1883.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



101 



account, and then turns it ovur to liis chem- 

 ist. Those scienlitic fellows usually bring it 

 up to the standard. The value of a clu'mist 

 depends not alone upon his ability to iini)rove 

 a poor article, but to equalize and blend the 

 llavor.s of different lots, and then he must be 

 able to .so manipulate the goods as to suit par- 

 ticular markets. It is a curious fact tluit 

 cigars made for New Jersey buyers differs as 

 greatly in color, appearance, and Havor, fron) 

 the New York standard, as those made es- 

 I>ecially for the Western trade. In our large 

 cities, however, the taste in cigars varies but 

 little, lu Cincinnati, as in New York or 

 Boston, the great demand is for a fair or really 

 good cigar. The number sold in New York 

 is enormous ; but many more cigars are re- 

 tailed here at ten cents than at live. In towns 

 and villages the opposite is the case. Extra 

 fine cigars are also largely called for here. 

 For the best cigars we use smooth, silky 

 Havana top leaf and stemless fillings of the 

 fine Partaga quality. 



"The best tobacco in the world is, without 

 a doubt, that grown in the Via Hunda, near 

 Havana. Most of the best tobacco is grown 

 in valleys. It is as true of the best Massa- 

 chusetts or Connecticut, as of the Havana ar- 

 ticle. Salt air has an excellent intlue)ice up- 

 on tobacco when growing, and light, sandy or 

 loamy soils are best for it. The first quality 

 tobacco is that possessing the finest fibre and 

 and the least quantity of nicotine. In these 

 points the Havana leaf stands preeminent. 



"It is true that manufacturers often give 

 au into.xicating quality to cigars. This is ac- 

 complished by dipping the fillings into a solu- 

 tion of sulphuric etherand bromide of potas- 

 sium. A formula similar to that of Hofl'man's 

 Anodyne is also used. Tobacco thus pre- 

 pared is no doubt injurious in the long run. 



The peculiar effects of a certain class of ci- 

 gars are unquestionably due to their being 

 fixed uj) with so-called nervines, narcotics and 

 stimulants. 



"It would not do to state the particular 

 formula we use, though I may say that the 

 flavor now most largely employed is a com- 

 bination of vanilla, valerian and New Eng- 

 land rum. The poisons made use of are to be 

 found chiefly in the essential oils. It would 

 be useless to deny that they are largely used, 

 the quantity in a single cigar is very small 

 and of very little importance. If cigar smok- 

 ing is injurious at all, I should say that it 

 owed its evil effect rather to its inherent nic- 

 otine than to its adulterations, except where 

 the latter are of au outrageous character." 



THE CROP PROSPECTS. 



The July report of the Department of Ag- 

 riculture indicates very general improvement 

 in the condition of cotton, liains were gen- 

 eral up to the 15th or -JOth of June, and local 

 showers have been frequent since. There has 

 been an excess of moisture, interfering with 

 cultivation and promoting the growth of grass. 

 Clean fields are found only in favored dLstricls 

 and on lands of prompt and pushing cultiva- 

 tors. Since June 20th, growth has been rapid. 

 In grassy districts the plants are still small 

 but healthy, and making great progress with 

 recent cultivation. 



The only complaint of drought comes from 

 Central and Southwestern Texas, from the 



Colorado to the Guadaloupe. A few counties 

 in South Carolina and Georgia report a pres- 

 ent need of rain. The recent distribution of 

 moisture has been (luite nneiiual. Adams 

 county, Mississippi, has had showers daily for 

 five weeks, and I'ike county for six or eight 

 weeks. The general average of condition lias 

 advanced from SO to i)0. Last July there was 

 an improvement of three points — from M) to 

 '.tL'. Itetiuiis of .luly since 1770 have indicated 

 higher condition tlian in June, excei)t in ls71, 

 1S7:'. and 1S71I. The s))ring weather was loo 

 variable in temperature and moisture, as it 

 usually has been in former years, for the high- 

 est condition of the plant. The oidy retro- 

 grade is reported for Arkan.sas, where a loss 

 of three points is made from excessive rain, 

 cool nights and injuries from chinch bugs, red 

 ants and rust. 



A gain of ten points has been made in the 

 northern /one, North Carolina and Tennessee, 

 seven in Georgia, six in South Carolina, four 

 in Texas, three in Mississippi, two in Vir- 

 ginia and one in Florida. Alabama and Loui- 

 siana stand as in June. 



The July State averages as follows : Vir- 

 ginia, S3 ; North Carolina, ill ; South Carolina, 

 01 ; Georgia, 0.3 ; Florida, 0.") ; Alabama, s7 ; 

 Mississippi, SO ; Louisiana, 01 ; Texas, 0.3 ; 

 Arkansas, S4 ; Tennessee, ss. 



Worms have wrought little injury as yet. 

 The cateri)illar has appeared at a few points 

 from South Corolina to Texas. In Butler, 

 Alabama, the second brood of worms ap; 

 peared June 20. The IjoU worm is at work in 

 Denton county, Texas. Picking will com- 

 mence in Southwestern Texas about the 20th 

 of July. 



There has been some improvement in winter 

 wheat in Connecticut, New York, Virginia, 

 South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Indi- 

 ana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Carolina, 

 which advances the general average of condi- 

 tion from 75 to 70. The spring wheat average 

 has advanced from 08 to 100. The indications 

 for July point to a winter wheat crop of fully 

 300,000,000 bushels and a product of about 

 125,000,000 bushels of spring wheat. 



'J'he area of the corn crop has been inci eased 

 about two and a-half million acres, making 

 the aggregate sixty-eight million acres. There 

 has been .someextensionof area in nearly every 

 State. The proportion of increase is large in 

 the Northwest and in the Southwest. On the 

 coast from Virginia to the Mississippi the ad- 

 vance has been small. In some places the re- 

 duction of price, from enlargement of supply 

 last year, had a discouraging effect. 



There has been too much rain in the great 

 Western maize districts and failure of stands 

 from iilantlng poor seed, making the crop 

 late and growth small, but improvement has 

 of late beeu rapid. Taking all the States to- 

 gether, the average for corn is ss, against S5 

 last July, 00 in ISSl and 100 in isso. 



The average of the principal .States are as 

 follows: New York, S4 ; Pennsylvania, S9 ; 

 Ohio, S3 ; Michigan, 73 ; Indiana, 00 ; Illinois. 

 S2; Iowa, SO; Missouri, S2 ; Kansas, 9s ; 

 Nebra,<ka, s7 ; Dakota, 7s. In the South 

 averages range from 00 in Tennes-see to 103 in 

 liOuisiana. 



The prospect for oats is nearly as good as 

 in July of last year, the average being 00 

 against 103. 



The condition of barley is represented by 

 07. Last July, 90. The average in New 

 York is 1(13; in Pennsylvania, 01 ; Wisconsin, 

 luj ; California, 00. 



There has been an increa.se of alxnit five 

 p.>r cent, in the area planted in Nurllieni 

 potatoes. They arc reported in high. con- 

 dition, averaging KJl. 



The area of tobacco api>earo to luivc beeu 

 diniiuishcd 7 i>er cent, ; condition, 05. 



The London agent of the Agricultural De- 

 partment, telegraphed 'Ui Tuesilay ; "Weather 

 first ten days of .Inly hot and forcing. Wheat 

 estimates increasing generally throughout 

 Europe." 



Ueports from a great number of points in 

 the West and Northwest slate that a general 

 change for the better in all the crop pro.spccla 

 has takeu place during the past two weeks, 

 owing to the cessation of rains and the lulvent 

 of hot weather. The spring wheat and oat 

 crops are uimsually promising, and are both 

 n(nv nearly assured. It is believed that the 

 corn crop is rapidly coming up to its condition ' 

 in 1882. 



EASY SOUPS. 



Why is it that so many people think that it 

 is a hard matter to have soup for diimer, and 

 why is it that those who have the most avail- 

 able material for this pur|)Ose often use it the 

 least ? Now, if you are rich enough to have 

 an experienced cook, she will either know 

 how to make a certain mmiber of good 8ou|)8 

 or she will scorn any simple methods you may 

 suggest to her ; but, if you arc not rich— have 

 perhaps only one girl, who is only a good 

 plain cook — there is every ho|>e for you to 

 begin most diiniers with a tivsty and nourish- 

 ing soup. It has been said that a plateful of 

 souo makes a warm place in the stomach for 

 the dinner proiier, and that digestion is much 

 aided thereby. This may be so or not ; but 

 it is only claimed now that it is (jiiod to have 

 .soup for dinner, and that it is ensy to have it, 

 loo. For example, yon need not go to your 

 butcher's and spend fifty or sixty cents for a 

 beef-bone or a knuckle of vciil. Don't you 

 have roast beef once a week— siiy a rib roast ; 

 two or three ribs ? vVhen you had your oue, 

 two or three meals from this, take th(' bones 

 remaining — crack Ihcm if you can, leave them 

 as they are if you can't -abd put them over 

 the lire with say two ipiarts of boiling water. 

 Now you need not lake a big iron pot for this. 

 It is heavy to lift and yovir material does not 

 require it. Some particular housekeepers will 

 exclaim with horror when I say use a large 

 tin saucci>an or skillet. Cover this, and just 

 let those boues cook all day, replenishing 

 with hot water as it boils away. " You can- 

 not have your soup till to-morrow." You 

 ought not to have it till to-morrow. The last 

 thing at night pour off the liipior and throw 

 away the Ixuies. If you wish, strain the 

 soup, which is now what is called slock ; but 

 it will not be very bad if you don't for ino.st 

 of what is undesirable will either sink to the 

 bottom or form a cake of fat on lop. 



Now, fi om lhe.se few bones plea.se make the 

 following : A rice puree, a vegetable soup, 

 a tomato soup, a poUto soup— almost any- 

 thing except a clear soup. It all depends up- 

 on what yon put into it. Have in the house 

 always a bottle of celery salt, some bay leaves 



