246 



THE ILLmOIS FARMER. 



Atjgttst 



The Committee on Wines beg leave to re ort 

 the following samples on exhibition : Catawba, 

 Concord and Virginia Seedling, from the vineyard 

 of G. C. Eisenmeyer, Esq., of Mascotah, Illinois, of 

 vintage of 1863. The first your committee consid- 

 ered equal if not superior to any Catawba vine yet 

 presented: — "Virginia Seedling," not so well 

 known, but promising to become still more of a fa 

 vorite from its resemblance to the old varieties of 

 Port aud Maderia. "Concord" makes a light, pleas- 

 ant wine of not much body. Samples of Catawba 

 from frosted grapes, by W. T. Miller, Esq. This 

 although earlier in the season promised to do 

 something, is now worthless — '|/?a^ stale and un- 

 profitable." 



Samples of blackberry wine by C. W. Dimmock, 

 injured by too warm a cellar. 



Currant wine made in 1863 by H. G. McPike, 

 Esq., from three lbs. of sugar to one gallon of 

 juice, quality very good. Wine improves by age. 



Currant do. exhibited by W. C. Flagg, Esq.; 

 made one gallon juice, 2 do. water, T lbs. sugar, 

 very fine, 14 years old ; very rarely found in this 

 vicinity. 



Samples of Catawba contributed by H. Kuenster 

 of Monroe county, injured by transportation in 

 warm weather. Quality could not be judged of by 

 the committee. 



Dr. Hull inquired as to the productiveness of the 

 Norton's Virginia, Had understood it yielded but 

 200 gallons to the acre, whilst the Concord produ- 

 ces 600 and the Catawba 800 gallons. 



Mr. Miller said a late Patent Office Report did 

 not give such figures, but gave a larger yield to 

 the Norton's Virginia than to the Concord. 



The Investigating Committee being called upon, 

 Mr. Riehl criticised Mr. Miller"s former method of 

 planting grape vines in holes. Would plant no- 

 thing in deep holes, would recommend entire pul- 

 verization of the soil and subsoil. In this connec- 

 tion he would recommend for the bluffs a side hill 

 plow he had procured from Cincinnati. It had 

 proved very satisfactory in its working. Cost here 

 about $20. In terracing the hills he believes the 

 triangular scraper described in the Rural Register 

 for 1864 would do excellent work. 



Dr. Hull recommended root pruning as an effec- 

 tual remedy for the blight which he saw was here 

 doing some injury. 



Adjourned to meet at Jonathan Huggins' on the 

 Woodburn road, on Friday, August 5th, at 10 

 o'clock a. m. 



Above we give another statement of the proceed, 

 ings of the Alton Horticultural Society. For these 

 favors we are indebted to that ever active friend 

 of Horticulture W. C. Flagg, who sends us slips 

 rom the Alton Telegraph of that city. — Ed. 



BAKES & FHILIiIl:S 



PUBLISHERS. 



M. L. DUNLAP, Kditor. 

 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, AUGUST, 1864. 



Michigan Board of Agriculture. — Sanford 

 Howard, late editor of the Boston Cultivator, has 

 accepted the Secretaryship of this Board and has 

 entered upon its active duties. We congratulate 

 the farmers of Michigan in having the affairs of 

 the college in such good hands. We have no 

 doubt that they will make good practical progress. 



—•- 



Tab Purpls Cans Raspberry has proved too 

 soft to send a long distance to market with cer- 

 tainty. It will sour in twenty-four hours, if boxed 

 up close, should the weather prove hot When it 

 can reach the consumer in that time it will give 

 good satisfaction. 



Comstock's Rotary Spader. — We learn that no 

 spaders will be made for the autumn work, but 

 that it is expected that all demands will be met by 

 the spring of 1865. Implements costing two hun- 

 dred dollars each, cannot be made to supply the 

 millions at once. The few that have been made 

 have come from shops doing miscellaneons work ; 

 but it is found that it will require an immense es- 

 tablishmant to do the work, and that the machinery 

 roust be adapted exactly to this end. This is an en- 

 couraging state of things in regard to the spader. 

 W^e again repeat that all useful implements are 

 slowly yet surely introduced to the notice of the 

 public. While some humbug churn or rattletrap 

 cultivator will travel through the land, creating a 

 sensation to sell rights, the really useful make slow 

 but sure headway ; and while the one is forgotten 

 the other gains a foothold from which it only re- 

 tires to give place to still further improvements. 



Pickles. — H. A. Sheldon, Middlebury, Vt, says 

 after trying numerous plans he has adopted the 

 followii'g as thejjest way to pickle cucumbers : — 

 "Put them in very strong brine for forty-eight 

 hours, and from that direct into eider vinegar, add- 

 ing spice and pepper to suit. They are good in 

 three weeks and keep two years sound and crisp." 



All should remember that the cider vinegar 

 made in cities at vinegar factories, is made Of 

 whisky, water and tartaric acid or cream of tartar . 

 to make it moire pungent sulphuric acid is used.— 

 As this acid is the cheapest of the three, it is often 

 used to excess. When it is present in the vinegar 

 it will destroy the pickles in a short time ; it is 

 therefore dangerous to use it. Farmers should use 

 none but pure cider vinegar or that made from 

 whisky and molasses. No cream of tartar or tar- 

 taric acid should be used. 



