1882.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



173 



which to set an orchard, but also to keep the trees In 

 tliat hiijh state of cultivation that will insure ^oocl 

 fruit when the weather is unfavorable, thus enabling 

 the grower to go into the market with an abunilance 

 of good fruit when it will bring good prices. The 

 successful fruit grower and the successful fanner 

 usually Icarn to succeed where the ordinary cultiva- 

 tor fails. In a good season almost any one can 

 grow fair crops, but in a year like this, it is only 

 those who work intelligently that arc able to over- 

 come the unfavorable conditions of the natural 

 clcmenis. 



When the farmer becomes tlioroughly ac(piainted 

 with the best methods of protecting crops from the 

 dry weather, we shall fear droughts much;lcs6 than 

 we now do, and our losses will be very small in com- 

 parison to what tljey are now. 



Saving Cabbages Till Spring. 



We know no belter way to preserve cabbages 

 through the winter than that which we liave recom- 

 mended for a number ol years. It is to plant or set 

 them up in rows as they grow — that is, with the 

 roots down — fill in with soil pretty freely, than make 

 a covering by planting two posts where tliere is a 

 fence to rest on, or four wliere there is not, allowing 

 for a pitch to carry oCT the water ; lay bean-poles op- 

 posite the way of ibe pitch, and cover with coru- 

 fodder, or straw, or boards. In using through the 

 winter, avoid as much as possible the sun-side and 

 close up at:ain. We have not found that setting the 

 cabbage upside-down in the rows, as many do, of 

 any advantage, as we have kept oursfor more than 

 twenty years in the way we mention in a sound, per- 

 fect condition, through the winter into the spring, 

 and could even up to the first of May if desirable. 

 We see other methods recommended, and they may 

 answer just as well, but as to our own we speak from 

 a long experience. — Oermantown Telegraph. 



The Fruit Supply. 



In all of the principal markets of the Northern 

 States there has been an under supply of home- 

 grown fruit this season. Last year it was better, 

 but for three or four years it has been evident that 

 the demand was increasing faster than the supply. 

 With a flourishing state of horticulture throughout 

 the country, why is it there should be so steady an 

 advance in the price of these products ? In the first 

 place, the population in cities and large villages has 

 been rapidly increasing, causing a proportionately 

 increased consumption of fruit. Then the principles 

 of diet and hygiene that have for many years been 

 disseminated among the people through the press 

 have been accepted as true, and practically applied, 

 until every one considers as a necessity a certain 

 amount of fruit. Again, new methods of preserving, 

 such a canning, bottling and drying, have been 

 learned, so that immense quantities are used for this 

 purpose, keeping a supply all through the year and 

 foreign markets consume increasing quantities. 



Even if this immense increased demand could 

 have been properly appreciated considerable time 

 must elapse before it could be met by fruits liKe the 

 apple and the pear. The cherry, the plum and 

 peach, that give returns quicker, would respond 

 more alertly, but these fruits can be raised to ad- 

 vantage only in particular sections, and probably 

 only a few ol those persons who may Ije favorably 

 situated to raise these crops will avail themselves of 

 the opportunity, since their attention is directed to 

 some other branch of industry. The small fruits, 

 strawberries, etc., will turn sooner, but for the 

 reason probably that they are most available for 

 canning, the proportionate supply of them diminishes 

 apparently more than that of the large fruits. It is 

 then quite clear that it is safe for those having suita- 

 able soils in favorable localities to plant fruit trees. 

 With proper attention they will be sure in time to 

 yield handsome returns. Again, we could alTord to 

 give our orchards and fruit grounds more attention 

 than has been the custom. ■ They. should have the 

 best care, with the expectation of receiving ample 



payment for it in return. More of tlie small fruits 

 can be cultivated, and a ready market will be fouiid 

 for all the products. — Farmers' Review. 



Bananas and Plantains. 



A pound of bananas contains more nutriment than 

 three pounds of potatoes, while as a food it is in 

 every sense of the word far superior to the best 

 wheaten bread. An acre of ground planted with 

 bananas will return, according to Humboldt, as 

 niucli food material as thirty-three acres of wheat, 

 or over a hundred acres of potatoes. 



TliC banana (it should be called plaintain, for, 

 until lately, there was no such word as banana) is 

 divided into several varieties, all of which are used 

 for food. The platino mazinito is a small, delicate 

 fruit, neither longer nor stouter than a lady's lorc- 

 Uugcr. It is the most delicious and prized of all the 

 varieties of tlie plantain. 



El plantiiw guinto, called by us the banana, is pro- 

 bably more in demand than any other kind. It is 

 sulidivided into dillcrent varieties, the principal of 

 which are the yellow and purple bananas that we 

 see lor sale in our markets ; but the later is so little 

 esteemed by the natives of the tropics that it Is sel- 

 dom eaten by thcni. 



JCl iilantiiw (jrande — known to us as simply the 

 plaintain — is also subdivided into varieties, which 

 are known by their savor and their size. The kind 

 that reaches our market is almost ten iuches long, 

 yet on the Isthmus of Darieu there are plantains 

 that grow from 18 to .22 inches. They are never 

 eaten raw, but are either boiled or roasted, or are 

 prepared as preserves. 



Household Recipes. 



Graham Bread. — .Make a stiff batter of half a 

 pint of warm water thickened with graham, flour and 

 add to it a third of a cupful of yeast. Let it rise 

 over night, and in the morning add a little piece of 

 butter, half a cupful of sugar, and wheat flour 

 enough to mould. Let the bread rise in pans, and 

 bake an hour. 



Indian Cake. One pint of Indian meal, a cupful 

 of flour, half a cupful of sugar, one-third of a cupful 

 of butter, a teaspoonful of soda, one of cream of 

 tartar, an egg, and some salt. Mix in enough sweet 

 milk to make a soft batter. 



CituLLERS. — These dainties are easily and quickly 

 made. A piece of butter about the size ol an egg, 

 a nutmeg, a cupful of sugar, and three eggs are to 

 be made stiff with flour, cut in _fancy shapes, and 

 fried in boiling lard. 



Doughnuts. — One and a half cupfuls of milk, the 

 same quantity of sugar, two eggs, a scant teaspoon- 

 ful of soda, a teaspoonful of salt, and half a nut 

 meg. Very toothsome doughnuts are made by this* 

 rule. 



Buns. — Half a cupful [each of yeast, sugar and 

 butter, one and a half cupfuls of milk, half a nut- 

 meg, and a little salt. Mix together at night, and 

 in the morning add half a cupful of sugar, and some 

 currants. 



KoAST Mutton. — Wipe the mutton with a damp 

 cloth; then dredge with salt, a little pepper, and 

 generously with flour. Place on a meat rack in the 

 baking pan before dredging, see that the bottom of 

 the pan shall be covered with flour. Place in a hot 

 oven, and as soon as the flour in the pan is brown 

 (which will be in about five minutes), pour in hot 

 wat( r enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Baste 

 every fifteen minutes. Cook a leg weighing six 

 pounds, one hour and a quarter, and give ten min- 

 utes for every additional pound. This cooks it rare. 

 If it is to be well done, roast one hour and a half, 

 with fifteen minutes for every pound over six. 

 When the meal is done, pour all the fat from the 

 gravy and add a cupful of boiling water to what ri;- 

 mains in the pan. Thickenlhis with a smooth paste 

 made of a tablespoonful of flour and a little cold 

 water. Stir well, and boil two or three minutes. 

 Season with salt and pepper. Strain and serve. All 

 the dishes must be very warm for a mutton dinner. 



Mashed Potatoes.— Pare and l)oil for thirty 

 minutes. Mash light and fine with a wooden 

 masher. To every twelve potatoes add one teaspoon- 

 ful of butter, half a cupful of boiling milk, and salt 

 to taste. 



.Mashed Turnips.— Pare, and cut into slices. If 

 the white turnips be used and they are fresh, they 

 will cook in forty minutes, but if they be the yellow 

 kind they must boil for two hours in plenty of water. 

 Mash and season with butter, sail, and pepper. 



Baked Potatoes. — Wash, nip good sized pota- 

 toes and bake in a moderate oven forty-five niiimtes. 

 They are spoiled by being over-cooked. 



Ai'iM.E Podding. — Pare and chop fine six large 

 apples. Put in a pudding-dish a layer of grated 

 bread crumbs, one inch deep, then a layer of apple. 

 On this put bits of butter, sugar, and a slight grat ■ 

 ing of nutmeg. Continue as before, and Anally pour 

 on a teacupful of cold water. Bake half an hour. 

 Use in all two tablespoonfuls of butter and a small 

 cupful of sugar. 



Spanish Crea.m.— One quart of milk, three eggs, 

 one cupful of sugar, one-third of a box of gelatine, 

 one generous teaspoonful of vanilla flavor. Put the 

 gelatine in a howl with half a cupful of cold water, 

 and when it has stood an hour add it to a pint and a 

 half of the milk, and then place the sauce pan In 

 which it is to be cooked (it should hold two quarts), 

 into another of boiling water. Beat the yolks of the 

 eggs with the sugar and one fourth of a teaspoonful 

 of salt. Beat the whites to a stifi froth. Add the 

 half pint of cold milk reserved from the quart to the 

 yolks and sugar, and ttir all into the boiling milk. 

 Cook five minutes, stirring all the time ; then add 

 the whites and remove from the fire. Add the 

 vanilla, and pour Into moulds". Place on ice to 

 harden. 



Boiled Fi.ank of Beef. — Wash the flank, and 

 make a dressing as for turkey, with spread over it, 

 first having salted and peppered it well ; then roll 

 up and tie. Wind the twine around it several times, 

 to keep it in place; then sew into a cloth kept for 

 that purpose. Put a small plate in the pot, and put 

 in the meat ; then your on it boiling water enough to 

 cover and boil gently six hours. When done, remove 

 the cloth, but not the twine until stone cold; then 

 cut in thin slices, and you will have alternate layers 

 of meat and dressing. This is a nice dish for break- 

 fast or tea. 



Meat Hash. — Dredge with salt and pepper any 

 kind of cold meat, and chop it fine. This is always 

 the be.«t manner of seasoning hash, as all parts will 

 be seasoned alike. If you have cold potatoes, chop 

 fine and mix with the meat ; if they are hoi, mash. 

 Allow one pint of meat to two of potato. Put this 

 mixture in the frying pan (vith a little water or soup 

 stock to moisten it, and stir in a spoonful of butter; 

 or if you have nice beef dripjnng, use that instead of 

 butter. Heat slowly, stirring often, and when 

 warmed through, cover and let it stand on a moder- 

 ately hot part of the stove or range twenty minutes. 

 When ready to serve, Ibid as you would an omelet. 



Veai, Loaf. — Three pounds of veal or fresh beef, 

 halfa pound of salt pork chopped fine, two beaten 

 eggs, one teacupful of cracker crumbs, three tea- 

 spoonfuls of salt, two teaspoon fuls of pepper. Mix 

 and press hard into a tin. Bake one and a half 

 hours. 



Tomato Sauce. — One pint of stewed tomato, one 

 tablespoonful of butter, one of flour, four cloves, a 

 tiny bit of onion. Cook the tomato, clove and onion 

 together ten minutes. Heat the butter in a small 

 pan and stir the flour into it. Cook, stirring all the 

 lime, until smooth and a light brown ; then stir into 

 the tomato. Cook two or three minutes longer. 

 Season with salt and pepper, and strain. 



Steamed Beep Steak Pudding. — One quart of 

 flour, one large teaspoonful of lard, two teaspeon- 

 fuls of cream of tartar, one teaspoonful of soda, 

 two cupfuls of milk or water, a little salt, one 

 and a half pounds of beef steak. Boll out the crust 

 and line a deep earthen dish ; then lay in part of the 



