THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[January, 



KILLEKINIC. 

 "The 'Red Willow,' [Saliz purpureix) which 

 is a native of the United States, is spread 

 throughout our climate. The outer bark is 

 of a deep red color, peels off in a very thin 

 scale, the inner is scraped off with a knife, 

 and is dried either in the sun or over the fire. 

 The scent, when burning, is delightful. To 

 Increase the flavor, the Indians pluck the 

 current year's branches of the '"Upland Su- 

 mac," and dry it in bunches over the smoke 

 of a fire. An equal part of tbe Red willow 

 bark added to as much of the dryed Su- 

 mac forms the Killekenic of the Indians. One 

 third part of leaf tobacco added to the afore- 

 named ingredients, and the mass rubbed fine- 

 ly together in the palms of the hands, makes 

 that delicious fume, so fascinating to the red, 

 and also to the white men. Great care, how- 

 ever, must be taken, not to use the "Swamp 

 Sumac" (Elms vernix) instead of the Upland 

 (Rhus glahrum) as the former is most poison- 

 ous, and resembles the latter in the bark and 

 leaf so much that an inexperienced eye might 

 be deceived. The difference may be distinct- 

 ly marked by observing that the bunch of 

 berries of the Upland Sumac, is a cone closely 

 attached to each other, and when ripe of a 

 reddish color. The berries of the Swamp Su- 

 mac hang lossly pendent from a lengthy foot- 

 stalk, and when ripe are a greenish grey. On 

 the authority of Natanis and "Corn Planter," 

 distinguished Indian chiefs, it is stated, that 

 the person who should sraoke the Swamp Su- 

 mac would forfeit his eyesight. The Vanilla 

 of South America has been applied by the 

 Spanish manfactnrers of tobacco in various 

 ways; it is strange that we have never assayed 

 Killekenic. ' ' 



The above, from Judge Henry's "Cam- 

 paign against Quebec " in 1775, we repro- 

 duced, merely to admonish the lovers of the 

 weed of a resource, should the tobacco crop 

 at any time totally fail, or be so "cornered" 

 that poor people could not afford to use it. 

 Surely the white man ought to be as good a 

 botanist as the Indian, and not make the mis- 

 take of getting the Swamp instead of the Up- 

 land Sumac. 



We hazard the suggestion that the above 

 compound might be superior to much of the 

 "stuff" now sold as smoking tobacco; although 

 so far as concerns ourselves personally, we pre- 

 fer the pure, simple tobacco to any compound, 

 whatever it may be scented with. To us, 

 any outside ingredient added to tobacco to 

 give it quality, indicates that it is not good 

 tobacco. 



THE VALUE OF SNOW. 



If snow possesses no properties that are 

 valuable to the soil as a fertilizer, such an 

 opinion has at least long existed ainonoj men 

 of intelligence. We have just finished read- 

 ing "an interesting account of the hardships 

 and sufferings of a Band of Heroes who tra- 

 versed the wilderness in the Campaign agains'. 

 Quebec in 177.5," written by Judge John Joseph 

 Henry, of Lancaster, and published by William 

 Greer, in 1812. In speaking of the immense and 

 long continued snows of Canada, where he 

 was held a prisoner for over seven months in 

 1776, the writer remarks as follows : 



"An observation may be made iu this place 



with propriety, that is, that in the climates of 

 all high southern or northern regions, the soil 

 is very rich and prolific. The beneficial ope- 

 ration of nature'is, iu all likelihood attribut- 

 able to the nitrous qualities which the snow 

 deposits. Of the fact, that nitre is the prin- 

 cipal ingredient which causes fertility in the 

 earth, no man of observation, can at this day, 

 reasonably doubt. The earth is replete of it. 

 Wherever earth and shade unite, it is engen- 

 dered and btcomes apparent. This idea is 

 proved by the circumstance, that nitre may 

 be procured from caves, the earth of cellars, 

 outhouses, and even from common earth, if 

 kept under cover. During the Revolution, 

 when powder was so necessary, we everywhere 

 experienced the good effects of this mineral- 

 ogical discovery; it gives me pleasure to say, 

 that it is most fairly ascribable to our Ger- 

 man ancestors. The snows which usually fall 

 in Canada about the middle of November, and 

 generally cover the ground until the end of 

 April, in my opinion, fill the soil with those 

 negative salts, which forward the growth of 

 plants. This idea was evinced to my vague 

 and inconsiderate mind, from observations 

 then made, and which were more firmly es- 

 tablislied by assurances from Captain Prentis, 

 that muck or manure which we employ in 

 southern climates is there (in Canada) never 

 used. In that country, the moment the ground 

 is freed from snow, the grass and every species 

 of plant, springs forward in the most luxuri- 

 ant manner." 



These observations were made over a hun- 

 dred years ago, and although Canada may 

 have, in the mean time, learned to recuperate 

 her soil by "muck or manure," it does not 

 obliterate the fact that a good bed of snow 

 during a long, cold winter, is of immense ben- 

 efit to the soil and winter crops. 



KITCHEN GARDEN FOR JANUARY. 



In the Middle States, January is unfavora- 

 ble to out-door labor; in the garden especially, 

 little can be usually done. The forcing-beds 

 and green-houses will of course, require par- 

 ticular attention, and the active man may find 

 something to do in preparing for a more con- 

 genial season. 



Poles and rods for beans and peas may be 

 made ready to be used when needed; and 

 compost heaps formed. Compost is beyond 

 all comparison the very best form in w iich to 

 apply fertilizers to most vegetable crojjs, and 

 ample supplies may be readily made by prop- 

 er attention, as the materials present them- 

 selves from time to time during the year. 



Fruit trees may. be pruned; hedges clipped 

 — those formed of evergreens not till after 

 frost has disappeared — asparagus-beds to])- 

 dressed, preparatory to being dug when frost 

 has ceased. When new ones are to be made, 

 plant the colossal. Hot-beds for early forcing 

 may be made, and other 'jobs will present 

 themselves in anticipation of spring. Where 

 there exists tbe will to work, the opportunity 

 for the useful disposition of time is ever pres- 

 ent. — Landreth liu. Beg. 



These suggestions are applicable to any 

 kind of garden, whether a kitchen garden, 

 flower garden, or large market garden; and 

 yet there are many gardens that receive no at- 

 tention whatever until the planting time is 



immediately at hand; in the mean time they 

 are the common depositories of boxes, weeds, 

 old cans, broken crockery, coal ashes, oyster- 

 shells, sticks and stones, and any and every 

 kind of rubbish that people wish to expel 

 from their sheds, yards and houses; unless 

 they may choose to erect a pyramid of such 

 trash convenient to their kitchen doors. 

 Doubtless some will allege that all this rub- 

 bish contains fertilizing substances that will 

 lie imparted to the soil during the winter, and 

 hence they take that slovenly way of recupe- 

 rating their gardens. Even admitting that, 

 to some extent, such is the case, it must be 

 evident that such fertilization must be very 

 irregularly distributed, and may not be sup- 

 plied where it is most needed. The January 

 work on either a farm or a garden will de- 

 pend a great deal on the kind of weather we 

 have. If there is three feet of snow on the 

 ground during the entire month, much of the 

 work of order must be deferred to a more 

 "convenient season." 



WINTER BLOOMING. 



Up to the incoming of the new year the season 

 has been a remarkably mild one, although 

 not by any means a unique one.. Apples, pears, 

 peaches and cherries have bloomed, and in 

 some instances have borne fruit, in the months 

 of October, November and December. Dan- 

 delions and other dowering plants have also 

 bloomed in the open air. Snakes and other 

 reptiles have gone abroad, ants have swarmed 

 and large fungi have sprung up as late as the 

 third of November. This illustrates that the 

 whole living world is always ready for vital 

 action, as soon as heat, light and air super- 

 vene, no matter what period in the year it 

 may be. The old theory tliat the sap descends 

 to the roots of all perennial vegetation, and 

 the vital functions are entirely suspended, 

 and the plant world indulges in a long winter 

 .sleep, has no existence in fact, as a universal 

 condition. It seems as if all nature was al- 

 ways in a state of watchfulness for the oppor- 

 tunities engendered by heat, light and air. 

 We have seen caterpillars revive in January 

 and feeding as voraciously as they do in July 

 and August, when food was obtainable, and 

 perhaps within three days thereafter they 

 have retired and relapsed into their winter 

 hibernations. Trees seem to be always full 

 of .sap, which is ready to swell or break forth 

 from their leaf and flower buds, whenever the 

 atmospheric condition is favorable to their 

 inflorescence and fructification, either in late 

 autumn, midwintc^r or early spring. Never- 

 theless the intervention of winter in our 

 climate is necessary to that repose and re- 

 cuperation which plants require, to enable 

 them to bear a prolific and perfect crop of 

 flowers or fruit. Even if summer was pro- 

 longed during the whole year, it is doubtful 

 whether a second crop would pay for gather- 

 ing or possess the requisite qiiality when 

 gathered. Second blooming, and second crops 

 are usually abnormal and abortive. Vegeta- 

 tion attempts something by such phenomena 

 that it caiuiot successfully carry out in 

 practical results. Rest and recreation is 

 something that is needed. The winter 

 bloomer may not be worth much next 

 summer. 



