THE PEACH CROP DESTROYED. 
We regret to have to announce the fact that the 
peach buds around Rochester are destroyed, as are 
the hopes of the lovers of this delicious fruit. 
Monday, the 10th iust., was the coldest day of the 
present winter, the thermometer marking from G° 
to 8° below zero in the city, and in the country 
around, we believe about 10° below. This was im¬ 
mediately followed by warm weather which con¬ 
tinued through the week. This degree of cold did 
not cause alarm among the extensive peach grow¬ 
ers of this neighborhood, as during the winter of 
1856-7 the thermometer marked as low as 18° below 
zero, without doing the least injury to the blos¬ 
som buds of the peach, and the crop of 1857 was 
abundant. Some of the more curious or timid, 
however, were led to examine their trees, and to 
their dismay found that every fruit bud that had 
been exposed was dead. We have reports from all 
directions, and the statement is the sam a—all gone! 
We have examined hundreds of buds brought in 
from the orchards around, without finding one 
sound. The following note is a sample of half-a- 
dozen now before us: 
Messrs. Eds.: — The Peaches, I presume, are killed in 
Western New York. I have examined 150 I’eacli trees 
in my yard, and all of the blossom buds are killed be¬ 
yond hope of recovery, which fact shows that ten de¬ 
grees lelo'io zero, of frost, will kill the blossom buds on 
the peach tree, under certain conditions, in which the 
sap vessels may be in.— II. N. Langwortiiy, Greece, 
(5 miles from llochester City,) N. V., Jan. 17,185S. 
The winter, with the exception of the day men¬ 
tioned, and the one previous, on which the “cold 
snap” commenced, has been extremely mild. The 
buds had become swollen, and in this condition 
were easily injured. We hope to hear better reports 
from other parts of the country, but fear that 
peaches next season will be a luxury beyond the 
reach of most of us. 
—- ■*-•-* - 
PEAR CULTURE. 
In the Horticulturist of December last, is a 
lengthy article from Mr. E. Norton, of Farming- 
ton, Conn,, against the Culture of Dwarf Pears, and 
the action of the American Pomological Society on 
that subject, in which the editor joins to give the 
article his decided approval. Permit me to call 
attention to some of the fallacies and inconsis¬ 
tencies therein contained, and show them mainly 
from their own statements. 
Mr. Norton says, “Seven year’s ago I plantec^ 
four hundred dwarf trees on well prepared ground, 
holes dug 2)4 lent deep by 3 or 4 wide and filled 
with a carefully prepared compost, having all the 
ingredients prescribed by the experts.” (I won¬ 
der what those ingredients are, and what the cost 
of such a compost.) He says the ground was well 
cultivated with various crops “ till lately ,” trim¬ 
med, scraped and washed yearly, Ac., and at the 
end of one year about 100 were dead; and that 
about 50 died the second year; and they have gone 
o(F at about that rate ever since; that he re-placed 
100 and that about 100 remain, some of which are 
going to die soon. 
He names five or six gentlemen at Albany whom 
he says mostly think unfavorably of them, “ though 
one of them, a skillful florist, now thinks well of 
them if planted deeply.” And another picked from 
a single tree, 5 or 6 years old, about 200 pears, 
which he sold at from 25 to 50 cents each. 
In Springfield, Mass., he says some think well of 
them and some otherwise, though he names some 
gentlemen there who grow fine fruits and generally 
take premiums at the Fairs, for their pears grown 
on dwarfs, &c. He also refers to the fine display 
of pears at the State Fair, at Hartford, Conn., as 
evidence of their successful culture on pear stocks, 
without attempting to show that any of those fine 
specimens were grown on standard trees. 
He tells us “ it is evident that the pear on quince 
grows finely at Rochester, Boston, and perhaps all 
along our whole seaboard where the air is temper¬ 
ed by water, &c., and that in all the places referred 
to in his article the standard pear does well; and 
like all other trees will produce fruit according to 
the treatment it receives; but like the apple, will 
grow and do something even in the hands of un¬ 
skillful and careless cultivators.” 
And lastly, that five years ago he visited the 
grounds of Tuomas Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, 
England, and saw his trees, and that “ very few of 
them were what we would call thrifty trees, and 
most of them looked badly, and he should like to 
hear from them now.” Let us examine this mat¬ 
ter, and from the statements of Mr. Norton him¬ 
self, and with a few words from Mr. Rivers from 
whose trees he desires to hear now, see what are 
the real facts and fair conclusions. 
The same Mr. Norton, in the Country Gentle¬ 
man of March 1st, 15th, and 22d, 1855, in an arti¬ 
cle giving his experience and conclusions, states— 
“ Firstly, my trees were poor and, feeble, I trusted 
to a nurseryman to select them whom I did not 
know and who did not know me, and he sent trees 
from which the best had been culled, and slipped 
in many that could not have been sold alone,” and 
goes on at considerable length to show how a 
nurseryman may have such a lot of “ maimed, halt 
and blind ” trees on hand. In the next place he 
says, “ I was told I did not plant deep enough, but 
with my second lot this was not a fault. My 
trees were moved from a deep, black loam to a 
lighter soil, and thus many that were not vigorous 
fell away after a time. For the death of some I 
could assign ho other reason than that they would 
die; this kind of experience, however, is not con¬ 
fined to dwarf pear trees; it will be observed that 
most of these conclusions pointed at myself, and 
not at nature, as at fault in my misfortunes.” 
Now let us hear what Mr. Rivers, to whose trees 
Mr. N. refers, and from whom he expresses a wish 
to hear now, will say on this subject. In the June 
7 ] , 
No. of the Horticulturist, 1858, in reference to the 
discussion going on in this country, on this sub¬ 
ject, be says:—“How strange it is that bad cultiva¬ 
tors place the blame on the stock and not on their 
own mismanagement. I have now had more than 20 
years experience in the cultivation of pears on 
quince, and am more than ever convinced that their 
culture, as garden trees, is the most agreeable and 
profitable of all fruit culture. Due regard should 
bo paid, however, to the sorts selected; for to a 
certainty there are some kinds, that, even in the 
most favorable soils, will not do well. If I were a 
young man I should desire no better speculation 
than forming a large pear tree garden on quince 
stocks, in your country, (U. S.) to grow the finer 
kinds of pears for market; but it must be under¬ 
stood it should be strictly a pear garden, not grass 
orchard, or a field full of rude weeds, Ac., and then 
adds, “ No act of my pomological career has given 
me more pleasure or profit than the planting out 
of 2,000 dwarf trees, as a pear garden.” I ask, 
does this not sound like hearing from Mr. Rivers’ 
trees now; and whether his twenty years experience 
does not enable him to judge wisely of the value 
of pear trees, as well as of “ bad cultivators?” 
■ Mr. Norton, in his article of 1855, states that he 
has about twenty sorts, while in the article of Mr. 
Rivers, above referred to, he names only six which 
he w’ould cultivate for greatest profit, and in plant¬ 
ing his two thousand trees, he planted but one sort; 
and it is doubtless true that experience is teaching, 
or should teach all growers of fruit, that a select 
and very brief list of varieties of any kind of fruit 
will be very much more profitable than one more 
extended. 
Now, I think any sensible man who knows 
enough of trees to be capable of caring well for 
one pear tree, will conclude first, that Mr. Nor¬ 
ton’s trees, which he says were poor and feeble, 
and from which the good ones had been sold, were 
worthless, or nearly so. Second, that he had no 
knowledge of sorts best adapted to such culture, 
(and very few persons at that time had,) and there¬ 
fore may have had mostly unsuitable sorts; that 
he did not know how they should be planted, and 
there is no evidence that he ever pruned them 
properly; and yet there are one hundred and 
twenty, still holding on to find relief in better cul¬ 
ture, or an early death. 
He mentions one single dwarf tree, five or six 
years old, which produced about 200 pears in a 
single season, which were sold for from 25 to 50 
cents each. Only think of it!—who ever heard of 
such a product from any other than a dwarf pear 
tree? This is almost equal to golden eggs—say 
100 pears at 25 cents, and 100 at 50 cents, being an 
average of 37)4 cents, or §75 for the crop of a 
single tree, 5 or 6 years old, and this too at Albany, 
where lie says they do so poorly. 
I had felt quite well satisfied with selling over 
$400 worth of pears from less than one-third of an 
acre within seven years of planting, and selling 
pears at 15 cents each, by the barrel; but this state¬ 
ment of Mr. Norton places me quite in the back¬ 
ground, and my only remedy is to try and do better 
next time. 
He admits that the quince stock secures in some 
varieties an improved quality of fruit, and I might 
ask, and perhaps wait long for an answer:—What 
variety that grows well on the quince does not 
give on that stock an improved quality of fruit? 
In connection with the article of Mr. Norton the 
Editor inquires, Why do choice pears bring such 
prices if they are easily grown on the quince? 
while he at the same time claims that as standards 
they do well, beyond question. 
Now if it be true that standards do as well as 
they would have the peop>le understand, let me ask 
them why is it that good pears bring such prices, 
while standard pears have been grown as long as 
apples, and succeeded so well? —they, without the 
aid of dwarfs, ought to have brought the price 
down, if their reasoning be correct. The question 
why such fruits are not cheaper, has been answer¬ 
ed conclusively in all our agricultural papers the 
past season ; and at this time I do not believe there 
is an average of one pear tree, five years old, to five 
square miles of our territory throughout the United 
States; and it is a notorious fact, that a careful 
estimate has indicated, that less than one-tenth of 
all the fruit trees planted out, are ever cared for so 
as to bring them into a productive state within a 
reasonable time. The truth is, that choice fruits, 
or choice productions of whatever kind, are more 
and more appreciated, and always will command a 
price above a common or inferior article ; and the 
careless, heedless cultivator ought never to hope 
for success in any department; and any man who 
will not give his fruit trees, whether dwarf or 
standard, pear, apple or peach, as good culture as 
a good farmer gives his corn or potatoes, had bet¬ 
ter make his calculation early to save any ex¬ 
penditure for the purchase of trees, and allow those 
who will give them such culture to supply our al¬ 
ready extensive but rapidly expanding markets 
with choice fruits, which will doubtless always be 
sought after at remunerating and probably ad¬ 
vancing prices, even though their production shall 
be increased a thousand fold. The careful, intelli¬ 
gent and persevering cultivator will reap a reward 
of luxury and profit, scarcely equaled in any other 
department of agricultural industry. 
T. G. Yeomans. 
AValworth, Wayne Co., N. Y., 1859. 
Massachusetts Horticultural Society. — The 
Annual Meeting of this Society was held on Satur¬ 
day the 1st inst. The retiring President, Josiaii 
Stickney, Esq., on vacating the chair, addressed 
the Society in reference to its condition, reviewing 
its operations for the past year, and congratulating 
the members on its general prosperity. He intro¬ 
duced his successor, Joseph Breck, Esq., alluding 
in appropriate terms'to that gentleman’s long 
labors in the cause of horticulture, both as a culti¬ 
vator and author. On taking the Chair, President 
Breck made an able address, comprising many 
practical suggestions, especially in reference to 
the culture of the grape und the pear. The report 
of the Finance Committee showed that the receipts 
for the year 1858 amounted to $11,541 14—being a 
sum in excess of all expenditures, and leaving 
$107 10 cash in the treasury. The Society has 
over $60,000 in property. 
FRUIT GROWERS’ S3CIEIY OF WESTERN NEW YORK. 
Annual Meeting. 
[Concluded from last week.] 
We continue the report of the discussion from 
the last number. S. II. Ainsworth was describing 
his method of picking, saving and marketing the 
Isabella Grape. 
In this condition buyers will take them at from 12 
to 20 cents per pound, according to quality; or they 
may be packed in pasteboard boxes, costing about 
8 cents each, and bolding about 6 pounds. Put a 
layer of cotton batting at the bottom, fill carefully, 
and so full that when the cover is put on it will 
press down a little, and cover the fruit with another 
sheet of batting before putting on the cover. Keep 
them in a cool room, the colder the better if it 
docs not freeze. Occasionally we had a winter that, 
killed the fruit buds, so to make sure of a crop it 
was well to lay the vines down. Never knew the 
buds killed on a vjne that was lain on the ground, 
even if it had no covering other than a board to 
keep it down. The Isabella grape makes an excel¬ 
lent wine. Put half a pound ot sugar in a gallon 
of juice. Had been ottered $4 per gallon for it. It 
takes 10 bushels of grapes to make a barrel of 
wine. A bushel of grapes weighs about 40 pounds. 
Used no water. To make good wine the grapes 
should be well ripened. 
L. B. Langwortiiy had always been of the opin¬ 
ion that the Isabella grape would not make wine— 
thought the Clinton came nearest to a wine grape, 
but none of our native grapes possessed sufficient 
saccharine matter to make a good wine, nor did 
they yield tartaric acid, like the wine grapes of Eu¬ 
rope. The cream of tartar of commerce is pro¬ 
cured from the wine vats. Our grapes yield a 
malic acid, the acid we have in cider. Tomatoes, 
parsnfys, Ac., makes a pleasant cordial, called 
wine, but it bears no comparison to the wines of 
Europe. Mr. B. thought by selecting good, sound, 
ripe apples we could make as good a wine from 
them as from our grapes. AV.e can’t make a raisin 
from our grapes, uor Can wo make wine. A gen¬ 
tleman who makes the best native wine be had 
ever tasted from Cliuton grapes, states that he bad 
found tartaric acid on his wine casks or bottles this 
season. 
Dr. II. II. Farley had raised his finest grapes on 
a clay soil. His opinions in regard to the best soil 
for a grape had undergone some change. The 
Diana was as early, or perhaps a little earner, than 
the Isabella, and of the most excellent quality.— 
It certainly is as hardy as the Isabella —perhaps 
not as showy a grape to sell,but far better ; ripen¬ 
ing about the same time — cannot say that it is 
much earlier; but bad rather eat a Diana half-ripe 
than the best ripened Isabella he ever saw. A 
valuable grape. The Concord ripens early; two 
weeks earlier than the Isabella, and almost as good. 
Had five acres in Isabellas, planted four years since. 
Sold from these 18,000 pounds the past year, and 
the price averaged 13 cents a pound, giving over 
$2,000 for the crop. Trained on wire trellis,—10 
feet each way thought the best distance, and 7 feet 
high. Pack iu the manner described by Mr. Ains¬ 
worth. Prune by the renewal system, in Novem¬ 
ber, aud never lay the vine down. 
Mr. Ainsworth remarked that Dr. Miner, a 
neighbor of his, and a large cultivator of grapes was 
full in the faith of Diana being one of the best 
grapes we have, botli for quality and fruitfulness. 
Wherever the Isabella will not ripen, Concord is 
valuable. 
Mr. II. N. Langwortiiy never pruned at any 
other time than in the spring,—February or March. 
Once tried pruning in April--old vines, and the 
branches bled profnselyi^J’igt season had one of 
the jest crops, of sized grapes, well 
ripened. * ^ 
Dr. Doolittle, of Ontario, witnessed the results 
of grape growing. Had seen profuse bleeding 
caused by excessive trimming of old aud neglected 
grape vines, but never saw any ill results from it. 
Such vines after pruning usually produce early and 
fine crops. Perhaps it can be accounted for on the 
principle of letting out the bad blood, sometimes 
recommended for the human race. 
MANURING NEWLY PLANTED TREES. 
Is the Application of Manure or Composts necessary 
at the time of planting, and if so, what kind ? 
II. E. Hooker applied the manure to the surface 
of the ground, and the rain will dissolve and carry 
it to the roots, iu the most suitable form for their 
nourishment. 
L. B. Langwortiiy said fresh barn-yard manure 
to roots of trees is always fatal. Well rotted chip 
manure, muck, or a very rotten barn-yard manure is 
good, particularly on a heavy soil, and may 
safely be applied, and no danger if a little does 
come in contact with the roots. 
H. E. Hooker. Carbonaceous manures tend to 
late maturity of both tree and fruit. Horse manure 
well fermented, but not washed, is first rate to 
produce early fruitfulness. Will hasten the early 
maturity of the fruit, and produce fine specimens. 
Mucky, loose soils, are not good soils for fruit 
trees, and do not raise the best fruit, — which ar¬ 
gues against the use of muck as a manure for 
fruit. 
W. B. Smith thought it very unsafe to recom¬ 
mend manuring the soil when transplanting trees. 
The best way for the cultivator to do is to rely upon 
thorough pulverization of the soil beforehand, and 
good cultivation of the trees afterward, using the 
manure only as a mulching. Mulch for a pretty 
good sized circle around the tree; but don’t let the 
manure touch the bark. 
E. Boardman ouce put upon a piece of land a 
heavy coat of manure, which he plowed under, and 
then set out the trees and three-fourths of them 
died. For the setting out of an orchard would 
recommend the same preparation of the land as for 
a crop of wheat,—manure the year before, or sow 
a crop of clover and plow it in. Get the land in 
good heart and trees will do well. 
Mr. Bronson inquired if any oue had used gas 
lime, so as to tell of its value ? 
W. It. Coppock about four years ago used four 
loads to an acre, as a top-dresing to a meadow, and 
was well pleased with the result. Had used it in 
some other cases. Intended to top-dress an apple 
orchard with it. 
[To prevent mistakes on this subjest we will 
briefly remark, that gas lime when fresh is a mix¬ 
ture of sulphate of calcium with carbonate of lime, 
and a portion of caustic lime. It has been claimed 
that it contains ammonia, but the quantity is so 
small as to be of no account, and is soon dissipated 
on exposure to the air. The alkaline sulphurets 
are generally believed to be injurious to vegetation, 
aud for this reason gas lime should not be used in 
a fresh state. By exposure to the air the sulphuret 
of calcium speedily absorbs oxygen and becomes 
sulphate of lime, or gypsum, in which state it may 
be used to advantage wherever plaster would prove 
valuable.] 
E. Mattison was in favor of using manure at the 
time of planting, but judiciously — not in contact 
with the roots. If holes were dug as deep as gen¬ 
erally recommended, the trees were apt to be plant¬ 
ed too deep, as the earth would sink, carrying the 
tree with it. The best way was to plow and sub¬ 
soil of an equal depth all over. Cover the roots of 
trees with good soil, then give a good top-dressing 
of manure, and bank up with earth, and the tree 
will suffer less in the winter than if allowed to re¬ 
main in the nursery rows. In the spring remove 
the banks, and that is equal to oue cultivatin« r . — 
Believed plowing under the trees decidedly inju¬ 
rious. A young tree, like a calf, or any young ani¬ 
mal, must be fed well, or it will never be fiue and 
perfect in its maturity. Starving and neglecting 
a tree or an animal he considered a very unprofit¬ 
able business. 
root grafting. 
What are the advantages or disadvantages of roof¬ 
grafting, in comparison with seedling-tack graft¬ 
ing, with re erenceto growth, durability and pro¬ 
ductiveness V 
W. R. Coppock has tried some experiments and 
found that trees grafted on pieces of roots never 
made good fibrous roots, but stiff prongs, with few 
fibres, and the consequence was, the trees did not 
obtain sufficient nourishment, and made a poor 
growth. 
II. E. Hooker said, lie did not believe in taking 
pieces of roots from old trees, but when a seedling 
had a good, long aud strong root, if cut in two 
pieces, and one scion is put on the crown, and 
another on the piece below, no one could tell the 
difference by the growth of the tree, or the appear¬ 
ance of the roots. Had tried this a score of times, 
and planted them in different rows, to see if there 
was any advantage in either, but could discover 
none. Thought Mr. Coppock -had imbibed Prof. 
Comstock’s theory, that the collar was the seat of 
life. 
J. J. Thomas said considerable prejudice had ex¬ 
isted at the west against root-grafted trees, partly 
from misapprehension as to the practice, but opin¬ 
ions were changing on this matter. Recent letters 
from the most experienced men of that section of 
the country had informed him of this fact, and that 
there was no perceptible difference. 
THE pear orchard. 
T. G. Yeomans gave his method of cultivating a 
dwarf pear orchard. Could give an acre of pears 
good culture, with one-fourth less labor than an 
acie in potatoes. Used a small steel tooth cultiva¬ 
tor, and with care could work as near the trunks 
ot the trees as necessary, without doing the trees 
the least injury. Had fruited over sixty varieties, 
and prepared the Duchesse de Angeuleme for mar¬ 
ket, as it is more productive and profitable than 
any other; next to this the Louise Donne de Jersey. 
W. R. Coppock said, with him the Duchesse was 
a shy bearer, and inquires of Mr. Y. as to the na¬ 
ture of his soil, situation, Ac. 
Mr. A lomans replied, that the Duchesse did not 
bear as early as some varieties. IIis soil was a 
good, strong loam. Dry ground is indispensable 
to success with the dwarf pear. His orchard was 
entirely exposed. Small, badly grown specimens 
of the Duchesse are worthless. ” Sold his finest this 
year at $25 per barrel, aud a barrel contained only 
166 speimens. Had a few standard trees of this 
sort, and would as soon have willows, as far as the 
growing of fruit was concerned. The fruit of all 
varieties of pears is improved by being grown on 
the quince, that is when they will grow on that 
stock. 
The meeting adjourned, after resolving to hold 
the summer session iu Rochester, at such time as 
the Council may designate. 
Dwarf Pears. —The discussion of this question 
is not ended. The enemies of dwarf pears dislike 
to rest under the heavy weight of proof that their 
failures were caused by negligence or ignorance, 
aud so they keep up a running fight. In the Horti¬ 
culturist for December, E. Norton, of Connecticut, 
endeavored to show that some half adozen persons 
had failed in several places in New England, and 
at Albany, in this State. This is no doubt true, 
for some will fail at anything requiring care, or 
skill, or even labor. The last cord of wood we 
hired sawed and split, was a decided failure, as we 
were often reminded, when called upon to use the 
ax in reducing the size of the sticks. Mr. N. failed 
himself. If we understand the matter, he com¬ 
menced pear culture some eight years ago, with 
very extravagant notions about making a business, 
and perhaps a fortune, at growing pears on a few 
hundred dwarf trees, and many of them varieties 
that would not succeed on the quince stock. Some 
of the trees, too, were cullings, according to his 
own showing, and he knew but little about plant¬ 
ing or caring for them. No wonder he failed. T. 
G. Yeomans, who not only writes intelligently 
about dwarf trees, but grows them understandingly, 
and makes them produce pears in abudance, and 
dollars too, reviews the article of Mr. N. in this 
number of the Rural. Mr. Yeomans planted 
largely of the White Doyenne, and expected to reap 
a rich harvest, but the fruit cracked so badly as to 
be worthless. Instead of writing and scolding 
about it, he simply learned the lesson taught, that 
this variety was unsuited to his soil or climate, and 
grafted his trees with the Duchesse de Angouleme, 
and now is beginning to receive the reward of his 
good sense. 
Missouri Fruit Growers’ Convention. — The 
Fruit Growers of Missouri met in convention at 
St. Louis on the 5th inst. A society was organized, 
and the following officers elected : 
President — Norman J. Colman, of St. Louis. 
Vice Presidents — 1st Congressional District, Dr. 
McPherson, of St. Louis; 2d do., Prof. J. C. Swal¬ 
low; 3d do., Gen. M. Homer; 4th do., Dr. McGuire, 
of Platte; 5th do., Eldridge Burden, of Lafayette; 
6th do., Wm. C. Price, of Greene; 7th do., John 
Deadrick, of Platin Rock. 
Recording Secretary — F. R. Elliot, of St. Louis. 
Corresponding Secretary— George Husman, of 
Gasconade. 
Treasurer —John Garnett, of St. Louis. 
A fine show of winter fruit was made, and the 
discussion on the growth and quality of fruit, and 
the soil best adapted, is represented as interesting 
and profitable. 
Hubbard Squash.— Having seen an article in the 
Rural of January 8th, from II. N. Langworthy, 
entitled Sweet Potatoes vs. Hubbard Squashes, I wish 
to add my testimony in favor of this excellent 
garden vegetable. Seeing a notice of them in the 
Rural last spring, I sent to Marblehead, Mass., and 
obtained some seed. From one hill I raised nine 
squashes, not equaled by anything iu that line 
that I ever saw. In fact, I think (when baked) 
they are nearly equal iu flavor to the sweet potato, 
and taking into the account their qualities for late 
keeping, I consider them far preferable. In con¬ 
clusion, I would say to the readers of the Rural 
that I shail be happy to send, to any who may de¬ 
sire, seeds of tills superior squash, if they will but 
enclose an envelope directed to themselves, and pre¬ 
paid, as I wish all to test its excellence and enjoy its 
luxury.—J. E. North, Scott, Cortland, Co., N. Y. 
Illustrations prepared for this and the last 
number have been crowded out by the lengthy 
Fruit Report. In our next we will endeavor to 
make amends. Several interesting communica¬ 
tions, one quite valuable to our Western readers, 
on the Culture of Apples at the West, and the va¬ 
rieties best adapted by their hardiness to that sec¬ 
tion, are in the same condition. We like to give 
variety, but two or three times in a year we find it 
impracticable to do so. 
Messr. Eds.: —Having noticed in a late No. of 
the Rural an inquiry how to make a good chicken 
pie, I send the following, which we consider very 
good:—Dress and cut up your chickens as for fry¬ 
ing down, have your water hot, put them in and 
boil until quite tender, then set away to cool.— 
When sufficiently cool, make a crust the same as 
for good, short biscuit, season the chickens with 
plenty of butter, salt and pepper to the taste, let 
the pan be about half filled with the gravy, (the 
remainder to be thickened and served when eaten,) 
place in a moderate oven and bake one hour. 
Good Rusk.— To one quart water, two or three 
tablespoons good yeast, sponge over night,—when 
light, add one cup sugar; one shortening; one 
dried cherries,— mix and let it stand to rise, then 
mould in balls the size preferred,—when light, 
bake in a moderate oven. A Subscriber. 
Union District, Wash. Co., Mich., 1859. 
Baked Beets. —Not long since, noticing in the 
Rural that baked beets were highly recommended 
by a correspondent, I thought I would try some. 
The thought was no sooner conceived than I pro¬ 
ceeded to put it into execution. Procured some 
medium-sized beets, and, after leaving them in a 
very hot oven for two hours, placed them on the 
table for eating. My husband took one mouthful, 
and then asked what it was, — told him. “ Well,” 
said he, “ hadn’t you better leave them in the oven 
a little longer?” Now, I should like to ask your 
correspondent if there is not some stove invented 
which has an oven with a separate apartment, in 
which to leave the beets for ten months or a year, 
so as to be sure and have them done?—C., Greece, 
N. Y., Jan., 1859. 
Loaf Cake. —Having thoroughly tested, I can 
recommend the following recipe:—Six lbs of flour; 
3 of sugar; 3 of butter; 3 of raisins; 3 pints milk; 
3 gills of yeast; 1)<[ ounces of spice; 6 eggs. Roll 
sugar and mix with butter—add half at the time of 
making cake, and the remainder when it has risen, 
and the raisins and spices. Put it into pans, let it 
stand about an hour to rise, then bake. One-third 
of this is sufficient for three loaves.— Cordie, Hud¬ 
son, O., 1S59. 
Bread from Grown Wheat. — Having noticed 
in the Rural for December 18th, an inquiry for 
the best process of making bread from the flour of 
grown wheat, my “better two-thirds” says send 
you the following:— Scald the flour before putting 
it to sponge ; let it cool a little, and then stir in the 
yeast; knead the dough a little stiffer than usual. 
It can hardly be told from good flour. — T. D. 
Tooicer, Toledo, O., 1859. 
Clove Cake. —One and one-half cups of sugar; 
1 cup of butter; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon of saleratus 
dissolved in 1 teacup of milk; 1 teaspoon of cloves; 
1 of cinnamon; 1 of nutmeg; flour enough to 
make a stiff batter. Will some of the friends of 
the Rural be kind enough to give a recipe for 
making Rock Cake?— West Chester, 1859. 
Cookies. —Take one cup of butter; 2 of sugar; 
1 egg; 1 tablespoonful of sour cream; 1 table¬ 
spoonful of good buttermilk; 1 teaspoonful of sale¬ 
ratus; 1 tablespoonful of ginger. Will some of 
the many contributors to this department give a 
good recipe for making Crullers ?—A Housekeeper, 
Out West, 1858. 
Sandwiches for Evening Parties. —Chop tine 
some cold dressed ham, say about a quarter of a 
pound; put it in a basin with a tablespoonful of 
chopped pickles, and a teaspoonful of mustard, a 
little pepper or Cayenne; put about six ounces of 
butter in a basin, and with a spoon stir quickly till 
it forms a kind of cream; and add the ham and 
seasoning, mix all well, have the sandwich bread 
cut in thin slices; have already cut, thinly inter¬ 
mixed with fat, either cold roast beef, veal, lamb, 
mutton, poultry, fowl, pheasant, partridge, &c., 
either of which lay evenly, and not too thick, on 
your bread; season with a little salt and pepper; 
cover over with another piece of bread; when your 
sandwich is ready, cut them in any shape you like, 
but rather small and tastily, and serve. You may 
keep them in a cold place, if not wanted, as they 
will keep good under cover for 12 hours. — Lady’s 
Book. 
Salve for Frost Bites. — The following is the 
recipe for Wahler’s Frost Salve, which has been 
long known and valued in Germany, but the recipe 
for which has been kept secret till recently pur¬ 
chased by the government of the kingdom of Wur- 
temberg, and made public:—24 oz. mutton tallow, 
24 oz. hogs lard, 4 oz. peroxyd of iron, (red iron 
rust,) 4 oz. Venice turpentine, 2 oz. oil of bergamot, 
2 oz. bole armenian, rubbed to a paste with olive 
oil. Heat together the tallow, lard and iron rust, 
in an iron vessel, stirring with an iron spoon con¬ 
stantly till the mass assumes a perfectly black 
color; then add gradually the other ingredients, 
stirring till well mixed. It is applied upon linen, 
daily, aud its effect upon even the most painful 
open frost sores is most extraordinary. In all 
probability, for other similar wounds it would also 
be au excellent application. 
Cure for Chapped Hands. —Most of our juve¬ 
niles, during the winter season, are troubled with 
chapped hands. For the benefit of mothers who 
are obliged to listen to their endless complaints, 
we publish the following recipe for chapped hands: 
Take 3 drachms of gum camphor, 3 do. of white 
beeswax-, 3 do. of spermaceti, 2 ounces of olive oil. 
Put them together in a cup on the stove, where 
they will melt slowly, and form a white ointment 
in a few minutes. If the hands be affected, anoint 
them on going to bed, and put on a pair of gloves. 
A day or two will suffice to heal them. 
