1882.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



31 



was received from Baltimore iD a cargo of oysters, 

 and was still alive when it arrived In Lancaster, al- 

 tbough it must liavc been out of the water several 

 days. 



Eight specimens of the " seventeun-year cicada " 

 (^Cicada »eplen<Iecie) , \n the piip:r fiirm, donated by 

 Mr. Geo. Hensel, florist, East Orange street. These 

 iDsects were dug out of the ground, elghteeu inches 

 below the surface, and about f ur feet from the out- 

 Side wall of Mr. H.'s greenhouse, ou the 16th of 

 January, and were alive when received by the cura- 

 tors. Vrof. Riley is of the opinion tluit tliey belong 

 to his brood No. 8 and will appear the " coming 

 summer." 



A beautiful specimen of Wilson's thrush ( Turdun 

 fuicecms), found In a dying condition In East 

 Orange street, in November last, and donated by W. 

 De C. Kathvou. As this bird usually migrates in 

 September or the beginning of October, it mu.'it have 

 been deceived liy the pleasant autumn weather, and 

 was suddenly overcome by cold. 



A very perl'ect Indian implement, found on a 

 small Island in the Susquehanna river, near Safe 

 Harbor, was donated by Mrs. A. H. Keist, of No. 119 

 South Queen street, through Mr. William Uocbm. 

 This relic of the Hcd Man Is of an unusual form, and 

 was probably used in "barking" trees, orin skinning 

 large animals, or both. 



."Specimens of "Georgia cotton" ((fosfypiiim her- 

 I u-iiim) were donated by Mr. J. J. Sprenger, of 

 llimie, Georgia. Height of plant, four feet six 

 inches; spread, three feet, and contained one hun- 

 dred and twenty bolls. This was represented as an 

 average of the plants In the field where it grew. 



Fine specimens of "Sponge" (Spoiigia — /) gather- 

 ed on Nantucket Beach, Mass., last Summer, and 

 donated by Mr. D. Maxwell, of Baltimore. One 

 s|KclmeD is of a very delicate and uncommon form. 

 Library. 



Nos. li.5 and 2ti, vol. 20, of the Official Gazette of 

 I be United States Patent Oflice, from the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior. The Lancastek Fakmeu, 

 ISSli. 



Historical. 



Three envelopes, containing forty seven local and 

 fi 'reign, historical, biographical and scientific scraps, 

 l'> the Curators. 



A twenty dollar bill of the Lancaster Bank, dated 

 • luly 1, 18.5J, by .Mr. J. G. Thackara. 

 Papers Read. 



Dr. Kathvon read three papers containing notes ou 

 I lie history and habits of the "Frogfish," the 

 " Thrush," and the "Cicadas" donated. 



Mrs. Gibbons read an interesting letter from a 

 iiicnd in Nebraska, relating to some phenomenal 

 IKCuliarities of the wells in the district where that 

 friend reside^. 



New Bus ness. 



The Presiden' announced the chairman of the 

 >!auding committee for the year 1S82, said chairman, 

 under the provision of the constitution, belug au- 

 1 liorized to appoint each two colleagues from among 

 the members and correspondents of the society. 

 Mammology, Dr. M. L. Davis; Ornithology, William 

 L. Gill; Eerpetology, W. T. Bolton; Ichthyology, C 

 A. Heinitsh; Eutomology, S. S Rathvon; Botany, 

 Mrs. L. D. Zell; Geology, Prof. I. S. Geist, Paleon- 

 tology, Prof. T. K. Baker; Microscopy, Dr. Knight; 

 Mill' lalogy, J. B. Kevlnski; Archajology, Prof. J. H. 

 Dulil'.-; Natural Historical .Miscellany, Mrs. P. E. 

 iiibhons. 



After passing upon bills presented, and the usual 

 BOcial and scientific intercourse, the society adjourn- 

 en to meet on the last Friday evening in February, 

 of which the hour and place will be announced by 

 the secretary in due time. 



Agriculture. 



PLANTING TOBACCO. 



M. Quad describes the method of planting tobacco 

 in Virginia as follows : 



The tobacco crop in Virginia has long been a 

 source of great revenue, and there was a time when 

 any agriculture outside of tobacco raisii-g was 



supposed to be a losin? business. Tobacco land must 

 be prepared as carcfullv as the average farmer 

 woulil prepare airarden. The beds for the ulants are 

 generally prepared on a piece of new land ami in lo- 

 calties sheltered from winds and having a southern 

 exposure. The at^lies from the luirni'd shnihs, leaves 

 and limbs are carefully worked into llie bed. The 

 seed is then sown as we sow for cabbage, and the 

 plants come up the same. When they are large 

 enough lo tran.'iplani they are set about three feet 

 apart, and about 4,200 plants Is the average for an 

 acre of ground. At a certain age the plants must be 

 "pruned," which consists of breaking olf the shoots 

 ani suckers anl pinching off the head, and ai^ain 

 the tobacco worms must he hunted off the p],\nts. 

 Tobacco growers generally put In corn and other 

 crops as well, so that hands can be shifted from one 

 growing product to another as necessity recpiires or 

 the state of the crop permits. A fair average per 

 acre is 700 poumis. Tiiis must be snn. dried on 

 seallolds In the field, and afterward huiiir In barns 

 and smoked. The average price for this heavy to- 

 liaceo is seven cents per pound. An acre of land Is 

 thus made to yield about ?.500. (irowers estimate 

 1,000 pounds to every band employed, and the care 

 of the tobacco crop is only one half their labor. 



Improved Grasses. 



In many respects grass-culture has not kept pace 

 with Improvements in other branches. We are con 

 tinually getting new [ilanls, new trees, new fruits, new 

 vegetables, new grains, but a new grass is never 

 thought of. We have the same orchard-grass, the same 

 redtop, and the same timothy, that we have over a 

 liundred years ago; and so far as the drift of thought 

 goes, we shall have the same gra9Ses for a hundred 

 years to come. And yet there Is no reason that we 

 can see why there should not be Improved grasses, as 

 well as improvements in any other thing; .and there 

 doutless would be If public attention was drawn to 

 the matter as it should lie. 



We have to be sure, iluring the past twen'y years 

 or so, been treated to Hungarian grass or millet, a 

 harsh, coarse thing, of little merit except for the very 

 Iieavy crops it produces; and Lucerne is no bettej. 

 There surely must be others which It would be of 

 advantage to introduce. We see in foreign agricul- 

 tural journals that some attention is being giv- 

 en to a species of grass called Tussock-grass, from 

 Its growing in large bunches, and which from its 

 description appears to be closely allied to orc'iard 

 grass. It docs not appear to be considered very 

 hardy; but there are no doubt a numlier of 

 places on this continent where It would find Itself en- 

 tirely at home. It is said to grow five or six feet In 

 height, and to produce vegetation of great fineness 

 of quality and exceedingly nutritious. When once 

 a field is set with It, it is seldom killed out by other 

 vegetation, and goes ou producing good crops for a 

 great many years. It appears to be hardy In Hun- 

 gary, and If so It ought to stand considcralile frost. 

 We wish all this was just so as stated, i)ut we are 

 afraid that in this as In so many other new and re 

 puted valuable products of the soil, we shall not 

 hear much of it In the future. 



But It Is not only the introduction of new species 

 that grass crops and grass lands may be Improved — 

 there miirht be selected good varieties of kinds we 

 now grow, just as we have selected good kinds of 

 other things. There seems to be here a good chance 

 for somebody. — Gerinaidoioii Telegraph, 



Rotation of Crops. 



In a well planned system of farming, the subject 

 of crop rotations should be carefully considered, as 

 one of the essential elements of success in its highett 

 and best sense. It seems to be the prevailing ojilii 

 Ion that the alternation of crops, in sytcmallc order, 

 is a modern invention that was gradully developed 

 as a direct resultlof the applications of science to the 

 art of aiirlculture. The early writers on agricul- 

 ture, even from the times of the Komans, have, how- 

 ever, quite uniformly urged the advantages of a 

 succession of crops from the teachings of experience. 

 They were satisfied that a variety of crops grown In 

 sueeession, all other conditions beini: equal, would 

 give a greater aggregate yield than could other- 

 wise be obtained . The reasons for the success of the 

 system eonid not, it Is true, be given, but practical 

 men were fully agreed In urging its importance, aud 

 many systems of rotation, more or less perfect, were 

 planned, some of which became the prevailing rule 

 of farm practice in particular localities. That these 

 practical rules of alternating crops of dilferent habits 

 and modes of growth are based on correct, but not 

 explained, principles, has qeeu shown by direct ex 

 periment. — l)i'. Manly Miles in American AgricnU 

 lurisl. 



Household Recipes. 



OuANoE Pie. — Grate the rinde of two oranges aud 

 squeeze the juice. Cream a quarter of a pound of 

 butter and by degrees add half a pound of sugar. 



Beat In the yolks of six eggs (already well beaten), 

 then the rinds and juice of the orange". Beat the 

 whites of the egg to a slIIV froth and mix them lightly 

 111 the other ingredients. Bake In paste lined tin pie 



plates. 



New Enoi.anii Baked Indian PrnDiNO.— One 



quart of milk, three quarters cup of molasses, two 

 teas|K>oiis gluu'er, one-half teaspoon cinnamon, a bit 

 of salt. Stir these Ihorouiihly together and let ^ome 

 to a boil. Have ready three dessert spoonfuls of In- 

 dian iiii-al wet In a little cold milk; put Into the hot 

 milk and after stirring thorouglilv let it boll live 

 minutes. This should be made early In the morning 

 and set away to cool. When needed for dinner lake 

 two eggs well beaten, two tablespoonfulls melted 

 butter, half a teacup cold milk, stir this Into the 

 first mixture and let it bake two hours. 



CniriiEN Pie.— Choose a rather tender fowl, 

 pluck oil the pen feathers, singe off the hairs with a 

 piece of burning paper, then wipe' the fowl with a 

 clean (lamp elolli, draw It carefully by slitting the 

 skin at tile back of the ne<-k and taking out. the crop 

 without tearing the skin of the breast; loosen the 

 heart, liver and lungs by Introducing the forefinger 

 at the neck; ami then draw them, with the entrails, 

 from the rent. Unless you have broken the gall, or 

 the entrails in drawing the bird, t/o not leanh it\ fo;' 

 this greatly Impairs the flavor, and partly destroys 

 the nourlshini; c|ualltles of the fiesh . Cut It 111 joints 

 and put It In a hot frying-pan with an ounce of butter 

 and two ounces salt pork cut in dice, and fry It 

 brown. When it is brown stir an ounce of flour with 

 It, and let the flour brown; season It with a leaspoon- 

 ful of salt, a h^vel teaspoonful of [lepper and a table- 

 spoonful of chopped parsley; cover it with boiling 

 water and let It simmer gently for an hour, or until 

 the chicken Is tender. 



PitUNi: PLi)i)i\(i.— One half pound of prunes 

 boiled; .soft ami thick, j;emove the stones and sweet 

 en well; then a<ld the whites of six eggs beaten stiff; 

 chop the prunes fine, then stir in the eggs; put Into a 

 dish and bake a light brown. Serve with sweetened 

 cream . 



A Nice Wav of Codkino Coi,d Meats- — Chop 

 the meat fine; sc.son with salt, pepper, onion or else 

 tomato catsup. Fill a tin breadpan two-thiriis full; 

 covered it over with mashed potato, which has been 

 salted and has milk in it; lay tuts of butter over the 

 top and set into a Dutch or stove oven for fifteen or 

 twenty minutes. 



Chocolate Cake. — One cup of sugar, tablespoou- 

 ful of butter, om^ heaiiinu' cup of flour, one tea- 

 spoonful of cream tartar sifted in Hour, and half a 

 teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a tablespoonful of 

 sweet milk. Filling — whites of three eggs beateu 

 to a stiH' froth, one cup of sugar (pulverized), and 

 three tablespooiifnls of grated chocolate, and vanilla 

 to taste. Bake the cake in jelly-cake tins in three 

 lavers, and spread the mixture between and on top. 

 Eat within thirty-six hours after baking. 



Bkeakfast Ki:sKS.— Two cupfuls of sweet milk, 

 two eggs, t>vo teaspoonfuls of cream tartar, one tea 

 spoonful of soda, half a cupful of white sugar, about 

 four small cu|)fuls of fiour. Beat the etrgs very light ; 

 put the cream of tartar in the Hour, and add the soda 

 the lasi thing. Bake in a. long pan in a quick oven. 



Pkeparixg Caubots.— Carrots iirepared in this 

 way make a good side d!sh oi entree: Scrape and 

 wash them ; boil until they are tender, in as little 

 water as will serve to keep them covered ; put In a 

 large pinch of salt; when the carrots can be easily 

 pierced with a broom splint diain otl" the water and 

 roll the carrots in fiour ; put a lump ol butter In a 

 saucepan and set on the stove ; when hot put the car- 

 rots In and fry until brown ; the carrots may be cut 

 in two parts or cooked whole ; turn them so that they 

 will brown on all sides. 



Bahley Soul". — Two or three pounds of beef from 

 the skill, two pounds of cracked bones, an onion, four 

 stalks of celery, lour potatoes, a gallon of water, 

 pepper and salt. Put all into the soup pot and boll 

 very irently three hours. Wash a cup of barley and 

 boil In a very little clear watea twenty minutes. 

 Strain the soup, pres.sing hard, boil up, skim, add 

 the barley and simmer thirty minutes. 



CoKNSTAiicu Cakes — Take the whites of three 

 egus, one cupful of sugar, two-thirds of a cupful of 

 sweet milk, two. thirls of a cupful ol melted butter, 

 one teaspoonful of cream tartar, half teaspoonful of 

 soda, half a cupful of cornstarch, one small teaspoon- 

 ful of lemon extract, one anil one-half cupfuls of 

 fiour. Mix t'.ie cornstarch, flour and cream tartar 

 together and sift all through a sieve. For yellow 

 cakes take the yolks of the eggs and make the same 

 with these exoptlons : Leave out the cornstarch and 

 hall a cupful of butter instead of two-thirds soda 

 buttermilk and soda Instead of cream tartar and 

 sweet milk. — Country Gentleman. 



Fkencu Tapioca Puddinu. — Take two ounces 

 of tapioca and boil itjii a half a pint of milk by de. 

 grees, and l)oli until the tapioca becomes very thick ; 

 add a well-beaten egg, sugar and flavoring lo taste, 

 and bake three quarters of an hour. This prepara- 

 ration of tapioca is superior to any other, is nourish- 

 ing, and suitable for delicate children. 



