1S62. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



535 



cot^-ledons below the surface of the soil. It is 

 well knoM'n that the germ is in the upper end of 

 the pit, and the tree, when formed, can only be 

 straight when the pit stands erect to germinate ; 

 otherwise the parts below the surfece of the 

 ground will be crooked, and if split when one 

 year old, the pith will be found to have changed 

 color just below the earth-color. If any of the 

 pits should foil to germinate the rows may be 

 filled up by transplanting. By this mode the nur- 

 sery rows will be formed at the outset, and the 

 plants will be ready for budding in due season. 

 — Working Farmer. 



HEADING LATE CABBAGES. 

 It sometimes happens, either through the late- 

 ness of the season, or neglect in early planting, 

 that cabbages do not head completely before cold 

 weather sets in. These are often fed out to cat- 

 tle, or thrown away, while by a little care they 

 might be made to head during the fall and early 

 winter. To accomplish this, proceed as follows : 

 First, make a wide trench and transplant the cab- 

 bages into it, setting them together in a triple 

 row. At each end of the row, drive in a crotched 

 stake, and lay a rail from one to the other, to form 

 a ridge-pole a foot or more above the cabbages. 

 Make a roof of old boards or slabs, one end rest- 

 ing on the pole, and the other on the ground, so 

 as to shed water. Over this, lay a little straw, 

 six or more inches thick, and when winter sets in, 

 put on as many inches of earth, making the sur- 

 face smooth and hard, so as to be nearly rain 

 proof. At each end of the row, leave a ventilat- 

 ing hole, which must be loosely filled with straw 

 in cold v.-eather. Cabbages so managed, will con- 

 tinue to grow, and will fill up their heads consid- 

 erably before midwinter. When taken out in 

 spring, they will be tender, crisp and beautifully 

 blanched. — American Agriculturist. 



Brackett's Seedling Grape. No. 1. — We 

 have had the pleasure of tasting this fine fruit and 

 desire to call the attention of our readers to the 

 description of it, given by the Committee of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society in their re- 

 port, which will be found in Mr. Brackett's adver- 

 tisement in this paper. In addition to what the 

 committee say of it, we will add that it is a very 

 large size grape, growing in large bunches, fre- 

 quently weighing a pound, and often shouldered, 

 though not always. This grape was the result of 

 careful hybridization, and while the vine has every 

 characteristic of the native variety, securing it 

 hardiness and vigor, the fruit possesses the rich 

 and vinous qualities of the foreign grape. Among 

 the many new varieties of this fruit which are be- 

 ing introduced, we have yet seen none which sur- 

 pass this one, and it is so incomparably above the 

 specimens of native grapes which are so frequent- 

 ly sent us, that no comparison can be made be- 

 tween them. It is far cheaper to bestow the care 

 and labor of transplanting and training a vine, 

 upon one such plant as this, than to attempt to 

 raise a good fruit by casting the same attention 



upon a seedling from the woods. We bespeak for 

 the seedling of Mr. Brackett the share of atten- 

 tion which it merits, and shall have more to say of 

 it in future. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BECEIPTS. 



Perhaps a few well tried receipts will be of some 

 help to the numerous readers of the Farmer. 



TOMATO PICKLE. 



Take hard, green tomatoes ; wipe, slice and 

 sprinkle them over with fine salt. Let them stand 

 twelve or fourteen hours, then pour off the water 

 that has collected. Boil in good, sharp vinegar, 

 with a bag of spices, some whole mustard and a 

 few pieces of nutmeg ; strain the vinegar or not, 

 just as you choose, and put in the tomatoes ; boil 

 them till soft, skim them out very carefully into a 

 jar, so as not to mash the pieces up, and pour the 

 boiling vinegar over them. Keep in a cool place, 

 but do not freeze, as it will spoil it. 



SWEET PICKLE. 



Take peaches, pears, tomatoes, grapes or plums 

 ripe, but not soft, and peel them. Prepare vine- 

 gar by putting in brown sugar enough to make it 

 to suit the taste, and boiling in all kinds of spice, 

 clove in particular. Put in the fruit and boil till 

 tender, being very careful not to break it. Take 

 it out when tender and boil the syrup down very 

 thick and pour over the fruit. Eat with meat or 

 bread and butter. It will be found delicious. 



TOMATO FOR WINTER USE. 



Take nice ripe tomatoes, scald and remove the 

 skins, put in a pan and boil till all soft, then hav- 

 ing placed bottles in cold water and heated it to 

 a boil, pour your tomato into the hot bottles, and 

 seal with wax, made of resin and a little beeswax. 

 Seal hot. When wanted, open the bottle, pour 

 the tomato into a saucepan, put in a small piece 

 of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, two great 

 spoonfuls of sugar and a little pepper ; heat to a 

 boil, and eat with dinner or tea. If the bottles 

 are well sealed, the tomato will be found as nice 

 in Januaiy as it is now, and if you lose it, you 

 lose nothing but your labor and the tomato, the 

 Jixins not being in. Sarah. 



West Amesbury, 1862. 



Crinoline among the Orientals. — The 

 French papers publish accounts of the expedition 

 of M. Lambert to Madagascar. Its object being 

 primarily the spread of civilization and toleration, 

 the envoy took out for the princesses of that island 

 an abundant stock of crimson robes, having skirts 

 resplendent with embroidery, sent by her imperial 

 Majesty. But the object of universal interest 

 among the fair was the expanding crinoline, which 

 took everything else down, the only question being 

 whether it should be worn above or beneath the 

 dress. A French officer says that one of Ra- 

 dama's daughters decided on wearing the "cage" 

 on the outside, and probably that will be the 

 fashion in Madagascar. 



