FEB. 27. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
MICHIGAN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
TnE Michigan State Horticultural Society seems 
to he in a very flourishing condition. The Annual 
Meeting was held at Kalamazoo, and the following 
officers elected:— President — Hezekiah G. Wells, 
of Kalamazoo. Secretary —T. T. I.yon, of Ply¬ 
mouth. Treasurer —Stephen S. Cobh, of Kalama¬ 
zoo. Fruit Committee —A. C. Hubbarb, of Detroit; 
T. T. Lyon, of Plymouth; H. P. Penniman, of Bat¬ 
tle Creek; Daniel Cook, of Jackson; ffm. Adair, 
of Detroit; J. C. Holmes, of Lansing; B. Hatha¬ 
way, of Little Prairie Ronde. 
The following list of apples was recommended 
by the Society: 
Fob General Cultivation — For all Purposes .— 
Baldwin, Belmont, Early Harvest, Fameuse, Graven- 
stein, Hubbardston’s Nonsuch, Jonathan, Late 
Strawberry, Maiden’s Blush, Golden Pippin, (of 
Michigan,) Fall Pippin, Swaar, Westfield Seekno- 
further, Esopus Spitzenberg, FlushingSpitzenberg, 
Northern Spy, Porter, Rhode Island Greening, 
Rambo, Golden Russet, Sweet Bough, Jersey Sweet¬ 
ing, St Lawrence, Yellow Bellflower. 
For Amateurs. —American Summer Pearmain, 
Early Strawberry, Lady Apple, Peck’s Pleasant, 
Herefordshire Pearmain, Sine Qua Non, Summer 
Rose, Sweet Paradise. 
For Market, Baking, S?c. —Benoni, Cooper, Domi¬ 
nie, Hawthornden, Keswick Codlin, Red Astrachan, 
Red Canada, Roxbury Russet, Summer Queen, 
(cooking,) Spiced Sweeting, (baking,) Talman 
Sweeting, (baking.) 
Apples that Promise Well — For all Purposes. 
Hawley, Ladies’Sweeting. For Market. —Duchess of 
Oldenburg. For Amateurs. —Dyer, Fall Wine, Nor¬ 
ton’s Melon, River, Danver’s Winter, Golden Sweet¬ 
ing, for Stock; Beauty of Kent, for Cooking. 
Unworthy op Cultivation. —Black Gilliflower 
Striped Gilliflower, Scalloped Gilliflower, Alexan¬ 
der, Twenty Ounce Pippin, Pumpkin Sweet, Ro- 
inanite, Cheesebro Russet, Pennock, Tewksbury 
Blush. 
A very fine exhibition of winter fruit seems to 
have been made, and the Kalamazoo Telegraph 
says:—“The display of fruit was large and most 
beautiful—one of the finest ever made in the State. 
Indeed, we are assured that, for excellence, beauty 
and variety, this collection surpassed the exhibit 
of the N. Y r . State Horticultural Society, made at 
Rochester last winter, said to have been one of the 
best ever seen in that State. Over one hundred 
different varieties of winter apples, raised in this 
State, were here exhibited, arranged tastefully on 
plates spread upon a double row of tables, showing 
all varieties of size, flavor and color, from the 
Monstrous Pippin down to the rusty Pomme Gris, 
or the sprightly, blushing Lady Apple.” 
We have no State Horticultural Societ}', but the 
Annual Meeting of the Fruit Growers’ Society of 
Western New York is generally held here, and, on 
such occasions, a fair exhibition of fruit is made, 
though the principal object of this Society is the 
discussion of practical questions connected with 
fruit culture. We are pleased to see that our Mich¬ 
igan friends are taking hold of this matter in 
good earnest. 
TRANSPLANTING EVERGREENS. 
All, we believe, are agreed that the spring is 
the best time for transplanting evergreens. We 
have never failed, although we have planted many 
hundreds very early in the spring, unless the roots 
had become dry before planting. Below we give 
the views and experience of a correspondent on 
this subject The middle of May is, perhaps, as 
good a time as could be selected. The manner of 
planting we consider fully a3 important as the time. 
Messrs. Eds.: —A correspondent in last week’s 
Rural asks what is the best method of transplant¬ 
ing evergreens, and as the inquiry is often made, I 
conclude the subject is not well understood. The 
timeoi transplanting lia3 more to do with the suc¬ 
cess of the operation than the manner in which it 
is done. They should be transplanted late in the 
season—never before the middle of May, and the 
first of June would be better—and if they have 
commenced growing it will be no detriment. If 
the roots are not allowed to get dry, they will then 
grow as surely as the peach or apple. 
The reason why evergreens fail to grow when 
planted early, is that the wood is porous and the 
sap of a resinous nature, and, a3 they commence to 
vegetate later than deciduous trees, they dry up— 
are killed, in fact—before their natural period of 
vegetation arrives. I set out about 8 rods of hem¬ 
lock hedge last season on the 14th day of April, 
and was very careful not to expose the roots, and 
mulched thoroughly with swamp muck; yet more 
than one-third of them died. On the 29th day of 
May I set out about 25 rods more, and treated them 
in the same way, and not one in a hundred failed 
to live. k. b. w. 
Alabama, N. Y., Feb. 18, 1858. 
HEDGES FROM WILLOW CUTTINGS. 
Soon after the publication of my article on 
Willow Cuttings in the last volume of the Rural, 
I noticed an inquiry as to the growing of hedges 
from them. The “modus” is thus described:—Set 
the cuttings in a straight row, and if a fence is 
wanted immediately, provide them large enough 
and long enough so that when stuck six inches dis¬ 
tant from each other and a board nailed within half 
a foot of the top they will turn cattle. To accom¬ 
plish this they should be at least five feet long and 
two inches in diameter at the top end, and set 
firmly in the ground a foot or more. They will 
nearly all grow in any common season, and then 
should be closely trimmed on the sides or the limbs 
woven in back and forth between the cuttings like 
basket work. 
Where sufficient material cannot be found for 
setting them as closely as above, they may be stuck 
at from two to four or more feet distant, and will 
then make a good fence in five or six years on low 
or dampish ground. Their treatment consists in 
trimming them down to keep them from shading 
too much land and weaving in side branches to 
make the fence impenetrable. The cuttings must 
be closely trimmed before setting. 
Amboy, Lee Co., Ill., Feb., 1858. " Jxo. Sanfield. 
THE BUFRESTIDiE. 
Having received from a correspondent in Michi¬ 
gan, a specimen of an insect, which was represented 
as very injurious to apple trees, we immediately 
sent it to our insect-loving friend, Jacob Stauffer, 
of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, who we knew to be 
fully competent to pronounce a verdict as to its 
guilt or innocence of the crime charged. The fol¬ 
lowing very interesting letter from Mr. S., not only 
clearly sets forth its habits, but its family connec¬ 
tion : 
Ens. Rural: —The insect enclosed, together with 
the highly interesting letter from 0. N. Cadwei.l, 
Esq., of Loomisville, Mich., came to hand. I at 
once recognized the little beetle as one frequently 
seen before, here in Lancaster county. Mr. Cad- 
wei.l says “ they are merry little fellow's, and ap- 
per to enjoy themselves well, basking in the sun,” 
&c. He also says, and truly, that “they develop 
similarly to the bee or wasp, at first they are white 
and appear lifeless, (the pupa) but as they mature 
they change their color and seem to have some 
life, and when fully developed are very brilliant and 
lively.” I quote his own words, and as they have 
done his apple-trees great damage, and I doubt 
not, belong to the same family complained of 
by the “Young Farmer,” in the Rural of Jan. 
9th, I will append a description of the general 
character of the Family, the I’uprestid/k, of which 
there are eighteen genera, embracing eighty spe¬ 
cies, given in a catalogue of the Coleoptera of the 
United States by Dr. J. L. Leconte and Prof. S. S. 
IIaldeman, a revision of the writings of F. E. Mel- 
SIIEIMER, M. I). 
This family is composed of some of the most 
splendid of the beetle tribes of copper, brass and 
burnished gold—colors, often of a metallic blue or 
emerald, inlaid with rubies, so brilliant that the 
ladies in China have employed them in ornamental 
embroidery. The body is of a hard consistency, 
generally of an oblong ovate and depressed form, 
occasionally narrow and linear. The elytra are for 
the most part narrowed at the tips, which are often 
denticulated; the head is very short and immersed 
nearly to the eyes in the thorax; the legs and an¬ 
tennas are short, the latter being serrated, the scu- 
tellum (a small triangular plate between the top of 
the wing covers,) is often obsolete; the thorax 
broadest behind, with the posterior angle but 
slightly produced. The mandibles are short, tri¬ 
angular and entire at the tips. 
t §L*l 
J, 
y i ” j 
Hie specimen inclosed is full half an inch long, 
fig. L There are no elevations apparent on the 
thorax, which is of a bronze-brown color, as also 
the elytra, deeply punctured. The under side of 
the insect is of a polished copper color. There are 
three irregular elevations on the elytra, and a 
bright, brassy spot and darker shade, giving it a 
mottled appearance as the light strikes it. The 
rear and external tapering margin is denticulated, 
fig. 4. The thick fore leg has a rather large tooth, 
fig- 5,—fig. 9 is the hind leg and tarsi; fig. 2 is the 
head as seen in front with a few elevated markings; 
the antenmc were broken off—the round spots 
show their insertion. Fig. 3 is the mandible and 
maxillae; fig. 7, the insect on the wing,— exposing 
its brilliant emerald-blue abdomen or back; fig. 8 
a larva:, supposed to belong to an insect of this fam¬ 
ily taken out of hickory wood, A similar speci¬ 
men in my collection has the first and third joints 
of the antenna; longer than the rest, at least double 
the length; this and the obsolete scutellum does 
not accord with the generic character of Chryso- 
bothris as given by Westwood, otherwise it comes 
so close to the description given by Mr. Harris, 
page 44, to both of his Chrysobothris femorata and 
dentipes, agreeing in some particulars with the one, 
and in other respects with the other, so that I shall 
not decide which it is, besides Harris says nothing 
of the denticulations of the elytra, nor the brilliant 
changeable emerald and blue of the upper side of 
its body when on the wing. I have a specimen 
having the fore leg toothed, but no ridges on the 
thorax, or so slightly as scarcely to be worthy of 
notice, being rather occasioned by the punctures 
giving a darker shade. 
Fig- 9, I judge, is the species which Harris 
names Dicerca lurida Fab Stenurus lurida; (?) the 
apex of its elytra is two toothed, fig. 10; antenmc de¬ 
cidedly serrated and clavatc. Fig. 11 is perhaps 
a species of Acmmodera; it is black, with white, 
irregular spots. By the by, Dr. Jno. L. Leconte, of 
Philadelphia, is the Prince of Entomologists, hav¬ 
ing given a special attention to the Coleoptera; had 
1 an opportunity to consult him, he would clear up 
all my doubts. Your article in reply to the “ Young 
Farmer” in the number above referred to, recom¬ 
mends the wood-peckers — so does Mr. Wilson, 
who made the habits of birds his study. He speaks 
of the downy wood-pecker, (you have it “Dowdy," 
is that a proper name or mistake in the type?)* A 
full account of Wilson’s remarks are published in 
the Feb. No. of the “ Cincinnatus,” edited by F. G. 
Cary. The wood-pecker is more successful in cut¬ 
ting out and harpooning these borers than the 
“Young Farmer,” and they should b£ encouraged 
in the orchard, and by no means frightened off by 
“ the-boys.” Washing may do to remove the eggs 
of the insect; but when once fairly developed and 
in the wood, cutting down and burning the trees 
seems to be the surest remedy. These insects de¬ 
stroy fir, pine, hickory, cherry, apple trees, and 
some species are occasionally found upon leaves 
and among flowers, but the majority reside in woods 
and forests. A most remarkable instance is re¬ 
corded by Mr. Marsham, in the “ Tenth VoL of 
* Typographical error.—[E d. 
the Linnccan Transactions ,” respecting the Buprestis 
Splendens, which was found alive whilst endeavor¬ 
ing to extricate itself from the wood of a desk 
made of a plank imported from the Baltic, and 
which had stood in one of the offices in the Guild¬ 
hall of London upwards of twenty years, and upon 
the surface being planed away, the track of the 
larva; was exposed. It is a curious subject for 
inquiry, in what state this long period had been 
passed by the insect.” 
“ The names Buprestis, Vulpestris, Bulpestris, &c., 
Ac., were applied by the ancients to a poisonous 
insect, which was supposed to cause oxen to swell, 
inflame and burst; and, indeed, so noxious was the 
insect considered that, by the Cornelian law those 
who, with malice prepense, applied it in order to 
cause death, were themselves condemned to die.” 
(This, no doubt, as Mr. Hope suggests, refers to an 
(Estrus—perhaps the tEstrus Bovis, which resides 
in the large open tumors of the backs of homed 
cattle—a family of Bot-flies.) These insects are, 
however, not guilty of the charge; and Linn.kus 
should not have stigmatized them with a name of 
such bad repute. The French call them Richards 
on account of the rich and brilliant colors where¬ 
with many are adorned. However, friend Cadwell 
and the “Young Farmer” have reason to condemn 
the “critter,” nor will I advocate their innocency; 
they certainly are guilty, notwithstanding their 
beauty, of being a great pest and nuisance to fruit 
growers, and therefore stand condemned. 
“ Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness, 
Wherein the pregnant enemy does much” mischief. 
J. Stauffer. 
Mount Joy, Pa., Feb. 16,1858. Wk 
PIE-PLANT—THE CURCULIO. 
Messrs. Eds. :—My particular friend Fuller, of 
Brooklyn, N. Y., in the Rural of January 30th, is 
quite severe upon a “theory” which he says is to 
be “ talked of, but not realized.” Now it is not to 
be expected that we Hoosiers, living so far from 
New York, should know much about the classes, 
orders, genera, species, and varieties of the vegetable 
kingdom; so we give facts and figures, and allow 
our more learned friends to frame theories. Per¬ 
mit me, however, to tell my good friend “ right 
smart” of what I think I know in regard to the 
Pie-Plant. He and I cultivate one of a class of 
plants which contains three valuable genera, the 
pie-plant, cassia nut, and cinnamon. The species 
of the Genus Rheum which he and I cultivate is 
the Rheum Rhaponticum, Genus Rheum, order 
Trigynia, and class Euneandria. As, however, it is 
only of varieties we have to treat, we will inquire 
how varieties are produced. Although species 
never change, yet varieties produced from species 
from the same seed or root differ very materially 
from each other from divers causes, as “mode of 
culture, richness of soil, temperature, influence of 
pollen of this plant on stigma of that,” &c. The 
seed, however, never changes. The seed of Cahoon’s 
Mammoth, Linntcus, or Wilmot’s Early, will not 
produce the same, nor the roots always the same. 
Tell me if they will, friend Fuller? Tell me how 
early you have pies from Wilmot’s Early, and how 
large you have the Cahoon’s Mammoth, and let us 
know if it will compete with mine or another 
man’s, giving as good culture. My father was a 
Coos Co., New Hampshire, Yankee—that entitles 
me to the privilege of guessing; so I guess your 
varieties are accidental, will not reproduce them¬ 
selves from root or seed, and that my Brooklyn 
friend is interested in a nursery. Now, Mr. Editor, 
I want to guess for you. I guess you contradict 
yourself in your “remarks” on pie-plant, on col¬ 
umn the fourth, page 39 of the Rural, and on 
column one, same page, in “remarks on grapes,”_ 
I guess you do just a little. 
D. P. Cuffman gives quite a perfect method for 
plum culture. I know that he is correct in the 
main, and as an improvement, would suggest to 
him to let his pigs have the range of the plum or¬ 
chard from time of blossoming till fruit is ripened. 
The curculio must yield. It can’t be otherwise.— 
The man who feeds his trees liberally is a wise man. 
Be charitable to your trees, grounds, stock, and to 
your fellow man: 
“Be not narrow, husbandman! but fling 
From the full sheaf, with charitable stealth, 
The liberal handful. Think, Oh! grateful think! 
How good the God of Harvest is to you: 
Who pours abundance o’er your flowing fields; 
While these unhappy partners of your kind 
Wide hover round you, and ask their humble dole, 
Like fowls of Heaven. The various turns 
Of fortune ponder; ponder that your sons may want 
What now, with hard reluctance, faint you give.” 
Rochester, Fulton Co., Ind., 1858. C. Brackett. 
Remarks. —When our correspondent succeeds in 
convincing cultivators that there is no difference 
in varieties of Rhubarb, although they see before 
them, in the same bed, and receiving the same cul¬ 
ture, early and late, large and small, long and short 
sorts, in fact, as much difference as there is between 
a Crab apple and a Baldwin, he will only have one 
thing more to do, and that is, to prove that the 
moon is a great cheese, or that black is white. No 
one believes that rhubarb produces its like from 
seed, but to say that roots will not always produce 
similar branches and leaves, is an idea as new as it 
is strange. There seems no chance for difference 
of opinion here. All admit the benefits of good 
culture, the ameliorating effects of climate, soil, 
&c.; but that there are different varieties with 
different habits, is a matter which it seems to us no 
sane man can doubt. For the life of us we cannot 
see any contradiction in our remarks referred to, 
on page 39. In the first place, speaking of rhubarb, 
we said “different varieties have distinct charac¬ 
teristics, and though the largest varieties are much 
reduced in size by bad treatment, and the smallest 
enlarged by good, culture cannot change the nat¬ 
ural habits of different sorts.” In the same num¬ 
ber we made a few remarks at the close of a com¬ 
munication which we considered to be teaching a 
wrongpractice, as it rather encouraged, we thought, 
the cultivation of native vines from the woods and 
fields instead of our improved varieties, and boldly 
urged the growing of the grape on sterile, barren 
soils, by the side of stone walls, in the corners of 
the fences and other waste places, allowing the vine 
to ramble at pleasure, uncultivated and unpruned. 
Wishing to caution our readers against this course, 
we remarked, “We can grow grapes just as they 
grow in the fields and woods and on the banks of 
streams, without pruning or manure. We can let 
them take their natural course, but if we do, we 
shall grow natural fruit." By this we did not mean 
to be understood to say that the Isabella, if grown 
in this way, would turn to a wild fox grape, nor 
would any tyro in horticulture so understand us. 
If we should gather grapes grown thus and 
take them to any intelligent horticulturist, and in¬ 
quire what they were, we should be told, in a min¬ 
ute, poor specimens of the Isabella. In the same 
paragraph, which consisted of ten lines only, we 
said:—“The efforts of the horticulturist are direct¬ 
ed to the improvement of nature, and we have 
reason to rejoice that such a glorious collection of 
delicious fruits has rewarded his earnest labors, 
and given him encouragement for still more zeal¬ 
ous efforts in the same direction.” How have these 
delicious fruits been obtained? Not by giving 
poor varieties extraordinary culture, but by col¬ 
lecting the best known sorts, many of them acci¬ 
dental seedlings, and then endeavoringto raise still 
better varieties from their seed. 
ISABELLA GRAPES. 
Messrs. Eds.: —Allow me to say a few words 
upon the points raised by your Adrian correspon¬ 
dent, W. II. S., in the Rural of Feb., 13th. He 
seems to fear to plant and train the Isabella Grape 
as it should be, wide and high—lest the vines may 
occasionally be killed by the severity of our win¬ 
ters—and his fears have lead him to suggest that 
they be kept cut in so close as to admit of their 
being covered with dirt to protect them from the 
frost. 
The Isabella grape is too rampant a grower to 
admit of the adoption of his suggestion in prac¬ 
tice. The vines will be rendered short-lived by 
pursuing the course indicated. They will throw 
up innumerable suckers from their roots to take 
the place of a suitable quantity of branches, and 
if these are cut off, as they should be, the roots 
will speedily perish for want of employment of 
their proper functions, and premature old age and 
decay will be the inevitable consequence. 
I have cultivated this variety for fifteen years, 
and, although the mercury has, on several occa¬ 
sions, gone down to 20°, and in one instance to 2G° 
below zero, / have never had an Isabella grape vine 
killed by the cold weather. I have had the greater 
part of the branches killed on several vines, but in 
all such cases one season was sufficient to renew 
them and fit them again for a crop of fruit. I 
should as soon expect to see whole apple orchards 
killed by the frost, as to see Isabella vineyards thus 
killed. I have heard a good deal said about Isa¬ 
bella vines being killed by our northern winters, 
but have not yet seen the first vine thus killed.— 
Who has? And where were they thus killed? I 
wish all who have had their Isabella vines winter- 
killed would communicate the fact to the Rural; 
in this way we can have facts instead of conjectures 
and fears to base a judgment upon, in respect to 
the risk in planting them extensively. 
I have no feeling in this matter as I cannot raise 
young vines as fast as I could dispose of them.— 
There are, in this place, Isabella vines twenty-five 
years old, as fruitful and thriving as when young 
—trained high and wide—and none of them were 
ever winter-killed. Our Cincinnati cultivators, if 
1 am not mistaken, do not expect their vineyards 
to last more than fifteen or twenty j'ears without 
renewal. Tn Europe where they plant their vinos 
about as close as we do potatoes, they are still 
shorter-lived. Depend upon it, American vines 
must have American treatment. 
Naples, N. Y., 1858. K. A. McKay. 
MICE AND FRUIT TREES. 
Messrs. Eds.:—N early two years ago, just after 
the hard winter in which the mice committed such 
depredations upon the fruit trees, I read in the 
Rural, I think, that painting the bodies of the 
trees would prevent the mice from gnawing them. 
So, without stopping to reason the matter, the fol¬ 
lowing fall I gave a choice young orchard, of about 
one hundred trees, a fine daubing with thick white- 
lead paint. The trees came through as smooth as 
dollars, but from some cause they did not leaf 
out. On examination, I found that all but eight or 
ten were dead as far down as the paint touched 
the bark, but were sprouting out below. Nonsense, 
said I, to practice every thing you read in “the 
papers,” or rather nonsense for blockheads to write 
things they know nothing about. Whether it was 
the lead that poisoned the trees, or the oil forming 
an impervious coat, that killed them, J do not know. 
Either, I should think, would he sufficient to do 
the deed.—II. W. II. Gainesville, N. V., 1858. 
Remarks. —Our correspondent, we think, will 
find no such advice in the Rural. We have 
recommended several plans, hut think nothing like 
the above has ever crept into our columns. We are 
very careful to “ do no harm.” 
Wisconsin Fruit Growers’ Association. —The 
Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Fruit Growers’ 
Association was held at Milwaukee, Feb. 9th. The 
following is the list of officers elected for the pres¬ 
ent year:— President — A. G. Hanford, of Wauke¬ 
sha. Vice-Presidents —H. Crocker, of Milwaukee; 
I). G. Rowers, of Madison; D. Mathews, of Burling¬ 
ton. Secretary —Charles Gifford, of Milwaukee.— 
Treasurer —C. C. Olin, of Waukesha. Executive 
Committee —If. J. Starin, of Whitewater; J. C. Bray- 
ton, of Aztalan; T. C. Turner, of Burlington.— 
Messrs. Powers and Gifford were appointed com¬ 
mittee to procure the passage of a law similar to 
that of Massachusetts, for the protection of shade 
and fruit trees, planted for shade or ornament.— 
Messrs. Olin, Starin and Crocker were appointed 
committee to ask an appropriation from the State 
to promote the objects of the Association. 
BREAD-MAKING. - NO. I. 
It is our purpose to give Rural readers three or 
four chapters upon the art and science of bread¬ 
making, drawing the facts presented from “The 
Hand-Book of Household Science,” by Edward L. 
Youmans. Every home in our country should be 
possessed of a copy of this work, and all of the in¬ 
mates, male and female, could derive lasting benefit 
from a close and careful study of its pages. 
Amount of Water Absorbed by Flour.— In the 
manufacture of bread the water mixed with flour 
does not remain loosely associated with it, but en¬ 
ters into a combination with its constituents; (thus 
forming the compound known as dough) neither 
is all the water expelled in tire process of baking. 
As this fluid, therefore, becomes part and parcel of 
the loaf, the amount taken up in the composition_ 
the rules governing its absorption— the external 
agencies that increase or diminish the watery por¬ 
tions, and the kind of flour requiring the largest 
proportion of fluids, are matters worthy of serious 
consideration. From experiments, Mr. Youmans 
concludes that baked bread which “ has been re¬ 
moved from the oven from 2 to 40 hours, loses, by 
thorough drying at 220°, from 43 to 15 per cent, of 
its weight, or an average of 44 per cent” He fur¬ 
ther says:—“ If wo assume the flour to contain 
naturally 1G per cent, of water, 10.] pounds of the 
44 that was lost belonged to the flour itself, while 
33] pounds were artificially added in making the 
dough. Thus: 
Dry flour.06 ) 
Water in flour naturally_10]] ]- 
Water added in baking.... 33 ]] 
100 
Ten pounds of flour would thus absorb 5 lbs. of 
water and yield 15 lbs. of bread.” Flour and water 
combine in proportion to the amount of gluten 
contained by the former. The best flour, conse¬ 
quently, absorbs the greatest amount of water_ 
This will vary, as the season is dry or damp, the 
flour attracting moisture from the atmosphere._ 
Flour properly and thoroughly kneaded will take 
more water than that which receives a hasty stir¬ 
ring up and is thus left. 
Kneading the Dough. —The quality of the bread 
depends very much upon the process of kneading. 
We have often heard it remarked that both good 
and bad bread may be made from the same batch 
— the life of the dough being destroyed in this 
manipulation. The chemical agencies set in action 
in the act of kneading, and the purpose for which 
the water is intermingled witli the flour, is to com¬ 
bine with and hydrate the starch, to dissolve the 
sugar and albumen, and to moisten the particles of 
dry gluten causing them to cement and bind the 
whole mass. The sense of touch is the guide of the 
true housewife in making bread, and by this, alone 
she is governed in all the varied operations. La¬ 
borious as is this process when performed upon a 
large scale, and much as inventive genius lias la¬ 
bored to produce machinery for the purpose, all 
has failed. Because of the differences in flour the 
eye cannot judge, and to prevent loss resort must be 
had to the old-style, and the hand is pressed into 
the service. The time at which the working of 
dough is considered sufficient, is when it has lost 
its adhesiveness and can be moulded clear (not 
wanting the aid of flour,) without becoming fast to 
the hand or table. When the dough is “lively,”or 
“springy”—soon erasing the impression of the 
fingers—not “dead” and “putty-like” you may 
always depend (if the oven is right) upon good, 
sweet b read. 
Bread without Fermentation. —Ship-bread, or 
sea-biscuit, is simply flour and water, and those of 
our readers who have seen and tasted this dry, 
harsh food, can tell how they are pleased with it_ 
how they would like it for daily use compared with 
that termed “raised.” Ship-bread lacks two essen¬ 
tials— softness, by which it can be readily masti¬ 
cated, and springiness by which a large surface is 
, presented to the action of the gastric juices, thus 
aiding the organs of digestion. 
Pea Nuts. —Will some one inform me how to 
cultivate the Pea Nut, so popular here, and of 
which I am very fond?—J. T. A., Aberdeen, O., 1858. 
Remarks.— The Pea Nut is a native of South 
America. Those sold in the stores are brought 
from the West Indies. Our climate is not warm 
enough to raise them in perfection. We raised a 
few many years ago in a warm, sandy soil. Plant 
the nuts about three inches deep and eighteen 
inches apart The vine rnns on the ground, and 
the flowers are like the pea flower, of a yellowish 
color. A friend in Genesee Co., in this State, in¬ 
forms us that a number of years since he grew 
them very successfully. 
Moisture in Flour. — If flour is exposed to a 
damp atmosphere, it will absorb moisture to a de¬ 
structive extent. It will heat, ferment, and cool, 
when it will be found to have increased from 
twelve to fifteen per cent., in weight. The effect 
of moisture is to destroy the adhesive properties 
of the gluten, rendering it unfit to produce whole¬ 
some bread. It favors the development of vegeta¬ 
ble mould, which renders bread poisonous. The 
proportion of water naturally present in good flour 
is about fourteen percent. Inferior qualities con¬ 
tain more. Increased moisture is usually commu¬ 
nicated by tlie addition of other things which have 
greater affinity for water. An abundance of mois¬ 
ture, therefore, is just ground to suspect other 
adulteration. The quantity of moisture in flour 
and bread can be easily ascertained by heating it. 
If the former loses more than forty per cent, of its 
weight, the quality is impaired.— Hunt's Merchants' 
Magazine. 
CAKE AND PUDDINGS. 
Clay Cake. —One pound of flour; 1 ft». of white 
sugar; ] lb. butter; ] pint sour cream; 1 teaspoon- 
ful soda; the whites of 12 eggs. The eggs should 
be put in the last thing. Flavor with lemon. 
Potato Pudding. —Half a pound of butter; ] lb. 
of sugar; ] lb. of mashed potatoes; ] gill of cream;. 
5 eggs; 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy; 1 tablespoon¬ 
ful of nutmeg; the same of cinnamon. Mash the 
potatoes with the cream, when cool, add the butter 
and sugar beat to a cream, then add the eggs, then 
the other ingredients. Bake in a rich puff paste. 
Pop-Corn Pudding. —Three pints of new milk; 
2 eggs; 3 pints pop-corn; ] teaspoonful of salt.— 
Every kernel of corn should be popped perfectly 
and have a white fleecy look. Eaten with a rich 
cream sauce, it is an excellent and delicious desert. 
Bake half an hour. — S. A. Cole, Gorham, N. Y. 
Steamed Indian Pudding.—I n a late number of 
the Rural I saw a recipe for steamed Indian Pud¬ 
dings, which I would like to try, if Mrs. S. I. G., 
Millville, N. Y., will please state the quantity of meal 
to be used.— Carrie, Ogdenshurgh, N. V, 1858. 
— — » » «- 
Procrastination in cooking is the thief of all 
goodness in the potato. 
