310 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
through flannel into the cask, and bunged tightly and put 
into the cellar. After two or three days, the bung is 
started, and two or three weeks after, the clear liquid is 
drawn off, leaving a gallon or more with the dregs, which 
is used for making vinegar. It is passed through flannel 
into clean casks, bunged up, and left until wanted for 
market or use, when it is again racked off. The press and 
casks, indeed every thing used, are made as clean as 
water can purify them ; the press being covered with 
fresh lime, which is thoroughly washed off. This may 
seem a good deal of trouble, but a double or triple price 
for the cider well pays for all that. With such care, no 
wonder “New Jersey cider” is so readily sold for im¬ 
ported “ champagne,” after being put into bottles with 
the foreign labels. 
Plants tor Names.— “Van,” Bristol, Ind. 
The berries sent are those of the Smilax herbacea, or 
Carrion-flower. Its greenish flowers have a fetid odor 
like that of decaying meat. It is a worthless climber.... 
A. H. C., Rutland, Mich. No. 1, is Linaria vulgaris, 
Toad Flax, sometimes called Butter and Eggs, and Ram- 
stead-weed. It is a regular nuisance and should not be 
tolerated. No. 2, is the Closed Gentian, Gentiana An- 
drewsii _M. R. Allen, York Co., Me., sends Linaria vul¬ 
garis, noticed above, and Krigia Virginica, sometimes 
called Dwarf Dandelion-J. Balsiger, Madison Co., 
Ill. The leaves are all of species and varieties of Cra¬ 
taegus or Thorn, but we would not undertake to deter¬ 
mine them from single leaves. They will answer for 
hedges-P. A. T., Shaker Village, N. II. The twigs 
are those of the Red Cedar, Juniperus Virginiana. It 
makes a good hedge or screen, but is of slow growth. 
Itis propagated from seeds, which lie in the ground one, 
and sometimes two years before germinating-E. A. 
F., Fillmore Co., Minn. The specimen is Euphorbia 
marginata, a Spurge from Texas and the Southwest, the 
white-margined upper leaves of which make it very 
showy_IC. Schaum, Balt., Md. The plants are appa¬ 
rently those of the Rue Anemone, Thalictrum Anemon- 
oides — E. S. Holmes, Niagara Co., N. Y. Apparently 
Lycopus Europaeus, Water-hoarhound or Bugle-weed. 
... .Will those who expect us to determine plants take 
pains to send us well pressed specimens. Our time is 
too valuable to spend in making out botanical puzzles. 
Ceratocliloa bi-eriaristata.— “ Inqui¬ 
rer,” Orange Co., N. Y., wishes to know about this 
grass. The genus Ceratochloa is now united with 
Bromus. The species in question grows on the Pacific 
coast. It is not well enough known to have a common 
name, and we cannot tell where to get the seed. It is 
much like the “ Rescue Grass” noticed a few months ago, 
and is probably, like most of its relatives, of little value. 
Double Flowers Degenerating’.— 
E. Gaylord, Floyd Co., Iowa. Always select seed from 
the most perfect flowers and give them a good soil. 
Castor Oil Beans.— E. Wheeler. The 
manufacture of oil cannot be prosecuted on a small scale. 
The bean is a pretty sure crop in the Middle States, 
where there are factories for pressing the seeds. Mr. W. 
says that the beans drove away the moles. Will he 
slate how he used them. 
Karly Beaches.— B. C. Bradley, New-Haven 
Co., Conn. Hall’s Early is probably the earliest peach. 
Large Early York, Coolidge’s Favorite, Crawford’s 
Early, and Grosse Mignonne, are other good early sorts. 
Large Bears.— Mr. F. L. Dubois, Brooklyn, 
L. I., recently exhibited at the office of the Agriculturist 
twenty Duchess pears, which together weighed 19 lbs. 
Onondaga or Swan's Orange Bear. 
—A gentleman who has tested many varieties of Pears in 
Northern Illinois, writes to the Agriculturist, that this 
is one of the best in that region for October. The tree is 
hardy and early-bearing, and the fruit is large, and usu¬ 
ally perfect. It is said to have originated in Connec¬ 
ticut ; but took its name from Mr. Swan, who brought it 
to notice in Onondaga County, New York. At the East it 
is a variable fruit, but is very good when it does well. 
The Oreeley Brizes.—A few weeks ago 
the Hon. Horace Greeley offered a premium of one hun¬ 
dred dollars each for the best bushel of apples, and of 
pears, and the best six pounds of grapes, all to be of the 
best quality in every respect for general culture. The 
premiums were to be awarded at the late horticultural 
exhibition of the American Institute, but so little notice 
was given that, though the prize for grapes was awarded 
to the Iona, it was withdrawn and all three premiums 
thrown open for more general competition. Tho Fruit 
Committee of the American Institute will meet at the 
rooms in the Cooper Institute, in this city, on the first 
Tuesdays of November, December, January and Februa¬ 
ry next, to examine fruit, which should be at the rooms 
before 2 o’clock P. M., on the days named. The fruit 
must be presented .in the quantities mentioned above. 
Removing drape Vines.— Harriet B. 
Newell, Essex Co., N. Y. As a general thing autumn 
is the best time to plant vines, unless in a cold locality 
or in a very heavy soil, when the early spring is better. 
drapes and Thorns.— E. Gaylord, Floyd 
Co., Wis. We have seen only a few experiments with 
the pear on the thorn, and those were not sufficiently 
successful to allow us to recommend the practice. The 
wild grape answers fairly as a stock for the better kinds 
of grape. The Delaware is perfectly hardy in Iowa. 
Insects on Strawberries.— B. Stearns. 
The caterpillar is known here, but as the perfect state 
(moth or butterfly) is not known, it can not be identified. 
Breparing Chicory.— Mrs. J. T. Ames, 
Rice Co., Minn., and others. Dig the root in autumn 
after the leaves are killed, or in spring before they start, 
slice, wash, and dry. For use, brown the same as coffee. 
Linseed — Flaxseed.— W. Waring, Cecil 
Co., Md., and others. These are one and the same thing. 
Didn't Know Squashes. — A corres¬ 
pondent writes that having raised a fine lot of Hubbards, 
she gave some seeds to a neighbor. In autumn she 
asked him how he liked the variety. He replied, “More’n 
half the plaguey things kind o’ ran out into hard shells ; 
why, I had to cut them up with an axe before the cattle 
would eat ’em ; the rest were middling.” He had fed out 
his ripe squashes and eaten the green ones. Happy cat¬ 
tle : unfortunate man ! 
Culture of Pea-nuts or Ground¬ 
nuts. —An article on raising these, from some experi¬ 
enced cultivator, would bo very acceptable to many. 
Bean ibr :i Maine.— S. B. H., York, Pa. 
The bean is not recognized from the drawing and descrip¬ 
tion ; may be a new valuable variety, from the account. 
Sweet Potatoes-Cireatt Yield.—Mr. J. 
C. Thompson, of Staten Island, planted 15 rows of pota¬ 
toes 107 feet long, and occupying a space 48 feet wide, 
being a little more than 3 feet apart. One of the middle 
rows was dug and the contents measured, the product 
being full 4 bushels, which makes the yield equal to 510 
bushels per acre. One of the editors of the Agriculturist, 
one of the Tribune staff"and the City Surveyor of Brook¬ 
lyn, were present and did the measuring. It seemed 
perfectly fair and correct. All the crop was measured, 
perhaps l-5th part would not have been considered mar¬ 
ketable.—In planting, the ground was manured and two 
furrows turned together over the manure, leaving the 
width of one furrow undisturbed below the. ridge, and 
upon this the sets were planted. The work was, we 
presume, done with a spade or spading fork, as this was 
in Mr. T’s garden. 
CSreen Tomato Sauce.—Miss H. Garioek, 
Otsego Co. N. Y., writes to the American Agriculturist 
that good preserves may be made from green tomatoes, 
thus : Pierce them in several places with a fork, pour 
boiling water upon them and let them stand an hour. 
Then drain and place them in the preserving kettle, with 
layers of sugar and of slices of lemon between the 
fruit, allowing 2 lbs sugar and 1 lemon to each 3 lbs of 
tomatoes. The amount of sugar and lemon may be va¬ 
ried to suit the taste. A little water will be needed with 
the bottom layer of sugar to prevent scorching. Cook 
the whole slowly for three hours. 
Strawberry Blitnting-Spring vs. 
Autumn.- The N. W. Christian Advocate, of Chica¬ 
go, after pleasantly referring to our immense distribution 
of strawberry plants, says : “ By such means this cele¬ 
brated strawberry ought to be more generally and rapid¬ 
ly diffused than any new plant ever was before. We 
cannot, however, forbear expressing our regrets that this 
distribution could not have taken place in the spring 
rather than fall, since from actual experiment we have 
reason to fear that the greater share of the plants will be 
lost by fall transplanting.”— Our experience has been the 
reverse ; we have previously distributed 50,000 to 60,000 
other strawberry plants, at all seasons, up to Nov. 15, 
and heard of few losses at any time—the fewest in au¬ 
tumn. Our H acres of the “Agriculturist” variety, just 
distributed, were set last year from October 5 to Nov. 20, 
and not a single plant died; every one of them can be 
seen growing with a heavy, stccky crown. Of less hardy 
sorts, such small plants as are usually sold, may not do 
well; but large plants of hardy varieties, we prefer to 
have set in autumn, if they can become at all established 
in the soil, as they are then ready to start at once into 
growth, at the first opening of spring. A light covering 
of straw or refuse hay should protect them from sudd en 
changes of heat and cold. 
Keeping Cheeses in Winter.— “ Nov¬ 
ice,” wishes to learn through the Agriculturist, the ex¬ 
perience of dairy folks in keeping cheeses through the 
winter without the usual frequent turning and greasing. 
Has tried packing in straw and in oats, but they molded. 
Italian Bees.— 11 D. N. W.,” La Salle Co., 
Ill. You magnify the robbing propensity of these 
bees. It is not such that honest men can not keep them. 
Take this view, rather they are so thrifty and indus¬ 
trious that they are more likely than 'oilier bees to 
find out and take any honey that is not well guarded. 
Tripe-How to Prepare it.— “Hart- 
ford Co., Conn.” Tripe is the large stomach of the beef 
taken fresh, washed thoroughly, soaked in milk of lime 
made by slaking quick-lime to a creamy consistence. 
After soaking a few hours, or over night, it is scraped, 
when all the inner dark colored skin is removed. It is 
then washed thoroughly, and boiled until quite tender, in 
which condition it is marketed; or it is packed with 
salt and spices, or simply salted. We should be glad to 
hear from any of our readers who practice other methods. 
0,12S,000,00I> Matches !—“Young Math¬ 
ematician” writes to the American Agriculturist : “If 
twenty-five million people each use one match a day, it 
amounts to over nine billions, or nine thousand mil¬ 
lions a year! A second of time saved in using each of 
these, amounts to nearly 300 years, or nearly 700 years 
at ten hours a day. If manufacturers would put the 
phosphorus end down in the boxes instead of up, it 
would save these seconds to the users, in not having to 
change the end of each match, after li fti ng it from the box.” 
[Yes, and the matches would keep safer and cleaner 
if not exposed at the top, when kept in upright boxes , 
and it would also save the phosphorus odor left upon 
the fingers in handling. We usually invert all the 
matches when first opening a new box. The pleasantest 
matches are those having the wood dipped in paraffine, 
orinwax, instead of in sulphur-, out they do not “catch'* 
when used in a draft of air as well as sulphur matches. 
A visible but not thick coat of sulphur, half an inch up the 
wood, and no more, is desirable ; less does not heat the 
wood enough to light it well ; more gives off too much 
sulphurous fumes.—[E d. American Agriculturist .] 
Directions for making Sweet Biclc- 
les. —Sweet pickles properly prepared are an excellent 
relish with almost any meal. The writer esteems them 
greatly preferable to old style preserves, though not 
equal to nicely canned fruit. The following directions 
for pickling are furnished to the American Agriculturist 
by an experienced housekeeper. For pears and plums: 
To 7 lbs. of fruit, take 3 lbs. brown sugar, 1 quart vine¬ 
gar, 4 oz. cinnamon, 2 oz. cloves. Pears are to be peeled 
and boiled, though some cook without paring, as they keep 
their form better. Cook until soft enough for a straw to 
be passed through them easily; let them cool, stick two 
or three cloves in each, and place them in a jar. Boil 
the vinegar, spices and sugar 15 to 20 minutes, and pour 
hot over the fruit. Repeat boiling with the same liquor 
three mornings in succession ... Plums are to be treated 
in the same manner, except that they need no cooking, 
but are placed in the jar at once.... Sweet apples should 
be pared and steamed until soft, and then treated as di¬ 
rected for pears: if very sweet, they will not need as 
much sugar — Peaches are to be nicely wiped, a few 
cloves stuck into each, then placed in a jar, with spices 
according to taste scattered among them, and covered 
with cold vinegar. 
Cancers Incurable. —To J. P. M. (and 
others.) If your friend has a genuine cancer, there is no 
hope of her permanent cure. So say the most eminent 
physicians. Cutting out may sometimes check its 
growth for a season ; but this should only be done by an 
accomplished Surgeon. The hundreds of thousands, i 
not millions of dollars paid for cancer-curing medicines, 
and to “ Cancer Doctors,” have been thrown away— 
often worse. All the cases “cured" by them were some¬ 
thing else, which would have got well without their aid: 
while the cutting of the self-styled “ Cancer Docior” has 
often resulted in death or disfigurement. We have per¬ 
haps given our own experience before, but it will bear 
repeating. Many years ago, while a student, we met 
one of the most noted “ Cancer Doctors” of the country. 
