110 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[July, 



HORTICULTURAL. 



Thinning Fruit. 



The earlier this operation is performed the better 

 for the tree and for the speeimens that remain. The 

 only advantage in deferring it, is that the poorest, 

 or those which are knotty or defective niiiy lie picked 

 ott', and the largest and fairest may be left to grow. 

 Those who have not ;,'iven this practice a trial erron- 

 eously suppose it is attended with great labor or 

 expense. ;On the contrary, the labor is actually 

 lessened. If a tree has a thousand specimens on it 

 early in summer, and these are allowed to grow and 

 ripen, one-half may recpiire picking out to render the 

 other half saleable. The whole must therel'ore be 

 carefully assorted after all have been picked. It is 

 much easier to strij) off the half when one-tenth 

 grown and with no careful handling. The scrubby 

 ones taken out in autumn, have impeded the growth 

 of the good ones ; but if picked off in June, free 

 growth is allowed to all the rest. It may not be 

 that the proportion of poor speeimens to be assorted 

 out in autumn is equal to one-half ; but the dimin- 

 ished size of the rest would be an equal loss. A 

 neighbor removed, early in the season, two-thirds of 

 the pears on a part of his trees of Louise Boone of 

 Jersey ; these gave as many bushels, from the in- 

 creased size of the pears, as the unthinned trees ; 

 but still there were too many left, and he was satis- 

 lied it would have been better to have taken at least 

 three-fourths. A successful peach raiser obtaining 

 as many bushels from his trees after severe thinning 

 as before, the peaches being so much larger as to 

 make up in bulk the difference in number, while the 

 price received for the large and excellent specimens 

 was triple that received from the small and poor 

 fruit on crowded bianches. Owners of orchards 

 have often observed that the last peaches on a tree 

 are finer in flavor than those which ripen first while 

 the branches are crowded, the few days of ripening 

 with ample space, producing a striking difference in 

 quality. Still greater would be the difference both 

 in size and flavor if the ample room is given early in 

 the season. 



We need a system of experiments to determine 

 accurately how much space should be given for the 

 different fruits. When, for instance, there is a full 

 crop of peaches, they often touch each other. Let a 

 number of trees or bi-anchcs on the same tree be 

 selected, and on one tliiu the peaches to four inches 

 distance ; on another to six inches ; on another to 

 nine inches, and on a fourth to a foot. When the 

 fruit ripens, weigh and count the speeimens, and 

 observe their appearance and quality. Try similar 

 experiments on apple, pear and plum trees. This 

 may be easily done, and it may give, by several repe- 

 titions, valuable information as to the result. It 

 should be borne in mind that the fewer the number 

 which are left on the tree, other things being equal, 

 the less the tree will be injured by exhaustion, and it 

 is not advisable to attempt, therefore, to get the larg- 

 est number of bushels, but rather to preserve the 

 health and vigor of the tree. — Country Gcittlemmi. 



Restoring Old Trees. 



I was pleased to see your account of "old trees 

 dj'ing " restored to vigor and productiveness by ma- 

 nuring. This was, of course, where the soil needed 

 it, else there would have been no benefit. I have in 

 many cases (and nev.'r one failed) secured the same 

 result by more attention to the top, removing the dead 

 and ailing limbs, and permittingonly the more thrifty 

 and'ihealthy to grow. In these old and declining trees 

 there is much sap wasted on the decaying branches, 

 which, upon their removal, is saved and concentrated 

 upon the more healtiiy and surviving slioofs, while 

 new shoots, entirely sound and vigorous, will start 

 out. In all these QHf-es, the soil wag well drained and 

 of good depth and richness, little or no cultivation or 

 manure being given. The roots seemed to hiive 

 found room and fertility enough to sustain a sufficient 

 growth. But in the great majority of cases the soil 

 of our orchards is not. of this character, but apt to 

 be more or less wet, with the surface soil lacking in 

 depth, the rest below unfit for successful fruit 

 growing. 



My experience and observation lead me to say that 

 this difference in the soil is always to be kept in view 

 in treating orchards, for it is iffobably as bad to have 

 the ground too rich as not rich enough — avoiding the 

 extreme in the latter ease. The aim should be to keep 

 up the balance between the wood and the fruit 

 growth, which, in thin soil, requires attention both 

 to the ground and the tree — to the tree alone where 

 the ground is all right, keeping the orchard in sod. — 

 Country Oentleinan . 



Budding Roses. 



This is a simple process by which amateur cultiva- 

 tors often increase their stock. A sharj) pen-knife 

 can do duty for a budding knife, and the handle of a 

 toothbrush, if ground down smooth, will answer for 

 a spud to aid in lifting the bark. From the last of 

 June to the last of August is the best time for this 

 process, as the bark can then be more easily raised 

 from the wood. Take a smooth stalk and make a 

 horizontal cut across the bark thi-ough to the wood, 



but not into it. From the center of this cross cut, 

 make another cut straight down the stem, an inch or 

 more in length. These two cuts should resemble a 

 T. Slice off the bud you desire to propogate with 

 one cut of the penknife, cutting it close to the main 

 stalk. Now, with the edge of the spud, turn back 

 the bark on each side of the straight cut and insert 

 the bud on the wood of the branch to be budded, fit- 

 ting it tightly to the crossed cut. With a bit of soft 

 yarn bind down the bark, leaving the point of the 

 bud exposed. A handful of dampened moss must 

 then be bound round the stem, taking care to leave 

 the tiny point of the bud exposed to the air. In six 

 weeks the wrappings can be removed, but all other 

 shoots must be kept from grouing on the budded 

 branch. By this means a rose bush can be made to 

 bear half a dozen different colored roses. 



Cabbage Grubs. 



In old soils all the cabbage kind have a ten- 

 dency to form club roots, owing to the attacks of the 

 cabbage grub or larva, a small insect belonging to 

 the beetle tribe. The damage it causes is often a se- 

 rious matter for the gardner, as it nearly destroys 

 whole crops, and makes serious gaps in the planting. 

 When the grubs first attack a crop there is nothing 

 to indicate their presence until the plants begin to 

 turn an unhealthy color; then they flag in the sun, 

 and in a few days the crop is lost. One of the best 

 methods of preventing these, inroads is to make each 

 plant unpalatable to the grubs. In the spring pro- 

 cure some fresh-burnt lime, and let it become air- 

 slacked, mixing it with .an equal quantity of soot. In 

 planting, the holes are made with the trowel in the 

 usual way; each plant is dropped inot its hole, an inch 

 or so of the soil put over the roots, a good watering 

 given first, then a moderate handful of the soot-and- 

 lime mixture thrown in each hole and the remaining 

 soil filled in. Equal parts of soot and fine garden 

 soil, mixed with water to the consistency of thin 

 mortar, with the plants dipped in the mixture up to 

 the base of the leaves liefore planting, is used to pre- 

 vent clubbing. Wood ashes mixed with water and 

 put into the holes after watering has been tried with 

 success. 



Raspberries. 



Those fortunate enough to have some raspberry 

 plants in their gardens will now have finished gather- 

 ing the fruit. After this enjoyment it is a good time 

 to say something in regard to a little care Uiey now 

 need. Every one who has had them a year or two 

 will know that the canes after bearing are of no fur- 

 ther use, but it is not all who think enough to cut 

 them out. But this is what should be done. These 

 canes, if left to grow, only draw from the strength 

 of the young canes for the next year's fruiting. The 

 whole lot should be gone over at once, and all except 

 the young canes cut down to the ground . Even some 

 of these, if much too close together, should be thinned 

 out to advantage. If this advice be followed the 

 crop of fruit next year, if no accident happens, will 

 be much finer than if the whole growth be left un- 

 disturbed. 



Raspberries are often injured by having the soil 

 disturbed around them . This they do not like, as it 

 injures the roots ; and all cleanings around them, if 

 by the hoe, should disturb the soil as little as possi- 

 ble. If the soil is hard and seems to need loosening it 

 is best to do it in the fall, using a digging fork for the 

 purpose. Injure the roots as little as possible if you 

 want good raspberries. 



Wash for Fruit Trees. 



Tlie following is a wash used by Wm. Saunders, 

 of the government gardens at Washington : Put half 

 a bushel of lime and four pounds of powdered sul- 

 phur in a tight barrel, slaking the lime with hot. 

 water, the mouth of the barrel lieing covered with a 

 cloth ; this is reduced to the consistency of ordinary 

 whitewash ; add at tlie time of application half an 

 ounce of carbolic acid to each gallon of liquid- Mr. 

 Saunders says : "I generally applied it in the spring, 

 before the leaves made their appearance, but am 

 convinced that it would be more effective if applied 

 later ; but then it is difficult to do so when the tree is 

 in foliage." Mr. Saunders applies the wash not only 

 to the stem of the tree, but, to some extent, to the 

 main branches. 



Setting Out Strawberries on Parry's System. 



Mr. Parry, of Monmouth county, N. J., adopts 

 tlie following course as a good one in setting out 

 strawberries : He plouglis furrows two and a half 

 feet apart, and spreads along them equal parts of 

 muck, marl, ashes and ground bone. They are to 

 be mixed a fortnight before using. Three-fourths of 

 a ton of the mixture per acre gives a lu,xuriant 

 growth to the plants. "This result might not be so 

 successful on all soils. The rows are cultivated with 

 a horse. He finds a good coat of stat>le manure, 

 just before winter, of great importance. Where marl 

 is not to be obtained a little addition of ashes makes 

 the mixture good . 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



Receipt for Making Currant Wine 



For several years we made a ten gallon keg of eu) 

 rant wine, of as good quality as any we have tastet _ 

 and is generally so pronounced by those who have 

 bad an opportunity to judge. The mode of manu- 

 facture is simple and can easily lie followed by any 

 family having the currants and the disposition to 

 make the wine. For general information as well as 

 in reply to private inquiries, we again give the re- 

 ceipt after which we make it. 



The currants should be fully ripe when picked; 

 put them iuto-a large tub, in which they should re- 

 main a day or two, then crush with the hands, unless 

 you have a small p.atent wine press, in which they 

 should not be pressed too much, or the stems will be 

 bruised and impart a disagreeatile taste to the juice. 

 If the hands are used put the crushed fruit, after the 

 juice has been jioured off, in a cloth or sack and i)ress 

 out the juice. Put the juice back into the tub after 

 removing any stems, skins or seeds remaining, where 

 it should be left about thi'ce days, until the first stage 

 of fermentation is oyer, and removing once or twice 

 a day the scum copiously arising to the top. Then 

 before putting the juice in a vessel — a demijohn, keg 

 or barrel — any size to suit the quantity made : To 

 each quart of juice add three pounds of the best yel- 

 low sugar and soft water sufiieient to make a gallon. 

 Thus, ten quarts of juice and thirty pounds of sugar 

 will give you ten gallons of wine, and so on in that 

 proportion. Those who do not like sweet wine can 

 reduce the quantity of sugar to 2'.j ; or who wish it 

 very sweet, raise it to '■'>'' i ])Ounds per gallon. 



The vessel must be full, and the bung or stopper 

 left oft' until fermentation ceases, whieli will be in 

 twelve or fifteen daj's. Meanwhile the cask must be 

 filled up daily with currant juice left over, as fer- 

 mentation cfases rack the wine off carefully, either 

 from the spigot or by a syphon, and keep running all 

 the time. Cleanse the cask thoroughly with boiling 

 water, then return the wine, bung up tightly and let 

 stand four or five months, when it will be fit to drink 

 and can be bottled if desired. 



All the vessels, casks, Ac, should be perfectly 

 sweet, and the whole operation should be done with 

 an eye to cleanliness. In sucli event every drop of 

 brandy or spirituous liquors added will detract from 

 the flavor of the wine, and will not in the least de- 

 gree increase its keeping qualities. Currant wine 

 made in tliis way will keep for an age. We have 

 some made in 18.56, which is really an excellent arti- 

 cle. — Gcrtnantown Telegraph. 



1 



Cooking Potatoes. 



To most of us the food weeat is valuable because we 

 like it, and not so much because we consider our- 

 selves a n^acbine on which profit and loss is to be 

 nicely calculated in regard to what we eat. But, as 

 perhaps some of our readers are chemically or 

 financially disposed, and have desire to know to a 

 penny what their bodies cost and to a grain the 

 material of which it is made, we give the following 

 about cooking potatoes from an English agricultural 

 magazine : As food the pot.ato i.*; valuable on account 

 of the potash and phosiihoric acid it contains, it.nd it 

 is of the first importance that the potash salts should 

 not be lost in the process of coolving, for it is to these 

 salts potatoes owe their anii-scorbutie properties. 

 Potatoes steamed with their skins on lose verj' little 

 potash and scarcely any phosphoric acid ; while if 

 steamed after pealing, they lose 7 and .5 percent, 

 respectively. Similarly, potatoes, when boiled with 

 their skins on, lose little more than 2 per cent, of 

 their potash, and aliout 1 per cent, of their phos- 

 phoric acid; hut if they are boiled afler peeling, 

 they lose as much as oil per cent, of potash and III-J 

 per cent, of phosphoric acid. Hence, if potatoes 

 must be peeled, tliey should be steamed, not boiled ; 

 and, if they must be boiled, they should at least re- 

 tain their jackets during the operation — the best way 

 of all, from a scientific point of view, being to steam 

 them before peeling, or to bake them in their skins. 



Lancaster Potato Fritters. 



Take of boiled and mashed potato pulp one pint ; 

 of grated raw potato pulp a half i>int, (.some prefer 

 a whole pint) ; of wheat flour two or three table- 

 spoonfuls ; of cornmeal two tablespooufuls ; sweet 

 milk half a pint ; ami of baking jjowder one tea- 

 spoonful ; season with salt and pepiier to taste. Mix 

 all well to a batter, and drop by spoonfuls into a pan 

 with hot fat, or butter and fat; fiatten them down, 

 and bake slowly until they are browned, and serve 

 hot. The raw potato pulp gives them a peculiar and 

 pleasant flavor, and the cornmeal a sweeter taste. — 

 Contributed by J. F. Vf., Lancaster, Fa. 



Aromatic Principles in Milk. 

 Professor Segeleke, of the Royal Agricultural Col- 

 lege of Denmark, states that his experience, based 

 on continued study and experiment, puts it be3'ond a 

 doubt to bis mind that the aromatic principles of 

 butter do not exist in natural milk, and that it is the 

 decomposition of the principles of this latter — proba- 



