Spice from 3fem Sooko. 
How we Abuse our Stomachs. 
No other civilized people, probably, are ao- 
eustomed to abuse their stomachs so badly as we 
Americans of the United States. Our food is often 
badly chosen, still more frequently spoiled in cook¬ 
ing, and always eaten in utter disregard, of dietetic 
rules. We eat far too much flesh-meat, (and espe¬ 
cially pork, in its most objectionable form,) and 
too little bread, vegetables and fruits. Our hot, 
soda-raised biscuits, hot griddle-cakes, saturated 
with butter, and the hot, black, intolerable coffee, 
which form the staples of our breakfast, are, in the 
way in which they are taken, among the most 
deleterious articles ever put upon a table. Pies 
are another American abomination, and have no 
small share ©f our ill-health to answer for. The 
mince-pie, as it is generally made, is the abomina¬ 
tion of abominations. Some describe it as “ very 
white and indigestible at top, very moist and indi¬ 
gestible at the bottom, and untold horrors in the 
middle.” Even our bread is unwholesome. It is 
made of the finest, of fine flour, and fermented till its 
natural sweetness and a large portion of its nutri¬ 
tive elements are destroyed, or raised with those 
poisonous chemicals, soda and cream of tartar. In 
cither case, it is unfit to be eaten. The rich cakes 
which our good housekeepers deem so indispensa¬ 
ble, aie still worse, and so on. Now, add to our 
badly chosen dishes and our objectionable crock¬ 
ery, the rapid eating and imperfect mastication, 
and the continually interrupted digestion which 
our intense and feverish life necessitates, and we 
have a complication of abuses, which would, one 
must believe, have long since utterly destroyed 
the vital stamina of any people not originally 
endowed with marvelous physical powers.— 
Jacques’ “ Hints toivards Physical Perfection .” 
What can be done with Paper. 
A writer in BlacJcwood's Magazine says it is 
wonderful to see the thousand useful, as well as 
ornamental purposes, to which paper is applicable 
in the hands of the Japanese. He states that he 
saw it made into materials so closely resembling 
Russian and Morocco leather and pig skin, that it 
was very difficult to detect the difierence. With 
the aid of lacker varnish and skillful painting, pa¬ 
per made excellent trunks, tobacco bags, cigar 
cases, saddles, telescope cases, the frames of mi¬ 
croscopes ; and he even saw and used excellent 
water-proof coats, made of simple paper, which did 
keep out the rain, and were as supple as the best 
Mackintosh. The Japanese use neither silk nor 
cotton handkerchiefs, towels nor dusters; paper 
in their hands serves as an excellent substitute.— 
It is soft, thin, tough, of a pale yellowish color, 
very plentiful and very cheap. The inner walls of 
many Japanese apartments are formed of paper, 
being nothing more than painted screens; their 
windows are covered with a fine translucent de¬ 
scription of the same material; it enters largely 
into the manufacture of nearly everything in a 
Japanese household; and he saw what seemed to 
be balls of twine, but which were nothing but long 
shreds of tough paper rolled up. If a shop-keeper 
had a parcel to tie, he would take a strip of paper, 
roll it quickly between his hands, and use it for 
the purpose ; and it was quite as strong as the or¬ 
dinary string at heme. In short, without paper, 
all Japan would come to a dead lock; and, indeed, 
lest by the arbitrary exercise of his authority, a 
tyrannical husband should stop his wife’s paper, 
the sage Japanese mothers-in-law invariably stip¬ 
ulate that the bride is to have allowed to her a cer¬ 
tain quantity. 
Chinese Characteristics. 
In illness, and that dreadful wrench of soul 
and body we call death, the Chinese character 
shows itself. The pig-tailed men believe that 
the pain of illness is the result of the attempts 
the soul makes to leave the body. They believe 
that tricks, treats, prayers, may sometimes com¬ 
pel the errant soul to return to its frail prison. 
They first try kind words, run after it, entreat it 
to come back, and describe what they must suffer 
if it will not hear reason. They urge and flatter 
it; they weep, they cry, “ Come back, come back 
—wbat have we done to you ? What motive can 
you have for going away ?—come back, we im¬ 
plore you!” If the soul still struggles outward, 
tired of its bondage, the Chinese mourner gets 
bullying, lets off fireworks, shouts, pushes to 
force back the soul. The men run about, crying 
they are on the track. They carry lanterns, if it 
is at night, to light the soul back again. When 
fairly dead—and most quiet people die at once 
to get rid of all this noise and torment—they 
say the person has “ saluted the age,” has “ thank¬ 
ed the world,” every one belonging to the de¬ 
ceased at once puts on white caps, girdles and 
shoes. The body is covered with quicklime, and 
kept sometimes till the anniversary of the death. 
The' day of the funeral is like an Irish wake. 
Every one smokes, drinks tea, gossips, laughs, 
till the time crimes to gather round the coffin; 
then they shed tears, groan, sob, and address the 
dead in passionate and pathetic monologues. 
Every Chinese can weep and laugh at will, like an 
actor.— The Kingdom of Flowers. 
Origin of the term “Old Dominion.” 
Few things are so well calculated to awaken in 
the mind of the proud Virginian, when wandering 
in foreign lands, touching reminiscences of home 
and kindred, as the simple mention of the “ Old 
Dominion.” And yet there are comparatively 
few who are aware of the origin of the term which 
has so generally been applied to Virginia. It 
Scotland, as an independent member of the em¬ 
pire, a distinct portion of the “Old Dominion.” 
Hence arose the origin of the term. Copper coins 
of Virginia were issued even as late as the reign 
of George III., which bore one side the coat of 
arms of England, Ireland, Scotland and Virginia. 
—Notes and Queries. 
Books Received. 
Historical Vindications : A Discourse on the Prov¬ 
ince and Uses of Baptist History, delivered before the 
Backus Historical Society, at Newton, Mass , June ‘23, 
1857. Repeated before the American Baptist Histori¬ 
cal Society, at New York, May 14, 1S59. With Ap¬ 
pendixes, containing Historical Notes and Confessions 
of Faith. By Skwall 8. Cutting, Professor of 
Rhetoric and History in the University of Rochester. 
[12mo. pp. 224.] Boston : Gould & Lincoln. Roch¬ 
ester— Adams & Dabney. 
The Right Word in the Right Place: A New 
Pocket Dictionary and Reference Book ; Embracing 
Extensive Collections of Synonyms,Technical Terms, 
Abbreviations, and Foreign Phrases: Chapters on 
Writing for the Press, Punctuation, and Proof-Read¬ 
ing; and other Interesting and Valuable Information. 
By the author of “ How to Write,” “ How to Talk,” 
etc. [16mo. pp. 214.] New York: Fowler & Wells. 
From the Publishers. 
Sermons, Preached and Revised by the Rev. C. II. 
Spurgeon. [12mo. pp. 450 ] Boston : Gould & Lin¬ 
coln. Rochester— Stkblb, Avbby & Co. 
Life of Julius Cw.sar. By Henry G. Liddell, D. D. 
Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. [16mo. pp. 247.] 
Rochester— Steele, Avery & Co. 
Life of Thomas A’Beoket. By Henry Hart Milman, 
D. D., Dean of St. Paul’s. [16mo. pp. 246.] Roch¬ 
ester— Strf-le, Avery A Go. 
Life of Hannibal. By Thomas Arnold, D. D. [16mo. 
pp. 820.] Rochester— Steele, avery & Co. 
Lifh of Yittoria Colonna. By T. Adolphus Trol¬ 
lope. [16iuo. pp. 247 ] Rochester— Steele, AvEr.Y 
& Co. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
WEYEB'S CAVE.—No. TL. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
CLOUDS. 
originated thus:—During the Protectorate of 
Cromwell, the colony of Virginia refused to ac¬ 
knowledge his authority, and declared itself inde¬ 
pendent. Shortly after, when Cromwell threat¬ 
ened to send a fleet and army to reduce Virginia 
to subjection, the alarmed Virginians sent a 
messenger to Charles II., who was then an exile 
in Flanders, inviting him to return in the ship 
with the messenger, and be king of Virginia. 
Charles accepted the invitation, and was on the 
eve of embarkation, when he was called to the 
throne of England. As soon as he was fairly 
seated on his throne, in gratitude for the loyalty 
of Virginia, he caused her coat of arms to be 
quartered with those of England, Ireland and 
Returning to the main passage we enter the 
“Twin Room.” Here our attention is directed to 
a couple of statues, from the similarity of which 
the apartment derives its name. A part of this 
chamber is called the “ Baluster Room,” from the 
ridges in the walls, formed by rows of stalactites 
resembling, in size and form, rows of balusters.— 
In this room is a deep hollow, dark and bottom¬ 
less, (so you are told,) which bears the significant 
title of the “ Devil’s Bake-Oven !” 
The “ Tapestry Room” is, perhaps equal, in the 
beauty and magnificence of its adoruings, to any 
part of the cave. Here the walls are ornamented 
with clusters of pillars and masses of drapery, 
falling in fluted folds and broad wavy sheets.— 
These stone curtains are translucent, and on being 
struck emit musical sounds. Some of them are 
bordered with minute and elegant designs wrought 
out on the rocky fabric, through the darkness and 
silence of ages. Nature has been lavish of her 
workmanship, and in that portion of the room 
known as the “ Cathedral,” she has erected a cir¬ 
cular throne “like the ancient stone chair in 
which the Kings of Scotland were crowned,” and 
overhung it with the most elegant drapery con¬ 
ceivable. Lofty aisles, ornamented with pillars, 
reach to the groined ceiling, and pendent crystals 
glitter in the torch-light like stars in the vault of 
night. Still farther on, an enormous sheet of spar 
hanging from the roof in heavy folds, has received 
the name of the “Drum.” On being struck with 
the hand it gives out a sound as deep and mellow 
as the finest toned base drum. 
We have now reached the largest division of the 
cave — the “ Ball Room.” It is a hundred feet in 
length by forty in breadth, and has a floor of hard, 
smooth earth, which renders it a convenient place 
for dancing. An annual illumination of the prin¬ 
cipal rooms was formerly the custom and at such 
times the hours were whiled away by the votaries 
of Terpsichore in this subterranean chamber, as 
gayly and as thoughtlessly as if no Hand Divine 
had left its tracery on each wall of living rock. 
“ Sautag’s Hill ” is a gradual ascent, named in 
honor of a French traveler, who unfortunately 
lost his light and his way near this spot. Luckily 
the guide was sufficiently well acquainted with the 
intricacies of the cave, to follow the main path, 
and thus to restore the benighted traveler to the 
light of day. From this hill, a narrow passage, 
called the “ Devil’s Race-Path,” leads us to a room 
bearing the still more suggestive name of the 
“Devil’s Dungeon.” Before reaching the room, 
however, we exchange the perils of the “Race- 
Path ” for a flight of natural steps, whose steep 
and narrow grade made the passage quite difficult. 
It is called “Jacob’s Ladder,” and certainly the 
“ angels” that ascend and descend it from time to 
time, perform no easy task. Here are also “Ja¬ 
cob’s Tea-Table” and “Jacob’s Ice-House.”— 
Were there any more stalagmites in the room, we 
should undoubtedly be favored with representa¬ 
tions of various other utensils in the domestic 
establishment of the patriarch. 
The “Senate Chamber” is named from the cir¬ 
cumstance of its having a gallery of stone project¬ 
ing from one of the side walls and extending half 
way across the apartment. This gallery is some¬ 
times callpd the “ Natural Bridge.” Beyond is 
“ Congress Hall.” A similar gallery in this room 
is called the “ Lobby.” A sloping projection from 
the side wall is named, from its fancied resem¬ 
blance to the promontory of the same name on the 
Hudson, “Anthony’s Nose.” A side path leads 
to the “Spar Room,” from which visitors are per 
mitted to gather specimens. 
Bertha Mortieer. 
Newark, Wayne Co., N. Y., 1859. 
Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds, the 
wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge ? 
—Bible, 
Clouds reveal the wisdom of the hand that form¬ 
ed them, and are a connecting link between the 
far, strange depths of ether, and our less spiritual 
world. They catch the evasive rays of light from 
the setting sun, and hold them up to our view in 
beautiful succession. Clouds hold the treasures of 
snow and rain, and moderate the burning heat of 
summer, and tbe fierce cold of winter. They 
unite the useful and the beautiful, the terrible aud 
the playful. The clouds of April are fleecy and 
graceful; incense that the fitful princess offers to 
her patron Spring. November clouds are grim 
and stern, like warriors looking from their battle¬ 
ments. Clouds are changeful aud fanciful, assum¬ 
ing all sorts of shape and delighting in all sorts of 
motions. Now they are curved in comely shape, 
now jagged and rough. Now they roll softly to 
and fro upon the waves of air, and now they 
chaso each other through the sky like the fierce 
wild steeds on an Arabian desert. 
If you think the clouds are not capable of awaken¬ 
ing strong emotions, watch the rising of a storm, 
as they gather themselves together in close array. 
Like a flock of mighty birds,” they cover the 
heavens, while the air trembles with the beating 
of their wings. Lightning flashes, and thunder 
rolls like heavy artillery along their line. The 
broad battle-plain of heaven is filling up, and the 
eclipsing shadow falls upon the earth. But see! In 
another quarter of the sky there is another storm 
rfsing, and the two approach each other, leaving 
but a narrow belt of blue, which is fa3t decreas¬ 
ing. What if they should rush together, and pour 
a dreadful deluge upon us. Amidst this din and 
strife a sweetly solemn voice speaks to our tremb¬ 
ling hearts, “Dos’t thou know the balancing of 
the clouds, the wondrous works of Him which is 
perfect in knowledge? Who can number the 
clouds in wisdom, or who can stay the battles of 
heaven ?” And you answer in reverence, “ God.” 
Harmlessly they pass, the storm ceases, and the 
smiling earth also answers, God. 
To us, clouds are uncertain things, at the mercy 
of every wind; but to Him who rules the uni¬ 
verse they have their appointed course to run.— 
They are messengers of mercy to men, and some¬ 
times, too, of wrath. He who is taught in the 
school of the Christian can rejoice in truth that 
they are under the control of a wise and loving 
Father. m. c 
Butler, Milwaukee Co., Wis., 1S59. 
•;h6 invasion of myriads of caterpillars, which de¬ 
vastate the crops.” 
The most singular of such traffics is the toad 
trade. On some of the market gardens near Lon¬ 
don, as many as five crops are raised in one year, 
the principle object being, however, to raise the 
finest possible specimens for high prices. Under 
such a system of culture, slugs and other insects 
are very formidable foes, and to destroy them, 
toads have been found so useful as to be purchased 
at high prices. As much as a dollar and a half a 
dozen is given for full grown lively toads, which 
are generally imported from France, where they 
have also been in use for a long time in an insec¬ 
tivorous way. Who can say but that Shakspeare, 
who knew everything, guessed everything, and 
foresaw everything, thought of this latent value 
when he said that the toad, though 
“ ugly and venomous, 
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” 
—Philadelphia Bulletin. 
EXERCISE AND AMUSEMENT. 
STOVES AND FURNACES. 
Within a few years the air-tight stove has been 
substituted for the iron dogs, and for the first time 
since men began to live in houses we have no 
“ fire-places.” The shrine of the Lares has been 
removed, and our houses have been literally pil¬ 
laged—robbed of the domestic hearth, towards 
which so many associations have been poured, 
and which, in all ages, have been regarded as the 
symbol of home with its social comforts. 
Not content with this, these enemies to onr race 
have still more lately taken away the stoves, 
which, destitute of the essence, still occupied the 
places, and served to remind us at least of the 
ancient fire-places; and instead they have built 
for us iron furnaces—iEtnas—under ground, so 
that now what of the oxygen we are not able to 
consume and convert into carbonic acid, is vitiated 
by impure gas escaping from its hidden chambers, 
by invisible particles of coal dust, and by other 
impurities which clog up the air-cells, and close 
the avenues of life, or stick along the parched 
fauces as if reluctant to convey their poison to the 
lungs. 
Stoves have no doubt abridged the sum of 
human life, but by these subterranean iron fur¬ 
naces we are cut short in the middle. It is an 
error to suppose that hot-air furnaces can ever be 
so constructed or managed, at least in private 
houses, as not in any degree to prove detrimental 
to health. We wish we could persuade ourselves 
that this is not so, for it is certainly very agreeable, 
in a climate like ours, to enjoy throughout all tbe 
rooms and passages of the house warm and uni 
form temperature; but it is just this even warmth 
which is one of the sources of mischief. The 
inmates are so little accustomed to the cold within 
doors, and become so morbidly sensitive, that they 
shudder at the idea of going OHt, and if they ever 
do venture into the air, tbe frost enters into their 
open pores, and they hasten back to their shelter, 
chilled, exhausted and discouraged. They are no 
better able to endure tbe storms of winter than a 
plant reared in a hot-house. It was the venerable 
Bede, I think, who said:—“When men lived in 
houses of willow, they were of oak, but when 
they lived in houses of oak they were of willow.” 
Nature has strange ways of doing tbe most 
beautiful things. Out of the oozy earth, the mud 
and rain of early spring, come the most delicate 
flowers, their white leaves borne out of the dirt, as 
uusoiled and pure as if they had bloomed in the 
garden of Paradise. 
Praise is not pleasing to the mind of men, yet 
it is the original motive of almost all our actions. 
Bom exercise and amusement are necessary to 
the young. The youth in our cities and villages 
need exercise to develop the muscle, to build up 
strong, well-developed, healthy bodies, able to 
endure the battle of life. Theyouth of the country, 
as a general thing, perhaps, have exercise enough, 
but yet many of the muscles of the body lie dor¬ 
mant, suffering and languishing, weak from want 
of proper exercise. To prove this, let any of the 
farmers’ boys engage in a different employment, 
be it work or play, that calls into action a different 
set of muscles from what they usually employ, 
such as rowing or playing ball, and they will 
experience a soreness that will plainly tell how 
illy these muscles were prepared for the work they 
were called upon to perform. It may be asked, 
Cannot all this be accomplished by a change of 
work? Not exactly, for the mind needs relaxation, 
and the spirit needs enlivening, which can best be 
accomplished by any innocent, manly sport. We 
all know what the old proverb declares to be the 
effect of “all work and no play.” Nothing like 
lively, cheerful conversation at table, helps diges¬ 
tion. This, it is the opinion of the best physicians, 
better than all the medicine in the world for 
dyspeptics. 
In this country too little attention is given to 
building up a healthy body,—with one class it is all 
study, and with another all work. In England, 
among all classes, this is better understood, and 
the children even of the nobility, boys and girls 
alike, are encouraged to take regular and syste 
malic exercise. In reading the life of the Rev 
Robert Newton, a celebrated English minister, 
we were struck with a remark which he once made, 
that he had preached on an average six times 
week for forty years, had traveled by stage and 
horse-hack thousands of miles every year, had 
traveled about half the nights in all these forty 
years, and yet could not say that he had ever been 
tired, or ever incapable, from physical causes, of 
performing his duties well. How many American 
ministers could perform a quarter of this labor 
without complaining of being over-worked. The 
great evil of the country is, that we neglect the 
body until we are reminded of our folly by pains 
aud penalties which make life a burden. This 
being our feelings, we were much pleased to see 
the young men engage so earnestly in the game of 
Base-hall, which bids fair to become a national 
game, and if kept free from evils which often 
become connected with athletic sports, such as 
betting and drinking, and late suppers, we are 
satisfied that good will result from them. 
THE GAME OF CRICKET. 
The favorite English game of ball is Oricket, in 
which old and young, rich and poor, delight. 
Some cricket clubs have been formed in this coun¬ 
try, and on their invitation eleven of the best 
players in England visited us, and played five 
match games with twenty-two of the best players 
in this country and Canada—at Montreal, New 
York, Philadelphia, Hamilton and Rochester. 
The game closed here on Tuesday of this week, and 
we thought a description thereof might be inter¬ 
esting to our young friends. The engraving shows 
player at the bat, just ready to receive the 
ball from the bowler. Three stumps are inserted 
in the ground, about three inches apart, connected 
together at the top by two pieces of wood called 
bails, which lie loosely on the top, ready to fall 
from the least touch of the hall. 
queer trades. 
Mant years ago, when rice was dear in Eastern 
China, efforts were made to bring it from Luzon 
where it was abundant. At Manilla there was 
however, passed a singular law, to the effect th 
no vessel for China should be allowed to load with 
rice unless it brought to Manilla a certain number 
of cages full of the little “ butcher birds ” well 
known to ornithologists. The reason for this most 
eccentric regulation simply was that the rice in 
Luzon suffered much from locusts and these lo 
custs were destroyed in great numbers by the 
butcher birds. 
A somewhat similar business is carried on between 
England and New Zealand. This latter country 
at particular seasons, is invaded by armies of cat 
erpillars, which clear off the grain crops as com 
pletely as if mowed down by the scythe. With 
the view of counteracting this plague, a novel im 
portation has been made. It is thus noticed by 
the Southern Cross. “Mr. Brodie has shipped 800 
sparrows on board the Swordfish, carefully selected 
from the best hedge-rows in England. The food 
alone, he informs us, put on board for them, cost 
£18. This sparrow question has been a Ion 
standing joke in Buckland, but the necessity to 
farmers to keep down the grubs is admitted on all 
sides. There is no security in New Zealand against 
or hit the bails off with the ball—the aim of the 
batsman being to prevent him, and at the same 
time to hit the ball a sufficient distance to admit of 
his running from wicket to wicket before the 
stumps are knocked down with the ball. For 
every such run he scores ODe. • Twenty-two players 
are engaged in a regular contest—eleven on a side. 
Eleven go into the field, taking various positions— 
such as those of bowlers, of which there are two— 
wicket-keeper, long stop, point, slips, cover-point, 
mid-wicket, off and on—that is, to the right er left 
of the batsman who first receives the ball—long- 
leg, short-leg, Ac.; these positions being chiefly 
those in the field where the ball is most frequently 
hit by the batsman. 
Behind the stumps the wicket-keeper stands, his 
duty being to stop the balls when they pass the 
batsman. Behind him again is the long-stop, who 
stops all balls that pass the wicket-keeper. The 
great activity and nerve requisite in the onerous 
duty of wicket-keeper, renders it one that few are 
found to fill, even creditably, much less with 
marked ability. When a run i3 obtained without 
the ball being hit it is termed a bye, and when 
touching the person of the batsman, a leg bye- 
byes being generally obtained from balls that pass 
the long-stop. The ball must be bowled, not 
thrown or jerked, and the batsman is put out when 
the ball passes his bat and knocks the wicket do wn, 
or when he hits the ball in the air and it is caught 
before touching the ground, or if the bails are 
knocked off while he is out of his ground. 
According as agreed upon, the game is either four 
over or eight over, which means that when four 
or eight balls are bowled from one end—the game- 
keeper calls “Overl”—the players reverse their 
positions, and another bowler plajs his ball from 
the opposite wicket. 
All balls bowled outside of the parallel lines 
shown in the engraving, and over three feet from 
the wicket, on either side, being considered out of 
the reach of the batsman, are called wides, and 
each wide counts one in favor of the club having 
their innings. 
If a batter has his leg before his wicket when the 
ball is played, he is ruled out by the umpire. The 
single straight line in the engraving; indeed, the 
figure shows the proper place and position for 
the feet. 
An innings consists in all the players on one 
side either being caught or run out. 
When the batter strikes the ball he runs from 
wicket to wicket; the other party in at the same 
time does likewise. As many runs as are made by 
the batter are added on his score. 
The ball must weigh not less than five ounces 
and a half, nor more than five ounces and three- 
quarters. 
The bat must not exceed four and a quarter in¬ 
ches in the widest part; it must not be more than 
thirty inches in length. 
The stumps, or wickets, must be three in num¬ 
ber, twenty-seven inches out of the ground. 
A DIARY FOR YOUNG RURA1I8TS. 
Eds. New-Yorker:—I have been a constant 
admirer of the Rural, .and have written some 
articles which were duly published. Below I send 
you a form of Diary Book for the use of all Young 
Ruralists, as well as old: 
1859. October. 
Day week. Day month. 
Monday.8—Husking corn. 
Tuesday.4— HuskiDg corn in the forenoon—rain in 
the afternoon. 
Wednesday ..5— Husking corn one-half day—went to 
mill. 
Thursday_6—Finished huskiDg corn. 
Friday .7—Diguing potatoes—finished the same. 
Saturday.8—Plowing. Fair weather. 
You might use, in connection with the above, a 
Weather Book. I commenced keeping a book, 
similar to the above, while quite a lad, and am 
still continuing with it. It is much better than 
to trust to memory alone. Note down hi your 
book at evening what has been your ocupation 
during the day, and, take my word for it, after 
three or four years, money could not buy the book. 
Its worth is not estimated in dollars and cents. 
You cannot tell its true value. It will be a source 
of pleasure to you in old age to peruse its pages, 
and see the vast amount of labor those calloused 
hands have wrought. It will be a pattern for your 
children to imitate when you are gone. Besides, 
it may be of service to you in court, if any trouble 
should occur, as you could refer to its pages any 
moment. Oscar Berry. 
Fon du Lao, Wis., 1859. 
KOHL-RABI. 
BATSMAN IN POSITION TO RECEIVE THE BALL. 
At the distance of twenty-two yards, three other 
stumps are similarly placed, and in front of the 
stumps, or wickets, as they are termed—a line, 
distant four feet from the wicket, is drawn, marking 
the boundry of the batsman’s ground, outside of 
which he is liable at all times to be put out. The 
object of the bowler is to knock down the stumps 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker :— I wish to make a few 
inquiries, and, if I may be permitted, through tjie 
Rural. 1st. Where can I obtain some seed of that 
species of turnip called the Kohl-Rabi, mentioned in a 
late number of your paper? Also, is this vegetable 
ever used for the table? 2d. Being ignorant of the 
names of any seedsmen around Boston or Philadelphia, 
I wish to be informed on that point, as I wish to get 
some seed of Lord Kenyon’s Favorite Cucumber. 8d. 
Which is the right season for planting grape seeds to 
insure their growth, and at what depth should they bo 
planted ? 4th. Will the Diana thrive aa well in Central 
as in Western New York ? A Young Subscribe*. 
Canastota, N. Y., 1859. 
1st. Kohl-Rabi seed can be purchased of almost 
all our leading seed-dealers — Hovet A Co., of 
Boston; B. K. Bliss, of Springfield, Mass.; j 
Thoeburn A' Co., of New York, Ac. Prepared 
for the table like the turnip, the Kohl-Rabi is very 
similar in all respects. 2d. Answered above. 
Grape seed may be planted as soon as obtained 
from the fruit. Cover with three-fourths of an 
inch of earth. 4th. The Diana Grape will suc¬ 
ceed, we have no doubt, in Central New York. In 
fact, there are not many localities in this State, 
where corn crops are planted, where this grape 
could not ripen well. 
Opposites.— The most dangerous vermin are too 
often to be found under the fairest and sweetest 
flowers, and the fairest glove is often drawn upon 
the foulest hand, and the richest robes are often 
put upon the most diseased bodies; so are the 
fairest and sweetest names upon the greatest and 
most horrible vices and errors that are in the 
world. 0, that we had not so many sad proofs of 
this among us! 
ery 
3d. 
aed 
