24=4= 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
The Miaaer Plum. — A call foriuformation 
on this variety has brought out a number of replies— all 
too long to publish. We have three histories of its 
origin, all different, but all agree in their testimony as to 
its health and hardiness. Mr. N. C. Goldsmith, Middle- 
town, N. Y., sums it up as follows : " The fruit is not of 
exquisite flavor, and the skin is a little tough. The tree 
is hardy, healthy, thrifty, long lived, ornamental, regu- 
larly productive, and begins to bear two or three years 
after transplanting ; the fruit almost uniformly fair, good 
size, good flavor, retaining its firmness and flavor, and 
never injured by the curculio." It is but right to say 
that, while we have a number of letters in favor of this 
plum, we have two letters by those who say that it is 
only the common "Wild Plum. "We hope those who 
offer to send us specimens of the fruit will remember it 
next autumn. 
"Wasted r Jnaiiifi<lca".— The London Garden- 
er's Chronicle criticises the taste of a catalogue of one of 
our seed venders, and says : " We question whether any 
respectable English firm would have the bad taste to 
issue such an advertisement as that we subjoin, and 
which is token from a trans-Atlantic seed catalogue. 11 
Now, it happens that the catalogue in question is pub- 
lished by one who was born and brought np in England. 
He showed his good taste by coming to this country, and 
perhaps after a while he will forget the things brought 
np to, and not again offend his former brothers. 
Pears in Maine. — The Maine Farmer ad- 
vises farmers, and fruit growers in general, to abandon 
pears and plant apples instead. It says : " You can buy, 
in a few years, from the product of the apple trees, more 
pears than you can possibly raise by setting out pear 
trees, and do it, too, at a much less expense." But if 
fruit growers, in general, do not raise pears, in what mar- 
ket shall the Maine Farmer buy or exchange ? Is the case 
really so discouraging ? 
Orchards oei Gravel* — J. C, Sacramento 
Co., Cal., writes : " In the January number an ' Old Sub- 
scriber ' asks, ' What can be done with a piece of land, 
formerly good, but now covered 4 feet with creek gravel V 
If the gravel is not too coarse, why not set fruit trees on 
it ? Most of the best orchards about Placerville, Eldorado 
Co., are set out on ground formed by laying in a brush dam 
aud stopping the tailings that run from the miners 1 sluice 
boxes, which is nothing but slum, or sediment and 
gravel. It invariably makes fine trees. 11 
Asparagus.—" Subscriber," Woodbury, N. 
J., asks : " Why will Long Island and Pennsylvania aspar- 
agus bring more in market than that from New Jersey? 
In Philadelphia, last week, the one was selling at 25 and 
30 cents per bunch, (retail,) and the other at 50 cents. I 
am aware that in Pennsylvania it is cut near the surface 
of the ground, and Jersey asparagus is cut as far below as 
possible, .tie first looking green, the latter of course 
mostly white. 1 ' Our correspondent is one of those rare 
querists who answers his own questions. Every one who 
knows anything about asparagus, will pay twice as much 
for the green as he will for the white. Blanching is a very 
good thing for celery, but a very poor one for asparagus. 
Soap and Candles. — A useful book of 193 
pages, l'2mo., on the Art of Manufacturing Soaps aud Can- 
dles of all sorts, by Dr. Ott, has just been published by 
Lindsay & Blakiston, of Philadelphia. Though it con- 
tains many valuable aud interesting facts, and would give 
a novice a pleasant insight into these arts, yet it strikes 
us as being adapted to be most useful to practical soap and 
candle men than to others. In the minor matter of lan- 
guage, there occur several rather funny blunders. The 
reader will be surprised to see, for instance, that 
"Potassa" (potash) li is called in commerce, 11 among 
other names, " hydrated protoxide of potassium," and the 
soap boiler, in his apron and paper cap, will hardly recog- 
nise himself under the title of " Savonnier. 11 However, 
we must say the book gives evidence that the author has 
pretty thoroughly "read up" on the subject, and con- 
densed many valuable facts in a neatly printed and well 
illustrated volume. 
Patent Brooms, — Broom corn brush fur- 
nishes an admirable material for house brooms. The 
hair brooms of Europe disappear before them, or are re- 
tained only for special uses. The desirableness of some 
contrivance which shall do away with the necessity of 
transporting and marketing the long handle is obvious, 
as also of one which shall enable any person, who can 
raise or obtain the brush, to fill his own brooms as they 
wear out. with fresh brushes. That gross impositions 
have been practised in vending patent brooms and 
11 rights,' 1 we doubt not. and have been the more cau- 
tious and thorough in investigating the merits of a new 
one. Silvers Patent Broom, so far, |s the beat brought 
to our notice. It consists of a "loop" of maleable iron, 
terminating in a shank with a screw thread cut upon it, 
a brass cap, and broom stick, or handle, with a ferruled 
end. Into the loop the thin shaved stems of the brush 
are thrust from one side and the other, until it is full ; 
over this the cap is drawn, the screw shank protruding ; 
this is screwed into the handle, and holds all fast. The 
brooms have been tested by several months' use in our 
families, and the writer has, without instruction, and 
with entire ease, prepared the brash and filled the brooms 
to his perfect satisfaction. The ladies pronounce the 
brooms much superior in elasticity and durability to the 
old ones, and they are adopted as a family institution. 
For other information, see advertisement. 
Temperature for Churning;. — J. L. 
Philips. In cold weather the cream should be about 05°, 
not higher, when you begin churning. In warm weather 
62° is about right, for in the course of the operation 
the temperature will rise, but should not get above 67°. 
Avoid adding much of either hot or cold water to secure 
the proper degree of warmth. 
IPatent I5a*oom and I>iast Fan. — Mr. 
J. S. Clough has done a good job for housekeepers, and 
they will all rise up and call him blessed as soon as they 
add these to their household furniture. These two articles, 
so wont to pull apart, are happily wedded, and hang by 
one ring upon the nail. The handle of the brush is a little 
longer than the handle of the tin pan, through which it 
passes, and the twain are one, for hanging up. The pan 
is improved by a lip, bent down a little, making it easier 
to gather up the dust. 
THae IPatent ISladkiiag- Brush Hold- 
er is another bright idea by the same inventive genius. 
It is a tin cylinder box, about three inches in diameter, 
and seven or eight inches long, fitted to hold boot brush 
and blacking. This is a nice traveling companion, and 
also very " handy to have in the house. 11 
Tllntaaal Exchange. — C. R Do farmers 
ever think of the vast amount they might gain annually, 
by a system of general exchange of fruits and flowers with 
their near neighbors, (and distant ones by mail ?) I speak 
more particularly of small fruits. Suppose one fanner 
had an abundance of one kind of fruit only, (say Lawton 
blackberry). By exchanging it with a half dozen others, 
who possessed some of his " heart's desire," he would 
find himself far better off, and no money spent either, but 
a trifling amount in postage, at the rate of eight cents per 
pound. I think farmers should make known their wants 
through the press, stating, at the same time, what they 
could exchange for the same. 
Milch Cows and I>airy Farming. 
— The receipt of a copy of this excellent work from the 
publishers, indicates that their presses are running again, 
to supply the demand. The binding is modern and 
neat. "We have it as a standard work on our list. 
To Separate Honey from Wax. — 
Mrs. L. A. Muller. Put the honey, comb and all, in a tin 
pan, on, or in, a moderately warm stove, adding to each 
pound of honey a tablespoonful of water. Stir it occa- 
sionally with a piece of wire ; if anything large is used 
there will be an accumulation of dirty, cold wax continu- 
ally added to the hot mass. "When the contents of the 
pan are perfectly liquid — it must not boil— set it where it 
can cool undisturbed. Then take a knife, and pass it 
carefully around the pan, to detach the cake of wax, etc., 
on the top. and rapidly, with great care, lift off the cake. 
Don't let it drain into the pan an instant, but place in 
another utensil. Any one thus clarifying honey will find, 
on putting aside the cake of wax, that every particle of 
impurity, that would have to be strained from the honey, 
will have adhered to the cake of wax. and nothing re- 
mains beneath but the golden-colored honey, clear as 
water. If the honey should, in time, candy, heat it again 
with a very little water and white sugar. Keep in jars, 
tied up, in a cool place. Break up the wax cake and 
wash in cold water till cleansed from the honey. Then 
melt and strain it. To bleach the wax, boil it, after 
straining, for an hour, in plenty of water, in which use a 
few drops of chloride of soda. When quite cold, lift off 
the wax and leave it to dry and whiten in the open air. 
Aj>pletom"s American Annual En- 
cyclopedia. — The new American Encyclopedia is well 
known. From the time of its completion, about I860, its 
publishers have issued an annual volume in similar style — 
large double columned octavo pages, in fair type, con- 
taining 800 pages, more or less, in each volume. These 
are a general history of the most notable tilings Which 
come to pass in the world for the year, and from an Amer- 
ica]] aild popular stand poi'M, Tho range of euojeoU l« 
limitless, but such are chosen as are of most general in- 
terest and importance : wars and political changes, edu- 
cation, philanthropy, religion, science, art, manufactures, 
mines, obituaries, literature, law", medicine and philoso- 
phy, in short anything that affects the history of the day. 
Many of the most important United States public docu- 
ments are given in full, and, as a contemporaneous his- 
tory of our own country, the Annual Encyclopedia has, and 
will have, great value. The volume for 1S66 is just out. 
Tightening the Screws on Do^'s. — 
Massachusetts has amended her dog law, making it $15 
fine to keep an unlicensed dog ; $5 to go to the informer, 
and making it incumbent on police officers to kill all such 
dogs. Sheep will stand some chance in the old Bay State. 
Rat Preminms. — An Ohio County Agri- 
cultural Society offers a premium of £10 for the greatest 
number of rat tails, not less than one thousand strong, on 
a string. The rats to be caught by one family between 
March 15, 1S67, and the time of the fair. "We like this 
idea, and commend it to the attention of our agricultural 
societies. The depredations of these animals are a heavy 
tax npon our farmers, amounting to millions every year. 
The premiums would stimulate the boys to great activity 
in destroying them. The Norway rat was a terrible pres- 
ent to this country. 
Sheep as £*aTvn Mowers. — In a recent 
ride through the Central Park, we were struck with the 
exceeding beauty and freshness of the large lawn near 
the Mall, where scores of South Downs were quietly feed- 
ing, adding picturesqueness to the scene, while they pur- 
sued their utilitarian labors. Downing quite early called 
the attention of rural improvers to this use of sheep. 
They would not, perhaps, in any case, entirely save the 
use of the mower, but after two or three cuttings in the 
early summer, they would keep the lawn in passable con- 
dition for the rest of the season. But this is only one 
item in their use. They return to the soil what grows 
npon it, with important additions, and would save the ex- 
pense of all other top dressing. Sheep will keep good 
land constantly improving. They also form an element 
of beauty in any landscape, and when they have done 
serving the eye, they go to serve the table. 
To Keep Meat Almost as Ooocl as 
Fresli for a iiOng 'JTiiue.— Mrs. L. A. Muller. Take 
enough water to cover the meat, make it moderately salt, 
and to each bucketful of water — the common wooden 
bucket — take one large tablespoonful of sulphite of lime, 
and one teaspoonful of saltpetre. It is all-important to 
keep every particle of meat under water by a press. Soak 
the meat in fresh water over night, before using it. and it 
will be almost as good as fresh. I found veal kept in this 
way, at the end of six weeks, as good as when first butch- 
ered, and beef, at the end of ten weeks, fresh enough to 
make excellent soup and roasts. As the season advances, 
and the heat increases, use more of the sulphite. 
Re-packing; Salt I*oa-l*. — W. "Williams. 
Exposure to the air was undoubtedly the cause of the 
spoiling of the meat in removal. We would not have 
pork five minutes out of the brine, if we could help it, he- 
fore it is cooked. In changing from one vessel to another 
there is a good deal of exposure. The only safety for 
j)ork is in packing it in good, clean barrels, with plenty 
of salt, as close as possible, and in keeping it covered 
with brine till used. Pork is often spoiled through the 
carelessness of servants. Keep a board and weight upon 
it constantly, and do not fail to look at the barrel every 
time you visit the cellar, if yon want sweet pork. If the 
brine is not strong enough, add more salt on top. "We 
always keep two or three inches of coarse salt on top. 
The bottom will always take care of itself. 
SowiHBg' Barley Early.— J. S. C, of Vt., 
objects to this practice, and says that he sowed May 1st, 
and got 4}/ 2 bushels to the acre, while that sowed June 
10th yielded 25 bushels. One swallow does not make a 
summer, and Vermont, though a great State, is a little too 
far north to be a rule for the whole country. It is quite 
possible that late sowing may be advisable in colder cli- 
mates. We shall be glad to have any facts which our cor- 
respondents may have, bearing upon this point. 
Chess Again. — "M. N.," Annapolis, 111., 
■wishes us to say something about the conversion of wheat 
into chess, or cheat. We have only space to briefly sum 
np the subject : While chess often appears in places where 
wheat was expected to grow, there is not the slightest 
proof that the one changes into the other, and. as far as 
negative evidence can go, all the authentic experiments 
to.convcrt wheat into chess have proved failures. When 
we can be shown anything like a transition, a plant that 
is pari wheat and part CheSs, we shall be Willing to ft! tenia 
tUo subject, but, until ttfen. we con uee our epaog better", 
