218 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
avoiding washing it, unless really necessary ; fill 
the cans full, and pour in a syrup, made by boiling 
together good white, or better, refined sugar, and 
water. We use one pound of sugar to a pint of 
water. Those putting up fruit for marketing say 
that so much sugar shrinks the fruit, and does 
not leave so good a flavor as if only i lb, or even 
£ lb. of sugar be used to the pint of water. A 
small amount of. syrup will fill the spaces be¬ 
tween the fruit. It is to be poured in scalding 
hot. Let the cans be entirely filled with it. 
Next put on the cover and screw it down, but 
not tightly. Then set the can, or cans into a 
common wash-boiler, or other convenient vessel, 
containing hot water enough to nearly cover them, 
and keep the water boiling for about fifteen min¬ 
utes. Lift them out and remove the cover quick¬ 
ly, that the steam may escape in a volume, and 
carry off with it the most of the inclosed airthat- 
was held in the syrup, and in and around the 
fruit. The cap should remain off but a few sec¬ 
onds, and then screwed on loosely as before, and 
the can returned to the boiling water for four or 
five minutes, or until it is well heated. Then take 
it out and quickly screw down the cover as close¬ 
ly as possible with the aid of the wrench that 
goes with the cans. While still hot, pour over the 
top of the cans some melted bees-wax, to cover 
every possible opening, and let it cool. You may 
then set the cans away in almost any place, and 
depend upon finding, after six months or a year, 
a nice lot of fresh berries, retaining all their na¬ 
tural aroma and deliciousness. The sugar used 
will sweeten them just about enough for the ta¬ 
ble. 
Peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, quinces, ap¬ 
ples, &c., may all be put up in the same manner. 
The pits should be removed from peaches,and cher¬ 
ries are all the better for being first stoned, besides 
the advantage of getting more fruit into a can. 
It is, perhaps, better with all these fruits, except 
peaches, to cook them in the cans five or ten 
minutes longer than recommended for the berries. 
The main object of cooking at all is to expel the 
inclosed air. They may all be heated the requir¬ 
ed time out of the cans, and poured in, boiling 
hot, making the cans even full, and sealing them 
up at once ; but boiling them inside the cans re¬ 
tains the flavor much better, and the extra labor 
is very trifling, after a little practice. 
Apples, pears and quinces are better for being 
cooked half an hour to an hour. Tomatoes we 
cook in the cans for about half an hour. We also 
put up a large quantity last Fall, as follows : 
They were skinned, cut up and stewed in a kettle 
until reduced nearly one-half; then poured boil¬ 
ing hot into the cans, previously wanned, and im¬ 
mediately sealed. Those prepared thus occupied 
less room, and they are now apparently as good 
as those cooked within the cans, there being little 
aroma in the tomato to escape while cooking in 
the air. Indeed, all kinds of stewed sauce, when 
sweetened and made ready for the table, may be 
put hot into the cans, sealed up, and kept all ready 
for immediate use, a year or more afterwards. 
Rhubarb, stewed soft, and sweetened as for 
pies, comes out nice and fresh in Mid-Winter or 
Spring. Currants are also similarly kept, but these 
should be fully ripe, and be well cooked and 
sweetened with a strong syrup. Green peas, 
beans and corn may also be kept, but they need 
to be cooked in the cans for at least six hours, or 
they are liable to spoil. We recently tried a can 
oi corn put up by Wells & Provost two years pre¬ 
viously, and found it in excellent condition and 
flavor. 
Glass or porcelain bottles and jars, if 
well fitted wiih pood '•orks or stoppers, may be 
used precisely like the cans, only that in boiling 
them, the bottles must be put into cold water, and 
gradually heated to boiling at first, to prevent 
breaking them. Any sudden change of tempera¬ 
ture is liable to crack the glass, and on this ac¬ 
count they are less convenient, though preferable 
to tin in some respects—especially for very sour 
fruit. The corks dipped in melted beeswax must 
be pressed in while the contents of the bottle 
are still boiling hot, and then well covered over 
with melted beeswax. 
For small families, the quart cans are pre¬ 
ferable to those of larger size, since a quart of 
fruit is enough to open at a time. When first 
opening a can, vve advise to empty the entire 
contents immediately into a glass or earthern 
vessel; and at once scald the can, dry it, and set 
it away in a dry place for another year’s use. If 
this be done, they will remain bright and clean, 
and last for many years. 
Where the screw-top cans, or good bottles or 
jars can not be obtained, all the fruits &c., named 
above, and prepared in the same manner, may be 
kept in plain tin cans, with the aid of a soldering 
iron. Prepare the cans with an opening in the 
top, say 2^ to 3 inches in diameter ; fill them full 
with the fruit and syrup ; solder tightly upon the 
opening, a circular piece of tin with a pin hole in 
the center. Set into boiling water, and when the 
fruit has cooked well, lift the can out of the boil¬ 
ing water, which should just come up to the top, 
and drop upon the pin hole a bit of solder, or press 
down upon it a small lump of beeswax melted on 
its under side. 
We shall be happy to answer any further que¬ 
ries next month, if the particulars are not stated 
above with sufficient minuteness. We advise our 
readers to dispense with all the old fashioned, un¬ 
healthy “ preserves,” and try the plan of keeping 
fruits in a fresh state 
---—- - - 
Currant Wine* 
To inquiries of G. B. Forbush, Wis., and oth¬ 
ers, we offer the following, contributed by an 
intelligent, practical correspondent: 
Squeeze the fresh, but fully ripe berries, till 
the juice ceases to run freely. Pour over the 
pulp as much water as there is juice, and press 
again. Repeat the process which will extract 
all the juice and form a liquid of the proper con¬ 
sistence, viz.: two parts water and one partjuice. 
Add one third of its weight of white sugar and 
place in wide open vessels, in a moderately cool 
place to ferment. In two or three days it will be 
ready for bottling. Great care is required that 
the fermentation be not too rapid, tending to form 
vinegar. When this is the case, place in a cool¬ 
er situation. It is sometimes desirable to have 
the fermentation go on quite slowly, in which 
case put it in casks, leaving the bung open and 
keep in a cool place for a week, or two even, be¬ 
fore drawing off or bottling. Add cloves or cin¬ 
namon to flavor it if you desire. 
-- --» lO i»-►-<»- 
Mecig>es.—Many valuable ones are on hand 
waiting room. 
A woman was testifying in behalf of her son, 
and swore “that he had worked on a farm ever 
since he was born.” 
The would-be-smart lawyer, who cross-ex¬ 
amined her, said : “ You assert that your son has 
worked on a farm ever since he was born?” 
“ I do.” 
“ What did he do the first year?” 
"He milked." 
Into which are thrown alt sorts of paragraphs — such as 
Notes and Replies to Correspondents, with Useful or 
Interesting Extracts from their Letters , together with Glean 
ings of various kinds from various sources. 
To Corrcsg>oiB«lensts.—There are probably more 
than two hundred thousand intelligent regular readers of 
this Journal, very few of whom do not have, during each 
year, some thought or suggestion, worthy of communi¬ 
cating. From such an aggregation of mind, we have a 
vast store-house to draw from. It will not be wondered 
at, however, that we find it utterly impossible to refer by 
name to a considerable portion of the valuable letters and 
communications received. We often wish all our sub¬ 
scribers would pav for a paper four times as large even 
as this, and published four times as often ! We should 
find little trouble in filling it well; our present most la¬ 
borious task is selecting and condensing. 
Mulching: Explained.—W. Cratshy, Trumbull 
Co., O , and others. By the term mulching, we mean 
a coating with straw, leaves, old manure. &c. Where 
we allude to mulching about newly planted trees, we 
simply mean spreading straw, or leaves, around the roots 
to keep the earth from drying up. 
Tnads in tSie Warden.—G. T. Schank, of Cecil 
Co., Md., says toads are the best protection for cucumber 
vines. lie places bits of boards near the vines to afford 
the toads a shelter from sun and rain and gives his boys 
six cents for every new toad they bring into the garden. 
To use his own language: “I would as lieve a person 
would kill one of my chickens, as a toad among my vines.” 
We are of nearly the same opinion, and have, during 
the past month, watched with no little interest the *• ugly 
toads ” in the garden hopping around among the plants 
and gobbling down the insects by the dozen—as many at 
a time as their capacious mouths could compass. 
Currant Jhice.—Dr. Sylvester, Wavne Co., N. Y., 
writes that, in the absence of whale oil soap, he destroy¬ 
ed these w'ith a solution of one pint of soft soap and six 
pints of water. The cheap garden syringe described on 
page 213, will be a good instrument to apply it with, satu¬ 
rating both under and upper sides of the leaves. 
Prairie Flowcrs.-J. F. Sanborn, Woodbury Co., 
Iowa—The “ wild flower” you inclosed, must be very 
beautiful when growing upon the prairie. It would be 
highly prized here at the East, on account of its variegated 
foliage. Can you collect a few seeds during the coming 
season ? Some enterprising florist would not only benefit 
others, but find it a paying enterprize to collect a variety 
of the flowers growing so abundantly on the prairies, and 
introduce them to gardens at the East. 
K. P. Corn ami Poland Oats at the 
Soiitls.— S. J. Wheeler, P. M. Murfreesboro, N. C. 
in a business letter dated June 16, writes that Mr. Parker 
of that place requested him to say that: ‘‘The King 
Philip Corn and White Poland Oats, received in our dis¬ 
tribution, were planted April I5th.; and at that date (June 
16) the oats were 4 feet high, and beginning to head. From 
25 to 45 stalks grew from the single grains, which were 
planted 6 inches apart, in drills 21 feet apart; the stalks 
branch so as to even meet across from drill to drill. The 
com tommenced tasseling at 2 feet high. He thinks it 
will not be profitable. Both corn and oats were side by 
side, on a rich, moderately stiff soil. The Sugar Beet* 
look very well, and will succeed in North Carolina.”— 
[The K. P. corn is adapted to short, cold northern sea- 
seasons, and to very late planting in the Middle States. 
It is of small growth, and needs to be planted close to 
realize a large yield.— Ed.] 
Cranberries.—A. McMcekin, Canada West—A 
Hayward, Middlesex Co., Mass—P. Whitman, Berks Co., 
Pa., and may others, make sundry inquiries respecting 
cranberry culture, upland cranberries &c. Most of these 
questions we answered on page 82 of this volume (March 
No.), pages 9, 31, 130, 204 and 212 of last volume. The 
subject is treated at length in the articles referred to, but 
we will publish any further information that may be re¬ 
ceived. The plants desired are advertised in this journal 
from time to time. We are not prepared, from personal 
observation, or from information, to recommend the up¬ 
land variety. 
Indian Cetonia (Cetomia Inda).—Wm. Day 
of New Jersey. The beetles you enclose are the above- 
named variety, or order, of the Coleoptera family. They 
are often seen the latter part of April, or first of May 
after which we miss them until about the middle of Sep 
tember, when new broods appear to come forth from the 
ground, and often attack corn stalks, pumpkins and 
peaches. They are especially fond of the latter, burrowing 
in and greedily devouring them. They are also frequently 
found upon the trunks of trees, as though after the juice* 
or sap. As they are particularly fond of sweets, the best 
way to destroy them is to entrap them in open bottle*, 
partially filled with sweetened water. 
