrale 

 than others. Some kinds, like some people, will stand 

 true under trials and temptations that others would 

 fall before ; and it is these sort of tough varieties — 

 kinds solid in character at least — that we are in search 

 after. 



The greatest difference in celery is in the flavor. 



Some have a warm, peppery character, and others 

 have a sweet, nutty taste, though even this varies. 

 The farther we go north the sweeter the taste. 

 Southern grown celery is always more or less bitter. 

 As a general rule the shortest and thickest kinds are 

 the sweetest , and besides the dwarfs require less 

 labor in earthing up when the blanching time comes 

 round in the fall. 



The clfort of the raisers of new varieties of cel- 

 ery just now is in the direction of these dwarf, chunky 

 kintls. For some time past one of these known as 

 the "Boston Market," has been the most popular: 

 but it has its faults. In some localities It is very lia- 

 ble to send out side-sprouts, and when taken up you 

 have a mass of small material, instead of one clean, 

 undivided mass. But new kinds of a dwarf charac- 

 ter are now being a<lverliBed, and jiossibly there niivy 

 be some improvements among them. 



It will perhaps at this season of celery seed sow- 

 ing serve a useful purpose to show, as we have done, 

 the proper direction in which to look for genuine 

 celery imiirovement. It is not wise to, hanker too 

 much after new vegetables. At best it is often the 

 turning out of an old and good friend for a very 

 doubtful stranger. But there is real room for im- 

 provement in good celery, and wc would recommend 

 trials with the numero\is new dwarfs advertised by 

 our reliable seedsmen. — Gerinantown Teliyraph. 



^ 



Apples and the Way to Keep Them. 



We received a few days since from (icorge F. Mel- 

 vin, of Oil Mills, a box of russet apples which were 

 as crisp and juicy and fresh as apples generally are 

 in the fall. Tliey were so much finer than the withered 

 and tasteless apples which one usually finds in -May, 

 that we wrote our friend asking how he had managed 

 to keep them, and received the following reply : 



" I use great care in picking them from the trees, 

 and when transferring them from the basket to the 

 barrel handle them like eggs. I get the best granu- 

 lated sugar barrels to keep them in, ami when the 

 barrels are full cover them with a thick paper to 

 keep them from the air. Then with a barrel-header 

 I jjress the heads in, and keep them out of tlie cellar 

 as late as I can without having them freeze. 1 put 

 them in the dryest and coolest part of the cellar, and 

 raise them from the ground three feet or more on 

 skids, and do not open or disturb them until they are 

 wanted for use. If exposed to the air by opening the 

 barrels to pick them over, some of the apples will 

 rot and others will wither." 



American Fruit in Europe. 

 Europe is now taking a surprising (juantity of 

 .Vmerican fruit. The purchases have amounted, ac- 

 cording to the New York Trihuiie, to over ?-->,.5On,00tl 

 worth since .June, lS7(i, compared with SfiOO,OflO in 

 the same period the year before. Dried apples figure 

 largely in this movement. This country has exported 

 over 12,nO0,00U pounds of them since last June, as 

 compared with .522,000 pounds the previous year. 

 This new addition to the trade of the United States 

 is due to invention, which has occupied itself of late 

 with improved methods for drying and preserving for 

 transporting fruit. The greatest progress lias been 

 made in the way of dryers. Within a year some 

 notable inventions in this line have been perfected, 

 which are a great requisition to the resources of the 

 country. The fruit <iryer bids fair hereafter to be 

 as much of a necessity to every farming communily 

 as the cider mill and the cheese factory. — Scienl\flc 

 American. 



^ 



Raspberries from Cuttings. 



The following is the substance of the directions fen- 

 raising raspberries from cuttings of the root*, given 

 by Mr. Parry, which may be adopted when rapid 

 propagation is needed, or large rjuautities required : 

 In the antumn, after the leaves have fallen, dig up 

 the plants with all the roots that can be secured. 

 cut the roots into jueces about two inches long, and 

 pack them in a box with damp moss, or clean, coarse 

 sand, or damp sawdust. The bottom of the box is to 

 be sprinkled with tliis material, and then alternating 

 layers of this and the cuttings fill the box. Put this 

 box in a cellar. The cuttings must not be allowed 

 to become dry, although a slight moisture is sulli- 

 cient. In a few weeks the cuttings will have formed 

 buds and callus. They are set out in open ground. 



Floating Melon Gardens. 



In the beautiful Valley of Cashmere, among the 

 Himalayan mountains, lies a lonely lake called Dal. 

 Floating about on its surface, sometimes carried by the 

 winds from one end of the lake to the other, are nu- 

 merous small islands, on which grow the finest cu<um ■ 

 hers and the most luscious melons known. The way 

 in which these floating gardens are made is very cui'i- 

 ous. All about the main shores of the lake grow 

 quantities of reeds, sedges, and water lilies. When 

 these grow very thickly together people cut them from 

 the roots which hold them near the shore. The leaves 

 of the plants are then spread out overthe stems, mak- 

 ing a sort of trestle-work to support the soil with which 

 it is next to be covered. After this has been done the 

 seeds arc planted, and the floating garden is left to 

 care for itself until the fruits are ready for picking. 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



Household Recipes. 



('(1I1N-MK.M. MrFii.vs.— Two cups of corn-meal 

 (yellow meal is licst), one of (iraham or white flour, 

 one-half cup of sugar, two tcaspoonfuls of cream of 

 tartar, all rubbed through a sieve. Then with the 

 haiiiis rub in one-half cu|> of liutter, or lard well 

 beaten, a little salt, one egg beaten light. Then stir 

 in with a spoon one and a half cujis of either milk or 

 water, in » hich is dissolved one teas|)oonful of soda. 

 Bake in mullin rings. These are nice without the 

 egg, and can be made with sour ndlk and soda, omit- 

 ting the cream of tartar. 



Potato Sai.-m). — Boil one egg very hard, rub the 

 yolk to a pulp, add one raw yolk, one teaspoonful of 

 flour or cornstanh, one teaspoonful of vinegar, two 

 of sweet oil, one tablespoon I'ul of butter, one salt- 

 spoonful of mustard, a little cayenne pepper, and 

 salt; beat all to a cream and pour over cold-sliced 

 potatoes. 



Boii.Ei) Fiii'iT PiDniNO .— One quart crushed 

 wheat, one teaspoonful cinnamon, half teaspoonful 

 cloves, two cups sugar, two eggs, one half pound 

 suet, chopped fine, one teaspoonful cream of tartar, 

 one-half teaspoonful soda, half cup of molasses, half 

 l)Ound raisins, chop|)ed fine, citron or lemon peel If 

 desired. Boil two hours. 



Hot Si.aw.— One head of cabbage, halfa pound of 

 pork, and fry it out and take out the scrajis. Chop 

 up the cabbage and put in the fat with water and 

 pepper, if liked, mustard. When nearly done add one 

 cup of vinegar. 



Indian Pancakes. — One pint meal almost ; fill up 

 Willi Hour; scald the meal, but not the flour; (hin 

 with milk ; salt ; last thing add one teaspoonl'ul 

 cream tartar, and one-half soda, mixed together; 

 ring and bake right away. 



Stewed CAnuoT^*. — Boil the carrots until tender; 

 also boil seperately five small onions : cut the carrots 

 into any small fanciful pieces you may clioose ; mince 

 the onions, and chop a sprig of parsley ; have a jiint 

 of milk boiling, which season with a little pejiper 

 and salt, .adding a small piece of butter rubbed in a 

 tablespoonful of Hour; put in the carrots and onions, 

 and let simmer ten minutes; stir in the parsley, and 

 dish at once. 



White Beans.— Soak one pint of dried beans 

 overnight; parboil in plenty of water, with a small 

 piece of soda in it: drain perfectly dry and place in a 

 baking dish; rub one and one-half tablespoonfuls of 

 butter into four even tablcspoonfuls flour, until it is 

 a cream; beat in this two spoonfuls condensed egg, 

 adding slowly a gill of vinegar, and a sprinkleof 

 salt: pour over the beans, place a plate, inverted, 

 over them, and put in a rather cool oven one-half 

 hour. 



Pickled Fish.— Clean the fish thoroughly and 

 cut into pieces about five inches long; rub each piece 

 on the cut side with salt. Take a stone jar which 

 will .about hold the fish, put a layer of fish on the 

 bottom, then a few whole jieppers and allspice and a 

 blade of mace, then another layer of fish, spice, etc., 

 till the jar is nearly full; then pour good cider vine- 

 gar over it until the flsli is quite covered. Tie a 

 paper over the top of the jar, ami cover this with 

 flour paste; Ibis keeps in all steam. Put the jar in 

 the oven and liakc for three hours. The fish is lit 

 for use as soon as cold, and will keep, in the pickle, 

 for six months. The white fish, pickerel, etc., of 

 the lakes arc very nice for pickling, while the land 

 locked sturgeon of the great lakes is almost as good 

 as pickled salmon if it be scalded in water 

 before spicing, etc. Shad is excellent pickled, as all 

 the hones disappear. 



Bon. ED Apri.E Piddinu. — Peel Iho apples and 

 put I hem in a kcllle in halves, with a pint of water, 

 a small lump of butter, a little salt, nutmeg and a 

 handful of sugar. Make a soda biscuit crust about 

 one-third inch thick, and put it on top of the apples ; 

 make a hole in the centre of the crust ; boil until the 

 apples are thoroughly cooked. Serve with a hot 

 sauce (adding wine or brandy if you so choose). A 

 plate turned upside down <u the kettle will prevent 

 it from burning. 



Omelette Soupflee. — Six eggs, six tablespoon- 

 fuls of powdered sugar, juice of one lemon and half 

 the peel grated ; beat yolks and whites sejiarately, 

 and very well ; a<ld to the yolks by degrees the 

 jiowdered sugai' and beat until it ceases to froth, and 

 is thick and smooth ; the whiles should be stiff 

 enough to cut w itli a knife ; stir together lightly with 

 the seasoning, pour into a well-buttered dish, and 

 bake in a quick oven five or six minutes ; the dish 

 should be warmed when buttered, not to chill the 

 eggs ; send around with a si)oon and let each one 

 hell) himself before it can fall. 



Bice Ccstakd. — Boil rice slowly, without stirring 

 much, until it is tender ; turn it into a mold to cool ; 

 make a boiled custard thin and sweet, and pour over 

 the rice before it is served. 



Coefee Cake. — One cup brown sugar, one cup 

 molasses, one-half cup each butler and lard, one cup 

 cold coffee, two eggs, one tablespoonful cinnamon, 

 and one of cloves, one grated nutmeg, one tcasiKion- 

 ful soda, flour, one pound each currants and raisins. 



Caulifloweus.— Slice the head with a sharp knife. 

 Put into a stewpan , over the stove, turn over it a cup or 



