296 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



A "CEL4FFING" MACHINE. 



In your issue of April 27th, there is an article 

 pertaining to the corn crop, by "K. 0.," in 

 which he speaks of a "Chaffing Machine." If the 

 machine does what he claims it will, it certainly 

 is a valuable addition to a farm. Is there any ma- 

 chine near ? What is the cost of the machine ? 

 If you have seen it work, please Avrite what you 

 think of it. E. S. Fletcher. 



Whitinsville, April, 1861. 



Remarks. — We suppose a common hay or 

 straw cutter is meant. The one referred to by 

 "K. 0.," we know nothing of. It may be one of 

 the several kinds in common use. 



AN ECONOMICAL HEN HOUSE. 



Will you or any of your readers describe an 

 economical and well-constructed hennery for keep- 

 ing fifty to one hundred hens, and oblige. 



A Subscriber. 



South Deerjield, Mass., 1861. 



Remarks. — In the course of a few weeks we 

 will comply with the above request. 



A New Weeding Wheel Hoe. — We have 

 been using, for a few days past, a new wheel hoe, 

 which, for weeding between rows of vegetables 

 in the garden, or any light work to which such an 

 implement is adapted, is the best we have yet 

 seen. It has but one wheel, and that guides the 

 cutter and enables the operator to move the im- 

 plement along easily and with facility. The cut- 

 ting part is a thin plate of steel which may be 

 raised or lowered at pleasure, and when broken 

 or run out, replaced at trifling cost. It is the in- 

 vention of Mr. B. F. Taft, of South Groton, 

 which will prove a valuable aid to the gardener, 

 and will be especially acceptable to lady garden- 

 ers. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



A SIMPLE CUBE FOR THE ROSE-PESTS. 



[We have received the following note from Mr. 

 James H. Park, an experienced florist in Brook- 

 lyn. The simple remedy which Mr. Park, sug- 

 gests has been tested by him in his skillful treat- 

 ment of his own plants.] 



To the Editors of the Independent : — The grow- 

 ers of roses in and around our cities have many 

 pests to contend with, chiefly owing to the scar- 

 city of their natural enemies, the birds. 



First in the season, on the early shoots come 

 myriads of the "green fly." With the young buds 

 comes a voracious little black-headed caterpillar, 

 which weaves itself a retreat among the tender 

 leaves, and has a decided penchant for "sweet lit- 

 tle buds," a bunch of which he can readily dis- 

 pose of for breakfast. Then comes the "Thrip," 

 a diminutive white fly, which can easily be seen 

 by shaking the branches. This little pest punc- 

 tures the leaves underneath, causing them to be- 

 come speckled with white, and destroying their 



vitality to a great extent. With it comes the 

 "Strip-worm," of late years especially destruc- 

 tive. It is a small green worm, and feeds under- 

 neath the leaves, stripping them to the scarf-skin, 

 not only disfiguring the plants, but destroying 

 their growth for the season. 



To cure all these ills the rose is heir to, it is 

 only necessary to syringe the plants, say once in 

 two weeks, with an infusion of ailanthus leaves — 

 which I have made in the following manner, but 

 which may probably be improved upon by vary- 

 ing the quantities : Take as many young leaves 

 or shoots of ailanthus as can be pressed into half 

 the depth of a common pail. Pour on boiling 

 water till the pail is full. Let the water stand 

 fifteen minutes, then pour it oS", and add to it 

 about thrice the quantity of clean water, which 

 use when cold. Syringe thoroughly, particularly 

 under the leaves, and begin early in the season, 

 before the enemy has his vantage-ground taken. 



This I have found to be an eff'ective remedy, 

 without injuring the plants. How it effects "Red 

 Spider," I have had no opportunity of testing. 

 There is little doubt, however, that it would keep 

 the measuring-worm from our street trees, if ap- 

 plied in good time. 



I believe a chemist might prepare from the ai- 

 lanthus leaves and flowers a decoction which 

 would be most valuable to all gardeners through- 

 out the year. The above receipt is too valuable 

 for any lover of flowers to reserve exclusively to 

 himself, and as the remedy is cheap enough, I 

 hope those who have suffered from the insects will 

 not fail to apply it ; so that, even in the city, we 

 may have good roses, and green leaves with them, 

 throughout the season. A writer in the Tribune 

 suggests the importation of house-sparrows as a 

 remedy for street-worms ; but these sparrows are 

 seed-feeding birds, and though they may vary 

 their repasts a little, as domestic animals and 

 birds are apt to, 1 question after many years' in- 

 timacy with them if they would touch so tough 

 and ugly a customer as the measuring-worm. 



STEWED BEEF. 



Housewives who are in a habit of using only 

 steaks and roasts, make a great mistake. A 

 capital dish may be made out of the "chuck" aa 

 the butchers call it, or the neck, when well pre- 

 pared. Select a piece of meat as large as the de- 

 mand of your table may require, wash it well to 

 remove all the blood or soil from the outside, 

 have your dinner pot perfectly clean, salt and 

 pepper the meat well, lay it in the bottom and 

 cover it with water ; boil it from two to three 

 hours, or till it is thoroughly tender ; add half an 

 onion, a sprinkle of sage, thyme or summer savory. 



If the meat is fat, let the water all stew out a 

 half hour before it is put on the table, and when 

 your meat is browned well on the lower side in 

 the gravy, turn it over and brown the other side. 

 When ready, take it up, add a little flour thick- 

 ening to the gravy, or if you have a dredge box 

 shake the flour into the hot gravy and brown it, 

 then add boiling water, and you will have a dish 

 equal, and to my mind superior to the common 

 roast beef, upon boarding-house tables. 



Care must be used to turn it ; and equally ne- 

 cessary is good judgment in having it thoroughly 

 well-cooked. — Field Notes. 



