1861. 



THE 1111X018 FAKMEK. 



229 



doubtless the safest with this class of bank- 

 ers, while bankers who are lenders and not 

 borrowers will always be safe, for if they lose 

 their whole capital no one else is injured 

 thereby. Nearly the whole class of so-called 

 savings banks are a swindle on community, 

 from the Dyott swindle down to the lowest 

 batch of sixpenny depositors. It is aston- 

 ishing what confidence our people put in the 

 cabalistic characters, B-a-n-k — with us it is 

 more nearly synonomous with swindler. Four 

 times within the past twenty years have we 

 had our little all of deposits of current funds 

 closed in with the words " bank 'shut; '' in 

 most cases we have ultimately recovered the 

 amount, but always at a great inconvenience. 

 In addition to this, fives and tens have lost 

 their value; in our hands by the act of some 

 swindling banker. We have made it a prac- 

 tice for some years past to keep the stufi" 

 moving, and not sleep on anything less valu- 

 able than the coin itself. Our Grerman 

 friends are more wary in regard to 

 what they take in exchange for their 

 products, and generally turn their cur- 

 rency into coin at the current rates of 

 exchange, and more especially if they are 

 preparing for some distant payment. A few 

 dollars lost in this way often proves a large 

 gain ; certainly they run no further risk of 

 depreciation. We would advise our farmers 

 to always take home the coin, if they do pay 

 a small pi'emium for it, it will always be sale 

 and will purchase goods better than the pa- 

 per, though nominally at par. No one should 

 touch any paper money unless it is promptly 

 redeemed or can be easily and- cheaply con- 

 verted into coin. Our Illinois banks were 

 conceived in sin and brought forth in iniqui- 

 ty, yet much of the late disaster was caused 

 by the unrelenting war of the newspapers 

 upon their issues. The Wisconsin banks 

 were no better, yet the course of the press 

 in sustaining them, and an honest determi- 

 nation to make them better, will ultimately 

 carry them through the trial. A large num- 

 ber of our own banks are equally good, but 

 like the frog in the fable they dare not put 



their heads above water. If by sweeping 

 the whole race from ofi" the earth would give 

 us a specie currency we would say amen to 

 it and cheerfully stand our share of the los8, 

 but of this we have no more hopes than of 

 putting an end to drunkenness j both are 

 evils fastened to our social system that we 

 can only partially muzzle, and the only way 

 is for each individual to keep out of the 

 way of their bite. 



[For the Illiacis Farmer.] 



To Preserve Specimen Fruits in Brine. 



Ed. Farmer — Dear Sir: Toar favor is at hand, 

 and I take pleasure in giving you my practice in 

 regard to the preservation of specimen fruits in 

 brine. I take a bucket, tut , or other convenient 

 wooden vessel, put in my fruit and fill it nearly 

 full of rain water ; I then spread two thicknesses 

 of cloth over it and lay on salt, which is renewed 

 from time to time, until the brine is almost as 

 strong as it can be ; in fact, the stronger the bet- 

 ter. The peaches are transferred to jars, and 

 the brine put on them. If the brine does not ap- 

 pear strong enough I put into the jar a small 

 quantity of salt. 



In sealing up the jars use two thicknesses of 

 cloth dipped in melted beeswax and resin, put 

 on hot, over which the cover is pressed on firmly 

 without any regard to air in the jar. The peaches 

 being under the brine, of course the air cannot 

 reach them. It requires from four to five days 

 to have them well cured before sealing up. 

 Yours truly, 



Clark Chatton. 



Payson, Adams Co., July 7, 18G1, 



Remarks. — Visitors at the last State Fair will 

 remember the fine show of peaches presented by 

 Mr. Chatton. These fruits retained their origi- 

 nal beauty and plumpness. Mr. C. has promis» 

 ed to give us instruction in regard to his discov- 

 ery, when we visit him, which we intend to do 

 soon. A more ready way to make the brine 

 would be to dissolve the salt in hot water, let it 

 settle and pour ofi^, when it will be ready for- 

 use. We would euggest this mode as a decidecu 

 saving of labor. In this way fruit could be at 

 once put in the jars and filled up with the brine,, 

 a supply of which could be kept on hand ready 

 for use, and as the brine is absorbed by the fruit 

 the jar can be filled up, though not to be filled up 

 until the fruit is cured, or simply saturated. Salt 



