]882. 



The Lancaster farmer. 



39 



acres of the farm is preserved ; or a favorite 

 oak, a walnut, or a chestnut is left standing «8 

 so many monuments to the inenioiy of a grand 

 old forest that has passed away ; and per- 

 chance if those farms |>ass into otht!r hands 

 under morbid ideas of improvement, the lirst 

 thing done is to fell those venerable relics to 

 the ground and utilize them, according to 

 modern principles of economy. Under such 

 cireumstanucs we sensibly recall the senti- 

 ment of Morris' immortal lines — 



" VVoodniuii epai'i- that tree, 

 Touch not a single bjugh, 

 In youth It sheltereil me 

 Aiid I'll protect it now." 



There seems to be but. one way to induce 

 our people to commence the planting of forest 

 trees, and that is for the Governments of the 

 the States and the nation to offer premiums 

 to those who plant a given number of trees, 

 and assess an additional tax on those who re- 

 fuse or neglect to perform that duty. 



True, this might be construed into both a 

 bribe and a threat, but it would not be the 

 first instance in the world's history, where 

 people have been bribed, or threatened, to do 

 that which was their plain duty to do. Eco- 

 nomically, as well as morally, men should do 

 theirduty as they understand it,or as it is made 

 manifest to them in tlie present, and not be 

 unnecessarily an.xious about ihe future; but, it 

 does not require an extraordinary amount of 

 intelligence to perceive that the 2jrescnt may 

 be so improved as to make it a pleasant and 

 noble j30s«, and at the same time amply pro- 

 vide for llm future. Had our forefathers ad- 

 hered to a similar rule in regard to our primi- 

 tive forests there would be no necessity for 

 their posterity to indulge in anxious diseus- 

 sions on the subject. But all tliat is now 

 past ; they needed cleared land ; the forests 

 were their hane and cutting down the trees 

 the antidote. Things now are becoming re- 

 versed. Treeless, arid and sun-baked hills 

 and valleys in time will be the bane, and tree 

 replenishment the antidote. To those who 

 are now advanced in life, it may make little 

 difference what is done in this respect, but 

 then we should never forget that the earth is 

 "God's foostool."—L S. R., Oregon, 1882. 



For Thk Lancaster Fakmeh. 

 STRAWBERRIES. 



Among all the circle of fruits there is none 

 that is so easily raised, or gives so much 

 satisfaction to the amateur, as the strawberry. 

 No other fruit gives as quick returns as it 

 does. A bed planted in July or August, will, 

 if well taken care of, make a full yield in less 

 than a year. Sometimes, on* account of 

 drought, it is difficult to establish a good bed 

 at that season, so upon the whole it is safer to 

 plant in the spring as soon as the ground gets 

 in good working order. The yield in good 

 soil and proper conditions is simply enormous. 



Last year on a plot 7 by 10 yai'ds, there 

 were raised over 100 quarts of the Sharpless 

 variety, equal to 7,0U0 quarts to the acre. 

 There are reports, apparently well authenti- 

 cated, of twice that amount of berries to the 

 acre. It can be seen from this that there 

 should not be any difficulty in finding a plot 

 of ground on almost every home in the land, 

 large enough to raise a supply of this delicious 



fruit for family use. Two or three rods will 

 be sufficient. Any soil that is rich enough 

 for cabbage or corn will do for strawberries! 

 It will be well tf) avoid a sod, or ground filled 

 with a large amount of vegetable refuse, for 

 in them the white grub is to be found, and 

 where it is plentiful you may come to grief, as 

 it (the grub) is a great eater, and will soon 

 ruin a bed. 



Dig deep, as you will thereby prevent the 

 gnumd from drying out as soon as it will if 

 shallow. The drought, by the by, is the 

 greatest hindrance that the strawberry grow- 

 er has to contend with. For some years past 

 strawberry growers on a liirge scale have been 

 quite unsuccessful on that account. But the 

 amateur, with his two or three rows, need not 

 sutler. Deep cultivation and mulching will, 

 in a great measure, counteract drought. 

 These small beds are easily irrigated. The 

 soajisuds from the weekly wash will be excel- 

 lent. These small beds will need no alley 

 ways through them, for the work here can be 

 done to the best advantage with tiie hoe. Set 

 the plants eighteen inches apart every way. 

 After the bed is planted give it a good raking 

 once a week with a steel rake. Let no weed 

 or runner grow. If any plants are missing 

 train a runner in its place, and when well 

 rooted, cut loose from its parent. Fifteen or 

 twenty minutes' work every week will do all 

 this. 



In the fall, when the ground is frozen, cover 

 with two or three inches of coarse manure, 

 and then your work is done for the season. In 

 the spring, when growing weather comes, 

 rake oft" the coarse rubbish, but leave the fine 

 stuff on for a mulch, and if you can add as 

 much more as will keep the weeds from grow- 

 ing it will be all the better. Care must, how- 

 ever, be taken in putting on this mulch, that 

 the crown of the plant is not covered. If 

 mulching is scarce and your bed is inclined to 

 be weedy, the weeds near the plant must be 

 pulled bf hand, as the strawberry roots are 

 near the surface and are easily injured by the 

 hoe. After the fruit is formed a little tan- 

 bark, leaves or chaft' should be laid under it 

 to keep the dirt off. If from a severe rain, 

 however, the berries become dirty wash them. 

 Some one has said you might as well try to 

 wash sugar as strawberries, but that is all 

 nix. Place a colander, or better, a square 

 box with wire netting nailed on the bottom, 

 in a tub, and pour water in until nearly even 

 with the top of the box, then pour your berries 

 in, a quart or two at a time, raise up your box 

 two or three times, and they are clean. Sjt 

 them in a shady place to drain. Persons not 

 seeing you do this will never know that the 

 fruit was washed. 



After the fruiting season is over go over 

 your beds the same as you did the first season. 

 Beds thus treated may be kept productive 

 for three or four years, after which it would 

 be better to start a new bed. Now about 

 varieties : Buisl's Prize, Crimson Cone, 

 Hovey, Longworth's Prolific, and hosts of 

 others that were popular twenty years ago, 

 are all superseded by others ; and even the 

 Wilson, that so long reigned supreme, is being 

 pushed to a back seat. Now we have Charles 

 Downing, Cumberland, Miner's Prolific, 

 Sharpless, &c. These combine quality and 

 productiveness in a greater degree than the 



older varieties. These, a year or two ago, 

 were .sold at S2.00 and upwards a dozen; now 

 they c^m be bought for a dollar or less per 

 hundred. — CdJijjer llilter. 



For Tnr Lancaster Fahmkr. 

 PRACTICAL POULTRY NOTES. 



As the time will soon be here, when good 

 Farmers' wives will Ije sitting hens for early 

 chicks, I will tell them how 1 do, though 

 others may do better. I never give a hen 

 more than eleven eggs if the weather is very 

 cold, and 13 if the weather is warm. 



Last spring I had a flock of 22 Leghorns. 

 As soon as I cooped them, I greased the old 

 hen under the wings, at the legs and breast, 

 and every chick about the head; then I put 

 them in the coop, to the old hen ; and this I 

 did every two weeks. I fed them the first two 

 weeks on stale bread, dry cheese, and onions 

 chopped in the cheese once a week; after that 

 I feed cracked corn, wheat, rye, thick milk, 

 pure water to drink, till they are fit to eat or 

 take to market, and only one died with the 

 pip out of the whole flock. I keep the nioilier 

 pein'd up, but let the chicks run at large, 

 after they are 4 or .5 days old. 



Out of another dock of 32 (jochins, treated 

 the .same way, I raised 30, but do not like 

 them so well, they lay too little. We have 

 plenty of eggs when we keep the Leghorns, 

 summer and winter; never keep old ones over 

 two years.and never keep over 30 through the 

 winter; it does not pay to keep too many. A 

 few well fed pay better than many ill fed.— 

 Leoline. 



For The Lancaster Farusr. 

 DOMESTIC HINTS. 



To prevent small-jiox [lifting the face, keep 

 a damp cloth on the face, with holes cut for 

 the eyes, nose and mouth. This has been 

 tried, and can be relied on ; no one likes to 

 have such marks on the face. 



To prevent sore eyes, wash in warm water, 

 never cold, as the cold water will indame 

 weak eyes. 



To increase the cream on milk, strain your 

 milk in hot crocks and set in a cool room. 

 The butter will come sooner, too, if milk is 

 treated this way. — Leoline. 



For The I.axcahter Farmer. 

 PRACTICAL RECIPES. 



Fastnacut Cakes.— Set a sponge, as for 

 bread, with li quarts of good yeast. When 

 it is raised, add 3 eggs, beaten, 1^ pounds of 

 sugar, i pint of butter and lard, mixed; 

 knead it well for about twenty minutes; let it 

 raise again, then roll on a board, and cut in 

 cakes with a penny roller, with notches in ; 

 also cut through the cake three or four times, 

 and bake in hot lard, having the pan about 

 half full. Begin baking when you have about 

 the half rolled. 



Swiss Cake. — Make a batter as you would 

 for flannel cake, only so thick that it does not 

 run; it should be pretty stiff, but not too stiff. 

 Take 3 quarts of flour, 3 eggs, 2 teaspoonsful 

 of saleratus, a large tablespobnful of salt; fry 

 in hot lard, same as the others. By leaving 

 out the salt and adding a small teacup of 

 sugar, you can have them sweet. They 

 should be very light when done, and should 

 be draped in the lard in small spoonsful, 



