so 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[February, 



well harrowed. Now, with a corn-marker, mark off 

 both ways (one with the runners four feet apart is 

 the best). Then with a two horse plow furrow 

 every other mark east and west, if the grove is to be 

 used for a wind break ; if not, either way will do ; 

 [hen drop one nut at each crossing of the marker. 

 Tramping on the nut as dropped to settle it in posi 

 tion is a good plan. Cover with the hoe as deep as 

 potatoes are covered, tramp on each hill. This will 

 leave the trees four feet in the row, with rows 

 eight feet apart. After remarking that the cultiva- 

 tion should be the same as for corn, only continued 

 during the season " so long as the weeds grow," he 

 describes his way of counteracting the tendency of 

 the seedlings to send out side-branches : " My ex 

 perience in cutting them off the first, second or third 

 winter after planting was with a grove of two acres 

 that were cut off close to the ground the third winter 

 after planting. The next spring from six to a dozen 

 sprouts came up from each tree ; these were let grow 

 till eight or ten inches long, then all were broken off 

 but the thriftiest one. All did not start and grow at 

 first; and some that did threw out more shoots. I 

 had to go over them three or four times before they 

 were in good shape. This of course required consid- 

 erable labor. The first season they grew up straight 

 and nice from four to six feet, but the following year 

 the side branches came thick and fast with that pe- 

 culiar inclination the walnut tree has on high prairie 

 land of getting wider than its height. Pruning is the 

 only way to make a nice tree out of a walnut. Still 

 I think the tree will pay for all the labor bestowed 

 upon it." — Kansas Farmer. 



Something About Persimmons — Results of 

 Cultivation. 



" What's them things, mister," asked a country- 

 man of a Fulton Market (New York) fruit dealer, 

 pointing to a peculiar looking fruit about two inches 

 in diameter, of a terra-cotta color, closely resembling 

 an apple in shape, and having a needle like point at 

 one end and something like an acorn cup at the 

 other. 



" Why, these are the celebrated Tennessee per- 

 simmons !" 



" These persimmons," said the dealer to a Tribtme 

 reporter, "came from a farmer near Nashville, 

 Tenn., who makes a specialty of growing them. He 

 finds it a profitable business, and has brought the 

 heretofore almost worthless fruit to a high state Of 

 perfection. The specimens are green, of course, and 

 were sent to me for comparison with the Japanese 

 persimmon. I find them larger, but cannot judge of 

 their flavor until they are ripe, which they are not 

 till bitten by the frost. Frost mellows them and re- 

 moves all astringency, making them as sweet as 

 sugar and of a delicious flavor. 



" The persimmon, indigenous to the South, grows 

 upon small trees seldom exceeding fifty feet in 

 height, and in a wild state the fruit is small and un- 

 attractive, though extremely sweet after frost. Chil- 

 dren are fond of the persimmon, but they are most 

 popular with the 'possum, who walks forth nightly 

 to regale himself and become a victim of the boys 

 and dogs who know just where to find him. A per- 

 simmon tree is a 'possum's Delmonico. Some people 

 have experimented with persimmons in various 

 ways, and I have known them to be dried and 

 pressed, in which condition they eat as well as the 

 dates of Arabia. The farmer from whom these came 

 has realized as much as $10 a bushel for his culti- 

 vated variety, and, I understand, he has devoted, a 

 eoodly portion of his land to a persimmon orchard, 

 with the intention of showing the American people 

 just what can be done with a product which grows 

 in every old field in the southern and central States, 

 and has heretofore been looked upon as little less 

 than a nuisance." 



Cucumber Culture. 



Although the cucumber is pronounced by physi- 

 cians to be very unhealthy, yet it is very generally 

 cultivated; and, in fact, no kitchen garden cau be 

 complete without it. It usually sells for a good 

 price in market, and I, for one, am very fond of it. 



especially in the form of pickles, ir these are put up 

 as they should be. 



My mode of culture is to dig out good sized holes, 

 six feet apart each way, and place about one peck of 

 well-rotted manure in each ; then fill up somewhat 

 higher than the original surface, so that after the 

 dirt settles, it will be about level with the surround- 

 ing ground, and plant eight or ten seeds in each hill. 

 If very dry, I give them a sprinkling each evening 

 after sunset, before they come up as well as through 

 the season, for they are plants which require consid- 

 erable moisture. I hoe often, and after danger from 

 the striped bug is passed, thin to (bur plants in a 

 hill. 



The striped bug, Diabrotica vittata, seems to be a 

 natural enemy of the cucumber, and against him I 

 have tried all sorts of remedies which I have seen 

 recommended. Boxes with tin cloth tacked over the 

 top, are effectual preventives, but if one has many 

 hills, devices of this sort are expensive. The last 

 season I kept vines free from bugs by the use of ashes 

 and kerosene. I moistened the ashes with kerosene 

 and applied a handful to the center of each hill. It 

 seemed to spread too strong an odor for them, and 

 they beat a retreat. After commencing to bear, we 

 look them over every day and gather some for 

 pickles, saving a few of the earliest and most perfect 

 ones for seed, and when they are ripe we pick them 

 off and place them in the sun a few days ; then the 

 seed is taken out, washed clean, dried and put in 

 paper bags for the next spring's planting. 



How to Keep Flowers. 



As a general thing flowers will droop and fade in 

 a day and night; yet there are kinds, like the 

 camelias and eupatoriums, which can be kept longer 

 if the water is changed morning and night, and a 

 few drops of camphor spirits added to it. But if the 

 faded flowers are put into a dish of scalding hot 

 water deep enough to cover one-third of their stems, 

 by the time the water has cooled the flowers will 

 have become fresh and erect. Then cut off the ends 

 of stems and put them into cool water with a small 

 bit of saltpeter in it. Flowers will keep longer in 

 dishes of wet sand than in vases of water. 



For Constant Mignonette, 

 the expert recommends four sowings of the seed, the 

 earliest will soon be here. To have mignonette the 

 year round, it should be sown in February, again in 

 April, in September and October. It is best to grow 

 it in pots first until just ready to bloom, and then 

 transfer to a window box, where the plants can 

 branch out and flower for a long time. For soil in 

 the pots use three parts loam, one part manure, one 

 part leaf-mould. Apply water in the mornings, that 

 the foliage may be dry before night. Thin out the 

 plants as fast as they grow up, until only five are 

 left in the pot ; shade from the sun in the middle of 

 the day, as otherwise the foliage will be discolored. 

 For training, five small stakes can be placed in the 

 pot at equal distances, to which the plants may be 

 tied. In thinning, keep the largest in one pot and 

 the smallest in others, so as to have a succession of 

 bloom. If it is required that some bloom late, pinch 

 off the tops of a few as soon as they begin to flower ; 

 they will break out again and bloom three weeks or 

 a month later. The Reseda odoralo "mache" is a 

 vigorous new species, with massive and fragrant red 

 bloom. 



Household Recipes. 



Scotch Buns help to give variety at the tea table : 

 To one pint of yeast add one quart of lukewarm 

 water, one teacupful of lard and butter mixed, two 

 cups of brown sutrar, one pound of English currants, 

 one pound of raisins ; do not chop the raisins, but 

 cut them in two ])ieces. Beat six eggs very light ; 

 mix the butter and sugar together, then put in the 

 eggs and fruit, put in allspice, cloves and nutmeg ac- 

 cording to your taste; then stir in the yeast and 

 water, and flour enough to make a dough that can 

 be moulded in loaves. Put in long, narrow tins to 



rise. When very light— which will be in from four 

 to five hours — pierce with a silver fork, and bake in 

 a moderate oven for an hour. 



O.iTMEAL FOR Familt Use.— In Great Britain 

 children are raised on oatmeal diet alone because it 

 causes them to grow strong and healthful, and no 

 better food can be found for them ; it is also as de- 

 sirable for the student as the laborer, and for the 

 lady as the servant girl. Indeed, all classes would 

 be benefited by its use, and dyspepsia troubles would 

 all be done away with. Oatmeal is a very substan- 

 tial food ; it is equal to beef or mutton, giving as 

 much or more mental vigor ; it is especially good for 

 nursing mothers. Oatmeal requires to be cooked 

 slowly, and boiling water added as it is needed. 



KiCE Wapples.— Boiled rice, one cup; eggs, 

 three ; butter, one ounce ; sour milk, two cups; salt 

 and soda, one teaspoonful each. Stir the rice to sep- 

 arate the grains well ; add the butter creamed, and 

 the eggs frothed ; dissolve the soda, stir into the 

 milk ; add to the mixture with flour enough to make 

 a batter, rather thick ; heat the waflle irons and rub 

 well with butter; fill three-quarters only, and bake 

 carefully. 



Canned Mushrooms may be served with good ef- 

 fect with game, and even with beefsteak, if prepared 

 in this way : Open the can and pour off every drop 

 of the liquid found ; let the mushrooms drain, then 

 put them in a saucepan with » little cream and but- 

 ter, pepper and salt ; let them simmer gently for 

 from five to ten minutes, and when the meat is on 

 the platter pour the mushrooms over it. If served 

 with steak, that should be very tender, and be 

 broiled, never in any case fried. 



Maryland Pie.— Pare six medium sized potatoes, 

 cover with hot water, and boil until they are soft, 

 mash them with a little milk and salt. Butter a 

 small pudding dish, and put some of the potato 

 around the sides. Lay in slices of cold mutton ; that 

 which is a little rare is best. Put in pepper and salt, 

 a wine glass of catsup, and enough gravy to make 

 the meat quite moist. Cover with mashed potatoe, 

 score it with a knife, and bake in the oven about 

 forty minutes. Just as it begins to brown rub a little 

 butter over the top. 



Little Boy's Porridge.— Two heaping table 

 spoonfuls of Indian meal and a like quantity of 

 flour ; one cup of boiling water ; two cups of hot 

 milk ; one teaspoonful of salt. Wet up flour and 

 meal with a little cold water and stir into the boiling 

 water. Salt to taste, and cook steadily half an hour 

 in a tin vessel set in a pot of hot water, stirring often. 

 Then beat in the milk gaadually, worlftng out all 

 the clots of paste, and cook ten minutes longer. Eat 

 with milk and sugar. 



Chocolate Whips. — One quart of milk; one 

 (ounce) square of Baker's chocolate ; one generous 

 half cupful of sugar ; six eggs ; a little salt. Scrape 

 the chocolate fine and put it in a small frying-pan 

 with two tablespoon fuls of the sugar and one of 

 boiling water. When dissolved, add it to a pint and 

 a half of the milk, which should be hot in the double 

 boiler. Beat the eirgs and remainder of the sugar 

 together, add the cold milk, and stir into the boiling 

 milk. Stir constantly until it begins to thicken. Add 

 the salt, and set away to cool. Season one pint of 

 cream with two tablespoonfuls of sugar and half a 

 teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Whip to a stiff froth. 

 When the custard is cold, half fill the glasses with 

 it and heap whipped cream upon it. Or it can be 

 served in one large dish with the whipped cream on 

 top. 



South Carolina Patter Podding. — Beat up 

 four eggs thoroughly ; add to them a pint of milk 

 and a reasonable pinch of salt. Sift a teacupful 

 of flour and add it grWually to the milk and eggs, 

 beating lightly the while. Then pour the whole 

 mixture through a fine wire strainer into the tin in 

 which it is to be boiled. This straining is imperative. 

 The tin must be perfectly plain and must have a 

 tight-fitting cover ; the least bit of steam getting at 

 the pudding would spoil it. The potfol of boiling 



