18S1J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



4t 



grapevines in small vineyards we prefer tlie upright 

 trellis. Posts are set S feet apart ; a strip 2'^ inches 

 wide is nailed on a loot from the ground and another 

 at the toj) of the posts (3 or 4 feet above the lower 

 one). The arms of the vines are fastened to the 

 lower strip, and perpendicular wires from the upper 

 to the lower strip allow each ascending shoot to lie 

 securely tied. Pruning that has been neglected 

 should be attended to as soon as the weather will 

 allow. Grapevines should be pruned long before the 

 buds begin to start ; the same holds true of the cur- 

 rants and gooseberries, in which vegetation begins 

 very early, hence should be among the first things 

 trausplaiited.— ^mericuji AgrUulturM. 



Cultivating Orchards. 



There Is extraordinary error in supposing orchards 

 cannot prosper unless the soil is cultivated, and error 

 also with regard to manuring. If the orchard is in 

 grass, and sheep and calves or yearling cattle graze 

 It, the droppings from the animals will be sulflcieut 

 to keep the land. Of course the land must be rich 

 when the trees are planted or there will be little 

 grass for sheep and young stock to eat, and conse- 

 quently little manure from them. 



In England all the orchards are on old grass land, 

 and the trees when young are protected from being 

 barked by having thoru-brush tied round the stems 

 with tar cording or willow withes, and sometimes a 

 frame called. a "crutch" Is put round to keep the 

 stock from gnawing the bark or rubbing against the 

 tree. ■ 



The harm in recommending keeping orchards in 

 grass is that It is not explained that the grass must 

 never be allowed to grow long, but must be grazed 

 close. If a nice, comlbrtable shed or two are in the 

 most sheltered parts, and the animals are fed with 

 nourishing food every morning and evening througli 

 the autumn, the sheep and calves will, by going 

 about the orchard, drop more manure than is due to 

 the grass eaten, and thus enrich the earth very 

 much. A good orchard near a farm house is very 

 handy for keeping calves which are weanrd on skim 

 milk. They are used for this purpose a good deal 

 In England. 



On the Island of Jersey orchards are grazed a 

 good deal with the milch cows, which have their 

 heads fastened to one fore leg in a way which gives 

 free action excepting to reach upward. This is where 

 the trees are at full size. 



Hot Beds and Cold Frames. 



With regard to the management of these import- 

 ant auxiliaries of a well regulated garden, Mr. \V. 

 D. Philbrick says in the New England Farmer : 



This is the time for starting hot-beds and cold 

 frames Into active service. The weather is still cold 

 and windy, but in clear weather the sun has a good 

 deal of power under the glass, and the dandelion 

 and parsley in ihe cold frames will make conside- 

 rable growth. About the middle of the month is 

 the time to get ready a hot-bed for starting the seeds 

 of tomatoes, cabbage and lettuce for setting out in 

 the flclk ; also lettuce for heading under glass to 

 come just before the field crops. 



There is no need of more than twelve inches deep 

 of good hot manure to start the above named seeds. 

 Too much heat is very troublesome, and makes con- 

 stant watering and airing necessary. The bed, how- 

 ever, should be well banked around with strawy 

 manure as high as the grass to prevent the frost 

 from working in at the sides in cold, windy weather. 

 In bright weather the sashes on the hot beds will 

 need raising a little for three or four hours everyday, 

 to give air; the cold frames, however, will not need 

 airing much If at all till March, and careful atten- 

 tion must be giveu to covering up at night with mats 

 and shutters. 



It should constantly be born in mind that the dif- 

 ferent kinds of seeds need difl'erent treatment, ac- 

 cording to tee hardy or tender nature of the plants. 

 Thus cabbage, lettuce and radishes "are hardy and 

 require only a mild heat to start them, say from 40° 

 to 60°, such a heat as is to be found in an old bed 

 or in a new one with only about eight inches of ma- 

 nure, covered with six inches of loam. Tomato, 

 pepper, egg-plant and cucumber seed being tropical, 

 need a.heat of 70° to 80° to bring them up; this is 

 easily obtained by twelve inches of hot manure, 

 covered with four inches of loam. These tropical 

 plants will require cautious airing in sharp, windy 

 weather, as they easily suffer from cold. 



Work in the Orchard Now. 

 At this season of the year, If not already attended 

 to, in many places reached by our paper, the hus- 

 bandman takes his hatchet and saw and pruning- 

 knlfe and goes to his orchard to trim his fruit trees. 

 It may be that as the twig is bent the tree's inclined ; 

 but somehow this foresight is not always ready to 

 hand, and It grows as we would not have Inclined it ; 

 and often when we know better, the tree runs on in 

 its own willful way, simply for want of time or occa 

 eion to put in practice that which we know. Cer- 

 tainly of whatever might have been, as an abstrac- 

 tion, looking on things as they are, we know of but 



very few orchards that a good pruning in winter will 

 not benefit. 



In a large number of cases, where the orchard is 

 of some age, sprouts will oomc up from the trunk 

 just under the ground, and form a complete bundle 

 around It. This is the more likely to be the case 

 with trees that have overbore, and have a large 

 number of half-stunted branches, and also in cases 

 where the borer has been working in the tree near 

 the ground. Whatever obstructs the passage of the 

 sap up the trunk. Induces shoots to break out from 

 below in this way. Of course, we should try to help 

 this by encouraging vigor in the head of the tree, so 

 as to check this tendency to throw out collar-sprouts; 

 but at any rate, these sprouts must come away. 

 Many rest with cutting them back to the ground, 

 which merely makes them push stronger the next 

 year. The ground should be opened a little with 

 the grubblng-hoe, and with the same Implement the 

 sprouts rooted clean out. Throughout the tree these 

 sprouts are often common and should be cut away, 

 unless the main branches show signs of being worn 

 out by disease or overbearing. In which case it is best 

 U> cut these long arms away to the young vigorous 

 sprout, which should thus have a chance to grow up 

 and replace them. Sometimes cutting away these 

 large branches leaves large scars on the trunks, and 

 the old wood, weakened by disease, soon rots away, 

 and leaves a hollow place for water to collect In, 

 and then the hole soon gets worse. But this Is 

 remedied by painting the place over. It makes no 

 difference what kind of paint Is Used. Anything 

 that will keep out the water from the wood will do. 

 It Is because these precautions are neglected that 

 people have a chance to say that cutting off large 

 branches Injures trees. Nature herself often seems 

 to ask for the pruning-knife. Branches often seem 

 to he struggling between death and life, as if the tree 

 were begging of some one to cut them off. The trees 

 are always lienefited when they are. — Oer. Telegraph. 



Household Recipes. 



To Clean Ermine and Minever Skins.— Take 

 apiece of soft flannel and well rub the fur with it 

 against the grain; then rub again with common flour 

 until clean. Shake it well, and rub again with the 

 flannel till all the flour is out of It. I have had a 

 minever boa four years ; it has never been cleaned 

 with anything but flour, and is not in the least in- 

 jured by the rubbing. It was a school companion 

 who told me that her aunt (a Russian lady) always 

 cleaned her white fur with flour, and that they 

 looked beautiful. It has one advantage — the lining 

 does not require to be taken out, and it only requires 

 a little trouble. Ermine takes longer than minever ; 

 the latter is very easily done. 



To Remove Ink Stains from Printing Books.— 

 Procure a pennyworth of oxalic add, which dissolve 

 in a small quantity of warm water ; then slightly 

 wet the stain with it when it will disappear, leaving 

 the leaf uninjured. 



Barlet SotTp. — Boil one pint of pearl barley In 

 one quart of stock until it is reduced to a pulp, pass 

 it through a sieve, and add as much more stock as 

 will be required to make the puree of the consistency 

 of cream; put the soup on the fire; when it boils 

 stir into it (off the fire) the yolk of an egg beaten up 

 with a gill of cream ; add half a pat of fresh butter, 

 and serve with small slice of bread fried in butter. 



Game Soup (Clear.)— Take the remnants of any 

 kind of game, not high, put them in a saucepan 

 with an onion and carrot, two or three cloves, a 

 small piece of mace, a bay leaf, some parsley, white 

 pepper and salt to taste. Cover the whole with a 

 veal or poultry stock, and set the saucepan to boil 

 gently for a couple of hoilTs. Strain off the soup and 

 set it to boil again, then throw in an ounce of raw 

 beef or liver coarsely chopped ; let It give one boll, 

 and strain the soup through a napkin. If not quite 

 clear, the clarifying process must be repeated. A 

 very small quantity of sherry may be put in before 

 clarifying. 



Oatmeal and Beef Tea.— I find this quite useful 

 to give strength to weak patients ; take two table- 

 spoonfuls of fine oatmeal and make it perfectly 

 smooth in two spoonfuls of cold water; pour Into 

 this a pint of strong beef tea; boil It eight minutes ; 

 keep stirring all the time ; it should be very smooth ; 

 if lumpy pass through a sieve. 



Sauced Herrings.— Place the herrings side by 

 side in a pie-dish, with slices of onion and bay leaf, 

 and some salt and whole pepper; mix half and half 

 of vinegar and ale, and pour as much of the mixture 

 over the fish as the dish will hold. Put the dish 

 into a pretty hot oven for about twenty minutes, 

 taking care never to let the flsh get dry, but as they 

 get soaked up pour over the remainder of the vinegar 

 and ale. Serve cold. 



Entree.— Remove the tendons or gristles from a 

 breast of veal (these lie at the end of the front 

 bones in a breast), and place them in a stew pan 

 with good white stock, one large onion, two carrots, 

 a bundle of savory herbs, and the peel of half a 

 lemon cut very thin, two cloves and a blade of mace. 



The stock should simply cover the tendons. Simmer 

 for four hours, or until they are perfectly tender ; 

 when this is the case take them out and lay them on 

 a steamer before the Ore to drain and dry. Strain 

 and boll the gravy to a thick glaze, arrange the 

 tendons in a circle on a hot dish with a fried crust 

 of bread {crouton) between each piece, and fill the 

 centre of the circle with some very young boiled 

 green peas. Many persons serve a puree of peas. 

 Remember that the tendons are well glazed aacr 

 they are dried with the glaze made from the stock 

 before tbcy arc arranged to send up. This Is a very 

 economical dish, as the breastof veal can be dressed 

 next day In a variety of ways. 



Snow Puudino.— Pour one-half pint of cold water 

 on a half box of gelatine ; after standing ten minutes, 

 pour one-half pint of boiling, water, add one cup of 

 sugar, and the whites of four or six eggs ; beat 

 three-fourths of an hour ; place in the dish used on 

 the table and put on ice to harden. Flavor the mix- 

 ture with wine, or If preferred, the juice of two 

 lemons, In which case add one cup of sugar. To be 

 eaten with cream, or a rich boiled custard. 



Caudle.— Beat up an egg to a froth, add a wine- 

 glassful of sherry and half a pint of gruel, flavor 

 with lemon-peel and nutmeg and sweeten to taste. 



Fio Pudding.— Six figs chopped fine after boiling 

 them, three cups of bread crumbs, one-fourth pound 

 of suet, one egg, one-fourth iMJund of sugar, one 

 lemon, grate the riod ; one nutmeg grated ; boil three 

 hours In a tin mold or bag. 



Potato Cakkb for Brkakfast.— Save from din- 

 ner a soup plate of mashed potatoes, add to It a half 

 a saltspoonful of pepper, the same of nutmeg, a* lit- 

 tle salt, and the yolk of an egg ; form into small 

 cakes, put In a buttered baking-pan, brush the top 

 with the white of egg, and brown In quick oven. 



CiioroLATF Mange.— Boll one box of gelatine In 

 as little water as possible till entirely dissolved ; let 

 boil one quart of milk and one quart of cream ; 

 sweeten to taste ; flavor with vanllle ; also one cup- 

 ful of chocolate; lastly pour In the warm gelatine 

 through a strainer. Let all lioll about five minutes. 

 Then pour in molds. Eat with cream. 



Fbied Herring.— These flsh abound Just now 

 and are very reasonable in price. Clean them and 

 scale and dry in a towel. Take a piece of letter- 

 paper, rub a little hot or cold butter on it, fold a 

 herring in it, salt and pepper it, and broil. Eat with 

 a little lemon juice, or make a sauce with butter 

 and a little vinegar. 



Omelette SoupLEE.— Six eggs, six tablespoon - 

 fuls powdered sugar, juice of one lemon, one-half 

 the peel grated; beat yolks and whites separately; 

 add to the yolks by degrees the sugar, beat to a froth 

 until thick and smooth, and the whites until stiff 

 enough to cut with a knife ; stir logether lightly with 

 the seasoning; pour In a buttered dish, and bake in 

 a quick oven five or six minutes ; the dish should be 

 warmed when it is buttered. 



Stuffed Potatoes.— Take large, fair potatoes; 

 bake until soft, and cut a round piece off the top of 

 each; scrape out the inside carefully, so as not to 

 break the skin, and set aside the empty cases with 

 the covers, mash the Inside very smoothly, working 

 into it while hot some butter and cream, about half 

 a teaspoonful of each for every potato; season with 

 salt and pepper, with a good pinch of grated cheese 

 for each; work It very soft with milk, and put into a 

 saucepan to heat, stirring to prevent burning ; when 

 scalding hot, stir in one well-beaten egg for six large 

 potatoes ; boll up once ; fill the skins with the mix- 

 ture, replacing the caps ; return them to the oven 

 for three minutes ; arrange upon a napkin in a deep 

 dish, the caps uppermost ; cover with a fold of the 

 napkin, and cat hot; or you may omit the eggs and 

 use a double quantity of cheese. 



Live Stock. 



Beef and Mutton in England. 

 Notwithstanding the constant large importations 

 of these from America and Australia, the English 

 papers inform us that the prices not only keep well 

 up there, but are likely to continue to do so. This 

 Is owing mainly to the Increasing population, and 

 the Increasing prOKperity in the manufacturing dis- 

 tricts. .Moreover, those poor people who formerly 

 got meat of a poor quality only once a week, on ac- 

 count of its high price, now that abundant importa- 

 tions have placed before them a superior quality at 

 a lower price, can afford to have it nearly every day 

 on their tables, and hence this greatly Increased con- 

 sumption of meat in the United Kingdom. As to 

 mutton more particularly, the liver-rot has again 

 broken out among the fiocks of Great Britain, causing 

 many deaths in them from the disease, and this 

 again assists to keep up the price of mutton as well 

 as of beef and pork. 



The Rearing of Calves. 



It may be laid down as a first proposition that a 



dairy farmer should raise at least as many heifer 



