1862 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
109 
tubers lay on the ridges to dry, and before dew- 
falls, pack them in barrels, in the field, with 
plenty of dry cut straw, and then store the bar¬ 
rels in a moderately warm, dry place for winter.” 
Borecole, or Green Curled Kale. 
GOOD “ GREENS ” DURING ALL THE WINTER. 
Here is a most valuable plant which is com¬ 
mon in Europe, but is as yet little known among 
our American readers, though an old friend and 
favorite upon almost every German table. Dur¬ 
ing the past Winter, while frost and snow have 
cut down almost every other green thing in our 
vegetable garden, the borecole has bravely held 
its position, thrusting its beautifully curled 
green leaves above the snow when not too 
deep, and always ready to supply a most agree¬ 
able dish of tender greens. We appreciate it 
more than ever before, and commend it to every 
reader of the Agriculturist having a rod of ground. 
In the books it is called Borecole; in our seed 
list (No. 196), we use the common name, Green 
Curled Kale ; in the German it is called Griiner 
Kohl; and it is also known as Scotch Kale, and 
German Greens. It belongs to the brassica or cab¬ 
bage tribe, and grows similarly to the cabbage, 
but is without the solid head; it yields a thick 
mass of leaves beautifully curled, which are 
free from heavy coarse stems; it endures the 
most intense cold without injury, being im¬ 
proved for table use by the effect of frost. It is 
left out during winter, and cut as wanted for 
the table, even when necessary to dig it out of 
the snow. It is boiled like other greens, the 
water pressed out, and served with a little salt, 
butter, and pepper, to suit the taste, and eaten 
with vinegar when liked. The leaves are also 
chopped fine and used ii^soups. It is remarka¬ 
bly tender, and more palatable, more easily 
digested, and as nutritious as cabbage—but al¬ 
ways better after exposure to frost and snow. 
The culture is quite as easy as that of cab¬ 
bage ; a poorer soil is preferable, as in rich or 
highly manured soil the leaves grow too rank 
to endure freezing perfectly, and the coarser 
leaves are less delicate eating. There are large 
and dwarf varieties, the larger being preferable, 
as the under leaves make good cattle food, while 
the inner tenderer leaves may be used for the 
table. The plant is well worth cultivating as 
green fodder for animals of all kinds. Our 
poultry devour all the bits of leaves left. Sow 
the seed at any time from the last of April to 
the first of June, in a bed the same as cabbage 
seed, and transplant like late cabbages upon 
plots where earlier crops have been removed. 
It requires no further care except to hoe and 
keep down weeds. In this latitude, and further 
south, it is best to plant such portions as are de¬ 
sired for use in the latter part of Winter and 
early Spring, where they will be shaded by 
buildings or fences; the sun alone, and not cold, 
injures it. When cut in Winter, leave the stems, 
and they will sprout again for spring greens; 
these may be transplanted to occupy less space. 
Noon Marks. 
Before Connecticut clock factories turned an 
article of luxury into a common-place piece of 
kitchen furniture, they frequently made a noon 
mark of the house or barn. It stood on a due 
north and south line, so that when the sun 
ceased to shine on the east side of the house, it 
was just noon. Could we mark exactly the sha¬ 
dow of a distinct perpendicular edge, we might 
know pretty nearly when the sun passes the 
meridian. This is commonly considered noon> 
but it is not exactly the true noon, except at 
four periods in the year. One of these periods oc¬ 
curs about the 15th of April, this year, and 
a noon mark then made, as some one by a qua¬ 
drant observes when the sun passes the meridi¬ 
an, will indicate the true meridian or north and 
south line. A better way still is, to make a 
meridian line with a “ compass,” allowing for 
the variation of the needle at the time and 
place where it is made. If a person has a 
very accurate watch and can get the exact time 
for his locality, a noon-mark may be made any 
day by marking the edge of a shadow as many 
minutes, before or after 12 o’clock by the watch, 
as are stated in almost all of the almanacs un¬ 
der the column headed “sun on meridian.” 
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 
Clearing-Holes in Earthern Pipes. 
Large pipes made of earthern-ware or brick 
clay are beginning to be more highly esteemed, 
and justly so, for they answer a variety of ends. 
The hard glazed pipes, 3 to 6 or more inches in 
diameter are cheap and very useful for drains to 
cany off water. The unglazed pipes, or those 
nearly so, are cheap substitutes for iron pipes to 
convey hot-air in a green-house, as was shown in 
the articles on “Green-Houses for the People,” 
in the Agriculturist , last Autumn. They are 
Fig. 3. 
placed together, as in fig. 3, the joints being 
closed with some kind of mortar. After a time 
these may get partially filled, perhaps clogged, 
with soot. Our gardener, F. Otto, gives us a 
sketch of a convenient “ trap ” or cleaning hole 
for such a series of pipes. Every fifth or sixth two- 
foot pipe is provided with an opening as shown 
in fig. 1. The earthern-ware cover, fig. 2, is made 
to fit closely on this, to be stopped tightly with 
the mortar. To clean the pipes, it is only neces¬ 
sary to remove the cover and run in a wire with 
a bent end, or a wisp of straw on the end, and by 
moving it backward and forward draw the soot 
to the opening where it may be taken out. A 
similar arrangement would be convenient in 
drain pipes. The openings would be accessible 
on removing the covering soil, directly over 
where they are placed, and any obstruction 
could be taken out, without disturbing the pipes. 
Usefulness of Charcoal in Agriculture. 
In reply to several inquiries, we say that char¬ 
coal is useful. Whether it acts directly and 
specifically as a manure, to any perceptible de¬ 
gree, may perhaps be questioned. Whether it 
decomposes at all may well be doubted, but 
it acts as an excellent absorbent of gasses and 
liquids, and so contributes indirectly to the fertil¬ 
ity of the soil. Even sparingly used, it increases 
the warmth of land, darkening its color. When 
prepared in the old-fashioned way,—piling to¬ 
gether twenty or thirty cords of hard wood, and 
covering it with sods, etc.—we get not only good 
coal, but also in the sweepings, refuse coal, and 
dirt around an old pit, a good deal of potash, 
soda, lime, and some phosphorus. Besides the 
effect of charcoal and ashes, we have also that 
of “torrified” or baked earth which is often of 
considerable importance. Every experienced 
florist will tell us of the fine effect produced by 
it, when spread in coarse lumps on the surface 
of his pot soil. Who has not observed how 
charcoal dust gives the grass of lawns a dark, 
rich luster? An acquaintance of ours who fre¬ 
quently burns coal for market, collects the refuse 
dust and ashes from his hearths, and mixing it 
with common soil, about half and half, spreads 
the same over his grass and wheat fields at the 
rate of about five cords to the acre. The effect, 
he assures us, is quite marked. The superior 
greenness of his fields so treated, is noticeable 
to every passer by. Another farmer uses the 
leavings of his “ coal-hearths ” for mixing with 
manure in his stables, and as a deodorizer in 
drains, privy-vaults, etc. This compost he uses 
on corn, potatoes, and cabbages, and where it is 
used, he has no trouble with worms of any kind, 
and his crops are large and of the first quality. 
Cases are not uncommon where charcoal dust 
is thrown into hog-pens, and in other ways in¬ 
corporated with offensive manure, uniformly 
deodorizing the manure, to some degree at least. 
In an old garden, once under the writer’s care, 
worms and vermin of various sorts infested the 
ground. It was almost impossible to raise crops 
of radishes, beets, onions and cabbages. Lime 
and salt were tried, but with little apparent 
benefit. At length, we spread a coating of char¬ 
coal dust and salt over the entire surface, and 
worked the mixture in thoroughly. From that 
day to this, the worms have diminished, and 
now are few and far between—killed or driven 
away by the treatment, we know not which. 
Another year, we mean to use the same compo¬ 
sition under our currants and gooseberries, to 
see if it will not kill out the moths; and around 
our young fruit trees to drive away the borers. 
For young evergreens, and all trees, we presume 
charcoal dust would prove an excellent dressing. 
Wheelbarrows for Farm and Garden. 
A good wheelbarrow is a very important im¬ 
plement for both farm and garden, saving cart¬ 
age, carrying small loads where neither cart nor 
wagon can go, a great convenience in dis¬ 
tributing manure, collecting fruits or crops, mov¬ 
ing barrels, and the like. The common form, 
with flat bottom, movable side-boards and a 
large wheel, is very convenient for carrying 
whatever is to be distributed by the shovel, or 
which should stand upright, as potted plants, or 
for going through narrow gateways or between 
close rows, for loading some heavy articles as 
barrels, and for many other purposes. The 
common “ Railroad Barrow ” shown in the an¬ 
nexed drawing is preferable on several accounts. 
It is much cheaper, costing from $1 75 to $3, 
according to size and quality. The wheel though 
smaller is more under the load and thus sup¬ 
ports more of it. It may be loaded almost equal¬ 
ly well from all sides, the sides being low. The 
loads are easily “ dumped.” It may be used for 
carrying semi-liquid or dripping substances, and 
is easily arranged to carry grass or hay, by lay¬ 
ing in sticks pointing outward on all sides. 
