AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
245 
prise you. In thirteen days’search I could 
not find a decent pair for sale at any price 
Jf this war lasts another year, the Europe¬ 
ans will be importing horses from America 
and it would be well worth the attention of 
our farmers and breeders to raise large 
horses, sixteen handers, fit to draw a heavy 
carriage, or carry a heavy man. Good gen 
tlemen’s saddle-horse are still to be found, by 
paying for them ; a first-rate one stands you 
in ^ 
EXPERIMENTS IN RAISING RABBITS. 
Being well pleased with the Lop-eared or 
Madagascar rabbits, I endeavored to breed 
them, but failed in many instances. After 
much inquiry I came to the conclusion that 
to insure success we must conform our man¬ 
agement and food as nearly as circum 
stances would permit, to the climate and pro¬ 
ductions of their native country, and on so 
doing,our success will mainly depend. 
Ex. No. 1.—Erected at considerable ex¬ 
pense, a covered building 22 by 12, divided 
off into pens 4 by 8, with every convenience 
for a winter or summer residence, and dedi¬ 
cated it “ Our Rabbitry.” Gave the rabbits 
good and sweet hay and oats, all they would 
eat—ripe and sound apples every day—tur¬ 
nips all they would eat, and sometimes gave 
a medium sized cabbage leaf to a full grown 
rabbit—sometimes would ohiit for 2 or 3 
days giving anything but hay and oats—gave 
no water at any time ; and the result was they 
were doing well; and as the man we read of 
said, “He was doing well, and wanted to feel 
better.” 
Ex. No. 2. —We commenced in the spring, 
and continued to the middle of July, giving 
them all they would eat of excellent green 
clover and other succulent food, and lost 
some of the old stock and every young rab¬ 
bit before 4 months old. 
Ex. No. 3—Commenced cutting short of 
all green food, cabbage and the like in par¬ 
ticular, and was getting along better. Our 
old rabbits did not die, and succeeded in 
raising one or so of each litter. Thinking it 
would do a litter of young (2 months old) 
good, made a pen out in the open ground, 
partly covered so as to shield them from a 
storm, and they all died before 3 weeks. 
About this time we were getting over the 
“ rabbit feverbut our friend handed us 
“ Delamater on Rabbits,” &c., and we began 
to “ breathe easier,” and quietly submitted 
to follow out his directions as far as our cli¬ 
mate and circumstances would permit, and 
have succeeded in doing well up to last week, 
when we thought, as a final and last experi¬ 
ment, we would just try Mr. Rotch’s system 
of feeding, on an old doe, which until this 
time had been with us through all our adver¬ 
sities. The result was we buried her on the 
28th of May, 1855. 
To breed successfully, “ Madagascar or 
Lop-eared Rabbits,” dry food —temperature, 
summer and winter, about 75 degrees Fah¬ 
renheit—“ hands off, or look but don’t touch 
the young,” and it will apply to the old—and 
if you desire to feed grass, cut and let it dry 
one day in the sun. We have of late given 
a”small handful fresh cut without dew or rain 
upon it, but give it as a salad. Give no leaves 
of cabbages or the like at any time. 
The past winter we fed the best ofhay and 
oats, all they would eat, together with a me¬ 
dium sized ruta baga or turnip, to a full 
grown rabbit, each day, and occasionally the 
stumps of cabbages, but on no occasion leaves, 
as we feel certain it will do them no good, 
and will injure in a greater or less degree. 
Avoid placing your hutches in a damp place 
or draughts of wind, as it is certain death to 
the old and young.—J. Ramsey, in Country 
Gentleman. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
RECIPES. 
Superior Breakfast Cake. —Three cups 
of corn meal; one cup of wheat-flour; one 
egg ; two cups of sweet milk, one cup sour 
cream, or in the absence of cream, a little 
butter, one teaspoonful saleratus, do. of salt. 
Bake in a quick oven. A little molasses im¬ 
proves it. 
Soft Gingerbread. —One cup molasses, one 
egg; one-half cup milk, if sweet, use cream 
tartar and soda, a large table-spoonful drip¬ 
pings or butter, a little ginger, and salt. 
Bag Pudding. —One pint new milk, one 
egg, two parts of corn meal to one of wheat 
flour, handful dried fruit, teaspoonful salt. If 
sour milk is used add teaspoonful saleratus. 
Stir not very stiff. 
To Take Ink out of Linen. —Saturate the 
spots with melted tallow, then wash in suds. 
This is the best way I ever saw. 
Starch for Linens. —I have seen much 
said about different ways of preparing starch, 
and have tried many with indifferent success. 
I like the following as well as any. Allow 
one teaspoonful starch for each bosom, and 
dilute with cold water, till it is just thin 
enough to stir well, then pour in boiling wa¬ 
ter till it is cooked. Boil it from twenty to 
thirty minutes, and it is ready. I sometimes 
add a small piece of butter or clean tallow 
boiling. Care should be taken, not to make 
it too thin at first with cold water. 
I have observed with regret that of late the 
American Agriculturist contains but few re¬ 
cipes, and wishing to see more I send the 
above, hoping that it may induce others to 
do the same. They are not all original with 
me but I do not remember to have seen any 
of them in print. Libbie. 
We thank “ Libbie ” for her effort to add 
to the interest of the American Agriculturist, 
and hope she will continue it. We prefer 
full particulars as to order of adding ingredi¬ 
ents, method of mixing, baking &c. One 
recipe thus fully described will attract more 
attention—and be adopted by others soon¬ 
er than a hundred giving an outline only. 
We have a large drawer full of recipes, 
but generally do not publish any thing of 
this kind unless it possesses peculiar merit, 
and is attested by some one who speeks from 
practical experience.— Ed. 
Number of Seeds in Given Weights. —Mr. 
Melvin stated, in a late discussion at an 
English Farmer’s Club, that, after several 
trials, he had found that— 
1 lb. of red clover, of good quality, gives per 
acre to each superficial foot.6£ seeds. 
1 lb. yellow clover, (medicago lupulirio) .6 “ 
1 lb. white clover.16 “ 
1 lb. ryegrass.5 “ 
But, as a large number of the seeds sown 
do not vegetate, and many of the plants 
which come up die, it is necessary to sow 
much larger quantities than are specified ; 
and Mr. M. recommends, for an acre, 8 lbs. 
red clover, 2 lbs. white do., 2 lbs. yellow do., 
with one bushel of rye grass, which, by his 
computation, affords 100 seeds rye grass, 50 
of red clover, 23 white, and 12 yellow clover, 
per superficial foot. In this country, a good 
substitute for the rye grass would be the 
same quantity of red topper acre. 
Wise Legislator. —A shrewd farmer in the 
Vermont Legislature declined answering the 
speech of a member who was remarkable for 
nothing but his pugnastie impudence and self- 
conceit. “ For, Mr. Speaker,” said he, “ I 
can’t reply to that speech, for it always 
wrenches me terribly to kick against noth¬ 
ing.” 
tofratlinral gqutrtntnti. 
NEW-YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
JUNE EXHIBITION. 
We are happy to chronicle an interesting 
and successful exhibition by this society, 
after a somewhat lengthened period' of re¬ 
tirement from public effort; and we confi¬ 
dently hope this is but the beginning of new 
life and energy. This city has the men and 
materials for the noblest horticultural efforts. 
All that is wanting to success is enterprise 
and confidence. The chief difficulty with 
the past has been a lack of confidence re¬ 
sulting from one or two unfortunate enter¬ 
prises. The successful show of last week, 
notwithstanding the unpropitious weather, 
will tend to inspire hope and awaken activity 
in the future. 
The show of flowers, &c., was quite 
large, and embraced a considerable variety. 
The two most prominent features were the 
display of choice Roses and elegant bouquets. 
There were several long tables of Roses and 
other cut flowers, including many fine speci¬ 
mens of Verbenas, Gladioles, Syringas, 
Peonies, Carnation Pinks, several varieties 
of Cactus flowers,fancy Geraniums, Pansies, 
Callas, Alschutas, &c. The show of Fuch¬ 
sias was not very large, but consisted of 
choice specimens in excellent training. Mr. 
Thomas Hogg, of Yorkville, exhibited two 
rare Orchids, one of them the Coryantha 
maculata, or air plant, from Damarara. This, 
we believe, is the second time it has bloomed 
in this country. The blossoms are light 
brown and delicate salmon color. From two 
minute tubes tear-drops are continually fall¬ 
ing into the boat-shaped cup beneath, while 
a mimic bird sits perched upon the edge of 
the cup sipping from the fountain. Near 
these were specimens of the Caladium 
bicolor, Ardisia crenulata, Polypodium aii- 
reum, &c. 
The bouquets and baskets of flowers, and 
the floral design, we will not attempt to de¬ 
scribe, for they must have been seen to be 
appreciated. We do not call to mind any 
former exhibition where we have observed 
upon one table an equal number of so large 
and so tastefully arranged specimens. 
There was a good show of Strawberries, 
including Hovey’s Seedling, Schneike’s Pis¬ 
tillate or Longworth’s Prolific, Crimson Cone, 
Jenny’s Seedling, Iowa, and Burr’s Mam¬ 
moth. Mr. Chorlton exhibited the fine speci¬ 
mens of Grapes noticed last week in our 
report of the Brooklyn show. We saw 
also the much admired Cissus discolor, 
noticed in that report. It had visibly in¬ 
creased in size. It is a Brazilian plant, and 
was exhibited by Martin Collopy, gardener 
to Mr. J. II. Prentice of Brooklyn. 
We have not room for further particulars. 
The general arrangement of the room ex¬ 
hibited excellent taste, and the whole show 
was highly creditable to all who participated 
in getting it up. The names of the princi¬ 
pal contributors we have omitted above, as 
they will be found in the premium list given 
below. 
An address was expected from William 
