1882.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



189 



Department. The statistical division estimates the 

 following as tlie yield of 1SS3: Corn, l,(!:i5,000,000 

 busliels; wheat, 41(),00U, 000 bushels; onts, 470,- 

 000,000 liushels; barley, 45,000,000 bushels; rye, 

 20,000,000 bushels; budiwhi-iit, 12,000,000 bushels. 

 The chemical division has devoted its worli largelj 

 during the year to the investigation of the sugar- 

 producing qualities of sorghum and other plants. 

 The work of the division was submitted to the Na- 

 tional Academy of Science for investigation liy that 

 body, and a coinmltlee was appointed for that pur- 

 pose. The report of this committee contains a 

 review of the history of the sorghum industry for 

 twenty-live years and will be issued as a special 

 publicali(pii. Tha report of the veterinary division 

 shows less disease among domestic animals (Texas 

 fever excepted) than in many years. Examinations 

 into ttie fibres of wool and cotton have been made, 

 and two sites, both in Colorado, have bceu selected 

 for artesian wells. In the Ibrestry division increased 

 activity has been shown, a special agent having bceu 

 appointed to collect information west of the Missis- 

 sippi. His report will soon be submitted. 



Small Potatoes. 



At a recent session of the San Francisco (Cal.) 

 Academy of Sciences, Mr. J. G. Lemmon, who 

 spent six months in the mountains on the Mexican 

 frontier among Apaches and cowboys, announced 

 that he had brought up five boxes of new plants, 

 and that he had found two or three new kinds of 

 native potatoes, some of which were growing on a 

 peak 10,000 feet high. They were about the size of 

 walnuts. This was regarded as an important liud 

 that might throw some light on the nativity of that 

 potato, as the real home of the " Murphys," as they 

 are familiarly styled, has not yet been established. 

 They were reported to have been found in Peru in 

 1.500. Sir Walter Raleigh found some and sent them 

 to England, but they have only been known to the 

 poor man on his table for a century. 



HORT3CL -TURK. 



^A/inter Flowers in the Window. 



Tlie man or woman who dislikes to see even a sin- 

 gle pot or stand or plants or flowers in the window 

 when they can no longer be grown out-of doors, we 

 would not care to be acquainted with. When we see 

 these thoughtful, modest etl'orts to please the eye of 

 the passers-by, we involuntarily accord to that 

 household not only our good wishes, but a due share 

 of natural accomplishment that it did not even 

 dream of evoking. While city people should not 

 omit adorning their front windows in this way, we 

 think that country people beyond all others can 

 make their homes beautiful at small expense in such 

 adornments, and would suggest that the material 

 for this cheap and beautiful arrangement is particu- 

 larly abundant at this time of the year. There are 

 not only living plants in pots lor the window sill, but 

 colored leaves, dried ferns and grasses, and skele- 

 tonized plants, out of which innumerable tasteful 

 objects may be made. But among the cheapest and 

 most interesting of these room and window adorn- 

 ments is the hanging plants, which may be sus- 

 pended from hooks and brackets, and by which the 

 whole window can be made to look like a summer 

 scene in the woods, although we are in the midst of 

 winter. In the closely-built cities some such window- 

 gardening attempts are made, but are generally, 

 with rare, beautiful exceptions, utter failures. Some 

 highly ornamental China work, or some highly- 

 painted or polished " rustic" basket, is employed to 

 hold the plants, but always evidently to the plant's 

 misery. Plants do not seem to admire these elabo 

 rate preparations for them. They seem lo under- 

 stand that with them they only occupy a very infe- 

 rior position in the temple of honor, and hence there 

 is no wonder they fade away and die. In most of 

 our country homes we find them in common pots, 

 shells, slumps, boxes or anything that can be im 

 provised, and always with success. 



We remember that at our great CenteDoial exposi- 



tion an exhibitor made for hanging-plants purposes 

 the husk of the cocoanut, And we noticed and ascer- 

 tained in fact that plants thrived wonderfully in this 

 to us unique arrangement. It reminded us of what 

 wc had often read in the English horticultural 

 periodicals, that cocoanut refuse is an exuellcnt ma- 

 terial for the growth of plants. Wc are all familiar 

 with the cocoanut, but all do not know that the mit 

 Is enclosed in a heavy, spongy covering or husk of 

 an inch or more in thickness. These husks are cut 

 across in tlie middle and make two little baskets, 

 and can be easily suspended with wire. As we have 

 already said, there is a great fertility power in this 

 covering, and there is the basket at the same time, 

 thus securing two desirable things wliereonly one to 

 most people was apparent. 



Many beautiful plants and llowers can he had all 

 the winter through in lids way at very little cost In 

 time or money — at least, so little as not to be worth 

 mentioning with the pleasure and satisfaction afford 

 ed to all, alike to those who provide these most de- 

 sirable natural ornaments and the obliged public 

 who cordially welcome the heartfelt treat as they 

 pass along. Now, too, is the time, and none to 

 spare, when the preparations should be made about 

 securing them. — Oerinantown Teleijraph. 



Preserving Garden Flowers. 



The time has come when we shall have to part 

 with many garden pets which have given us so much 

 pleasure during the growing season. Such partings 

 always bring regret; and in spite of "nowhere to 

 keep them," people will try if something cannot be 

 done at any rate. It is believed that it is not so 

 much the degree of cold which kills usually hardy 

 plants, as it is the drying influences of a very cold 

 atmosphere, and hence many find a very little cover- 

 ing sufficient to save plants, if the covering be such 

 as to ke?p them from dying out. 



We know, for instance, that a raspberry or a 

 grape vine, which would probably be destroyed if 

 left above ground in its natural way, can be safely 

 preserved by being buried just beneath the surface ; 

 and it is tound that roses bent over to tlie ground 

 and covered with earth, so shaped as to throw off 

 the water, will enable rather tender kinds to get 

 through the winter unscathed. A friend once told 

 us that verbenas were much hardier than people 

 supposed. He put dry leaves over the bed and then 

 covered the leaves with a board, and they did not 

 injure by the hardest frost. 



We should suppose, however, that green succulent 

 matter would rot by confinement, as well as hard 

 wood get injured by Irost ; and we would sugsrest to 

 all who may be disposed to preserve anything in this 

 way the importance of cutting away half ripe wood 

 or succulent green foliage before entombing the 

 plants for winter. 



Pampas grasses, the ostrich feather like spikes 

 of which are so commonly seen in gardens, cause 

 much discussion as to the best means to protect. 

 Some take them up and put them into a tub of earth 

 and keep thorn in a cool cellar ; but those who suc- 

 ceed in keeping them over winter in the open ground 

 have finer plants and larger and more numerous 

 spikes. Some of our neighbors turn a barrel over 

 the stocks to keep out the water, tiling in dry leaves 

 all about the plant ; and, though sometimes the 

 plants will be lost treated in this way, generally it is 

 a success. The " rocket " plant docs well on either 

 of the plans named for the pampas grass. 



Dahlias, tuberoses, gladiolus and such like sum- 

 mer flowering roots, there is no trouble with. All 

 they require is to be taken up as soon as the lirst 

 frost has injured their flowers and spoiled their blos- 

 soming for the season, and, after drying a little, put 

 them iu some moderate cool and dry place secure 

 from the Irost. — (Icrmanlown Tchyraph. 



Household Recipes. 



Roast Tikkev, (;aknisiikd witu Sausages.— 

 Wash out the turkey carefully. Stuft' as usual, add- 

 ing a little cooked sausage to the dressing. (Salt 

 the giblets, and keep for to-morrow.) Lay the 



turkey in the drlpplng-dan, pour a great cupful of 

 boiling water over it, and roast about ten mibutes 

 per pound — slowly for the flrst hour. Baste faith- 

 fully and often, dredging with flour, and basting 

 with butter at the last. Dish the turkey, laying 

 boiled sausages around It. Pour the fat from the 

 gravy ; thicken with browned flour ; salt and pe|>- 

 per. Boil once, and serve In a boat. 



Mashed Tuhnips. — Pare, quarter, and cook 

 tender in l)oiling water, a little salt. Mash and 

 press in a heated colander ; work in butter, pepper 

 and salt ; heap smoothly In a deep dish, and put 

 " dabs" of pepper on lop. 



Canned Corn Pudding. — Drain, and chop the 

 corn flne, add a lal)le8poonful of melted butter, four 

 beaten eggs; a large cup of milk, with an even tea- 

 spoonful of corn starch stirred In it, with salt and 

 pepper to taste. Bake, covered, in a greased pud- 

 ding dish one hour ; tlicn brown quickly. 



CuANUEHHV Sauce.— Cook a quart of cranberries 

 with a very little water, slowly, in a porcelain or 

 tinned saucepan. Stir often, and when they are 

 broken all to pieces, and thick as marmalade, take 

 off, sweeten liberally, and rub through a colander, 

 wet a mold and put them into form. 



Orange Snow and Snowdrift Cake.— Four 

 large sweet oranges, juice of all, and grated peel of 

 1 lemon ; 1 package of gelatine soaked In 1 cup of 

 cold water; whites of 4 eggs, whipped stilf; 1 large 

 cup of powdered sugar; 2 cups of boiling water. 



Mix the juice and peel of the fruit with the soaked 

 gelatine, add the sugar, stir well, and leave them for 

 one hour. Pour on boiling water, and stir until 

 clear. Strain and press through a coarse cloth. 

 When cold, and beginning to congeal, whip a spoon- 

 I'ul at a time into the frothed whites. Put into a 

 wet mold. 



Oyster Soup. — Two quarts of oysters ; 1 quart 

 of milk; 2 tablespoon fuls of butter; 1 teacupful 

 hot water ; pepper, salt and blade of mace. 



Strain all the liquor from the oysters ; add the 

 water, and heat. When near the boil, add the seas- 

 oning, then the oysters. Cook about Ave minutes 

 from the time they began to s mmer, until they 

 "ruffle." Stir in the butter, cook one minute and 

 pour into the tureen. Stir in the boiling milk, and 

 send to table. 



Boused Chkken. — Clean and truss the chickens, 

 but do not stuff them. Sew up each in a piece of 

 mosquitonettiiig, and boil in plenty of hot salted 

 wat3r. Allow about twelve iniuntes lo tlie pound. 

 Undo the netting ; wipe the chickens, and rub all 

 over with butter. Send up in a boat a cup of melted 

 butter iu which have been stirred the pounded yolks 

 of two hard boiled eggs, and some pow.lered or 

 minced parsley. Pour a few spoonsfuls ov r the 

 chickens. 



BuowNKD Potatoes. — Boil with their skin on. 

 Throw off the water; take each potato iu a clean 

 towel, and hold it while you strip off the skin. Lay 

 them, when peeled, in a greased baking-pan, and 

 set this in a hot oven. Roast, with good dripping, 

 until they are all well colored. 



Baked Sweet Potatoes.— Wash, and bake soft 

 in a moderate oven. Serve in their "jackets." 



Scalloped Squasu.— Pare, slice, and mash. 

 Stir in while it is hot, a good spoonful of butler, 

 pepper and salt to taste, and two beaten eggs. Pour 

 into a buttered dish ; strew fine crumbs on the top, 

 hiid bake, covered, half an hour— then brown 

 slightly. 



Baked Cu-stards.- One quart of milk ; 4 bealeu 

 eggs ; a tablespoonfuls of sugar, beaten with the 

 eggs; nutmeg, and 2 teaspoonfuls of flavoring ex- 

 tract. 



Scald the milk ; pour upon the other ingredients ; 

 stir together well ; flavor, and pour into stone china 

 cups. Set these iu a pan o( hot water; grate nut 

 meg upon each, and bake until firm. Eat cold from 

 the cups. 



Simple Wuite Soup.- Take the fat from the top 

 of your turkey soup'Stock ; strain, rubbing the dress- 



