AUGUST n 
m 
“TOO MUCH TROUBLE.” 
As a general role, when it is too much trouble 
to do a thing right, it is better not to attempt it, 
for any work that is worth doing, is worth doing 
well. These are axioms, the truth of which very 
few will be di-posed to question; and they are the 
mottoes of every good gardener. And yet, how 
many, when told of the practice neces-ary to suc¬ 
cess in growing fruits or flowers, exclaim, “too 
much trouble," and try to get along with less labor 
and care. When giving, as requested, directions 
for cultivating a certain plant or growing fruits, 
we so often hear the response, “ that's too much 
trouble ,” that we can endure it quietly no longer. 
A great many cultivators seem to talk and act as 
though the only object they had in view was to 
save trouble, regardless of consequences, while the 
consideration should be, how they can use their 
labor to the best advantage. 
Trees are to be planted to form an orchard. It 
is too much trouble to plow deeply, set the trees 
carefully in large holes with the roots nicely spread 
out and covered with fine, rich earth, and so they 
are put in a hard soil litre posts. Newly planted 
trees require staking, pruning, and mulching, but 
this is troublesome, and so they are swayed about 
with the wind, and parched with the hot sun. The 
result is, many die, and the owner is saved all 
further trouble, except grumbling at the nursery¬ 
men. Dwarf pear trees require manuring, and a 
regular pruning every spring; the ground between 
them should be kept mellow, and all weeds de¬ 
stroyed to raise a large crop, but this, too, is “ too 
much trouble and they are allowed to : take care of 
themselves, surrounded with weeds, baked in a 
hard soil, or striving to grow in a clover or Timo¬ 
thy meadow. In consequence of this labor-saving 
they make but a feeble growth, become ill-looking, 
bear but little fruit, and perhaps many die; but 
then the owner saved a little trouble. 
A good crop of the finest of our plums—and 
what can be finer than the large Washingtons or 
Jetfersons, or the delicious Green Gage—can be 
secured by simply jarring the trees every day for 
a week or so, in early summer; but this is cer¬ 
tainly some trouble, altogether too much for our 
trouble saving friends, and so not one in a score of 
cultivators ever tastes a good plum. 
The Isabella and all of our hardy grapes except 
perhaps the Catawba, will ripen their fruit well in 
Western New York. To be made to do this, how¬ 
ever, they must be pruned every winter, and again 
in the summer, after the fruit is set. Now, this re¬ 
quires some labor, and not vine in a hundred re¬ 
ceives this necessary at/ention. They are allowed 
to run at random, forming a dense mass, through 
which the sun can never penetrate. The conse¬ 
quence is, the fruit is small, much of it mildews, 
and that which is not destroyed in this way never 
ripens. The grapes become slightly colored, and 
are eaten and sold for ripe grapes, but they are no 
more like ripe grapes than a crab apple is like a 
good Spitzeuburgh The conclusion very speed 
ily arrived at is that the climate will not ripen 
grapes, or that they are naturally sour things. A 
little trouble at the right time, every year, keeps the 
vine in good order, but those who make spasmodic 
attempts to prune their vines once in two or three 
years, wo are not surprised complain of the trouble. 
They are something like the girl who combed her 
hair once a week, and found it so much trouble 
that she could not imagine how some people could 
have patience to dress their hair every day. 
The summer and fall pears should be picked off 
and laid away a week before ripening, and then 
they can be examined every day and selected for 
eating, as fast as they at rive at maturity. In this 
way every one will be saved, and will show their 
true character, giving the cultivator a delicious 
feast for his pains. But, this is “ too much trouble'' 
for some folks, and so their pears are allowed to 
hang upon the tree until they drop off from over- 
ripenesp, and never attain their true excellence, 
while many are bruised, and others destroyed by 
insects. 
The tomato, if nicely fastened to a trellis or 
fence, is a very pretty plant, when covered with its 
large rosy fruit, and in this condition ripens very 
early, but even this is so much trouble that, as a 
general thing, they are allowed to ramble about on 
the ground so that the fruit becomes shaded, and 
ripens late, if at all. 
A good lawn or grass-plot, in front a house, is 
very beautiful when kept green, and closely mown, 
as all agree To obtain such a lawn, the soil must be 
in good condition, and be spaded or pulverized by 
plowing, at least 18 inches deep, and, sown with 
s ime fine grass, such as red top or b'ue grass, and 
white clover, which will form a green carpet very 
quick. But digging or plowing deep is “too much 
trouhle,” and so the ground is scratched a few 
inches down, aud of course in the dry summer 
weather the grass is scorched up, and brown, in 
stead of green Then it is so much trouble to get 
good grass and clover seed, and so easy to get 
a handtul of Timothy and red clover, or a lot of 
refuse seed from the bottom of a hay mow, or 
the mangers, that this is generally used, and con¬ 
sequently the lawn is a patch of weeds and coarse 
grass, with here aud thete a tuft of red clover.. All 
done with little labor and furnishing as little 
pleasure. 
We need not go further. There are a class of 
people whose only study seems to be how they can 
save themselves trouble— how they can do things 
in the poorest possible way, and obtain the most 
unsa'isfactory results—and they certainly seem to 
be very successful both in their studies and prac¬ 
tice. Tne gardener should do every thing he un¬ 
dertakes in the best, possible manner. He should 
ter, out with a determination to eucceed in every¬ 
thing that he attempts, aud then success will re¬ 
ward his labors. 
Walking Plant.— The Bombay Geographical 
Society announces, in their proceedings, that they 
have received a specimen of the walking leaf, from 
Java, with eggs and young; and, what seems more 
curious still, a walking flower, described as a crea 
ture with a white body, pink spots and crimson 
border. 
Trees and Plants.— all who intend to put out 
trees or plants should read our advertising columns. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND EAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
i0ra«tic tewmg. 
COOKING RECIPES. 
FRUITS IN SEASON. 
The summer fruits are ripening finely. Since 
our last notes, we have had the Bloodgood, one of 
the finest flavored of our early pears. The Beurre 
Giffard this season has not only maintained its rep¬ 
utation, but has much increased in flavor with all 
who have tasted it, we believe, in this section, and 
proved the truth of the statement made by Mar¬ 
shall P. Wilder, at the last session of the Ameri¬ 
can Bornological Society, that “when its qualities 
were known it would take a high rank.” All ama¬ 
teurs should grow this pear, and when picked eaHy 
we know not why it would not be a good market 
fruit, although some have accused it of beiDg a 
shy bearer. We have eaten specimens this season 
that were picked more than two weeks before they 
ripened in the house, and they were excellent— 
This, it will be seeD, would give time for sending 
them to Europe, even. 
BEURRE GIFFARD. 
The Osband's Summer is an excellent pear, of 
medium size and mild and pleasant flavor. The 
Benoist we have been much pleased with, and had 
prepared a drawing to be given in this number, 
but as there is some confusion in regard to this va¬ 
riety, we withhold the matter until we are able to 
clear up some things that seem to be rather in the 
dark. 
A week or so ago, we had Rivers' Early Favor¬ 
ite Plum, not so early as Jaune Halive, which we 
noticed before, but a richer fruit. It is nearly of 
medium size, the skin is very dark purple, sprink¬ 
led with russet dots; flesh greenish yellow, juicy 
sweet and excellent To-day (Aug. 16tb,) we have 
a very good French plum, Royal de Tours, ripe — 
The Peach Plum and several others will be ripe in 
a few days. 
THE USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL. 
The members of the Farmers' Club in New York 
try to say more new, startling, strange and wise 
things than any other body of men we know of.— 
Their attempts to show extraordinary wisdom are 
not always successful, although they have a Solon 
among them. In proof of this, we give the fol¬ 
lowing from Life Illustrated, being the remarks of 
one of the members, on “ The Useful and Orna¬ 
mental,” with the approving comments of that 
journal: 
“In the American Institute Farmers’ Club, recently, 
Solon Robinson, speaking of the cultivation of small 
fruits, remarked that he had, growing in his yard, as a 
mere ornament, the Spirea, which blossoms only once a 
year, and which was useless; while the currant was a 
handsomer bush, and, in addition to ornament, it afforded 
a wholesome fruit. Another year, if he lived, he would 
root out the Spirea, and put in its place currant bushes. In 
proof of their superior beauty, he directed attention to 
several branches of currant bushes, laden with delicious 
fruit, which several members of the Club had brought in 
as specimens. A section from a cherry currant bush, in 
particular, was singularly beautiful; the berries being 
large, of uniform size, and equally distributed over all 
the branches. They were more inviting than strings of 
rubies. 
“ Solon Robinson scarce forgave himself when he tho’t 
of his unproductive Spirea, which has cumbered the 
ground that would as freely have bestowed its gifts on 
plants yielding food for man—even the berries his palate 
so relished in hot weather. But he promised amend¬ 
ment for next year. Those currants were delicious; so 
were the gooseberries, which looked like big green plums 
that grow on trees. 
“ Yes, when it is as easy to cultivate what gives beauty 
and food too, as that which gives only beauty, why not 
have the useful and the ornamental? We rejoiced to hear 
wisdom speak in that strain. 
“ It is well for those who have plenty of land for both 
ornamental shrubs and berry bushes, to beautify their 
homes with a variety of attractions. But if only one 
can be cultivated, by every consideration, let that one be 
such as yields food for man, especially as such food has 
no substitute. 
“ Some kinds of the small fruits should grow in every 
yard where there is a spot large enough to plant a bush.” 
No one can say that we ever advised sacrificing 
the useful to the beautiful. Still, we enter our 
protest against such thoughtless remarks as the 
above; and, particularly, the assertion that the 
beautiful spirea, with its wreaths of snow-white 
flowers that delight the eye and gladden the heart, 
is useless. If so, then the rose and the honey¬ 
suckle, and the daisy and the rainbow are useless, 
and the songs of the singing birds, and music and 
painting are useless, and God has been the author 
of a great deal of useless beauty l And the lily of 
the field, which He, who spoke as never man spoke, 
declared to be arrayed more beautifully than Sol¬ 
omon, in all his glory, was made in vain. O, for a 
wiser Solon and a more truthful illustration of the 
true and beautiful in life. 
There is a beauty in fitness. The furniture 
which would be beautiful in the parlor would look 
paltry in the kitchen, and that which would be 
handsome, because appropriate, in the kitchen, 
would be decidedly ugly in the parlor. What is 
more beautiful than the broad fields of waving 
grain and tasseled corn, yet what sane man would 
plant such a crop in his door-yard. The cabbage, 
and corn, and tomatoes, and cucumbers belong to 
the kitchen garden, and here they are in place, and 
beautifuL The currants, and gooseberries, and 
strawberries, and raspberries belong to the fruit 
garden, which we may call the dining-room of the 
garden, and here, too, they are beautiful. In the 
front of the house, at least, should be the parlor 
garden, and this must be covered with a velvet 
carpet of living greeD, worked with raised flower- 
figures of the richest hues and the most delightful 
fragrance—the violet, the verbena, and the blush¬ 
ing daisy. It should be bordered with the lilac, 
the rose, and the snowy spirea, and festooned with 
nature’s graceful drapery, the jasmine and the 
honeysuckle. 
Let no vandal hands, then, be laid upon the 
flower garden. Some men have not enough of 
refinement—not enough of beauty in their souls— 
to love flowers, and others affect a manly contempt 
of such trifles, just as some bad boys use big oaths 
and tobacco for the manly appearance of the thing. 
They are of no use !—and is it for use that 
these wiseacres build fine houses, and carry gold 
watches, and wear broadcloth coats and patent 
leather or French calf boots, when homespun and 
cow-hide would be of more use! 
There may be those whose necessities are such 
that it is their duty to turn every inch of ground to 
account, in raising the necessaries of life. In such 
a case, we would say, plant corn and potatoes, not 
currants. We hope, however, these gentlemen of 
the Farmers’ Club are not in such straitened cir¬ 
cumstances. 
The great discovery, apparently just made by 
the members of the Farmers’ Club, that the cur¬ 
rant “ affords a wholesome fruit," we hope will in¬ 
duce them and the readers of the journals that 
report their proceedings, to engage in the culture 
of this valuable and too much neglected fruit. 
Our readers have long been acquainted with the 
fact that currants are good to eat, and that the 
cherry is a valuable variety. 
THE CURRANT MOTH. 
I have had some experience with the “ Cur¬ 
rant Moth ” which you describe in the Rural 
New-Yorker. In 1856 we had currants enough for 
our own use and sold in market about five bushels. 
In that year, in June, we saw a few of these moths 
you describe, but not enough to do much hurt In 
the spring of 1857 I trimmed my currant bushes 
some time in June, and discovered a small worm. 
I found that they eat most of the leaves from the 
bushes; I put on ashes and lime, but it did no good. 
After that I jarred the bushes; some of them drop¬ 
ped off and I stamped them under foot. But they 
were so numerous that seemingly it did no good. 
They were all over the bushes. I thought that I 
should lose my fruit, bushes and all. My wife 
said, why not try sulphur? I told her I thought I 
would try it I put it in a cloth and dusted it on 
the bushes and moths too, and they left. I saw a 
good many dead ones left on the bushes after that 
The leaves grew again. Some of the currants got 
ripe, and we had about enough for our use. In 
1858, in the spring, when the leaves had just come 
out, I examined the bushes and found none of them. 
I expected they would come again, but not one has 
been found on the premises. We had a good crop 
of currants this year for our use, and sold a good 
many, although some of the bushes were killed by 
the moth. 
I saw in the Rural of July 24th, the European 
Gooseberry Caterpillar. That I do not know any¬ 
thing about; but I have not any doubt but that the 
sulphur dusted on the bushes when the dew is on 
would kill them. A sieve might be made of wire 
for putting on the sulphur, the same as a milk 
strainer. Chester Anderson. 
Hannibal, Oswego Co., N. Y., 1808. 
Information Wanted—The Leaf Roller, &c. 
—Please indulge me in a query or two. 1st, Is 
there a work published of the character of an 
analysis of the peach, pear, plum, apple, &c., in 
some simple form, suitable for directions in regard 
to the nutriment in the form of manure that each 
tree needs? If issued in newspaper articles per¬ 
haps it would be nearer what would be wanted to 
guide those who have not had much experience. 
2d, Is there no new remedy for the Leaf Roller? 
They literally cover the apple, pear and cherry 
trees here, this year. 
3d, Is there nothing of a convenient and handy 
character that will remove the aphis from the 
peach trees? They are covered with this insect 
which destroys the leaves ; also on the currant, (a 
new enemy.)—J. P. Merriam, Sandusky, Ohio. 
Remarks. —We know of no work containing 
analyses of the wood or fruit that will be of any 
practical use. These analyses are of very little 
benefit to the fruit-grower—experience is the best 
teacher. Good stable manure is safe and benefi¬ 
cial to all trees and all crops. Ashes are good for 
all trees, (except perhaps the cherry,) and particu¬ 
larly so to the peach. We know of no new remedy 
for the leaf-rolling insects. Showering the trees 
with water from a garden engine would destroy 
most of them, probably, and if whale oil soap was 
used with the water it would be all the better.— 
Where they are not too numerous they may be re¬ 
moved by hand. The aphis, (but we doubt whether 
it is an aphis that injures your trees,) may be de¬ 
stroyed by Bteeping the stems or leaves of tobacco, 
in water, then adding soft soap, and syringing the 
trees with the liquid. The currant moth we have 
described in previous numbers of the Rural. 
Black Raspberry and Blackberry Culture- 
—Can you, or any of your subscribers, inform me 
through the Rural, which is the best time for set¬ 
ting out black raspberry or blackberry bushes, in 
the fall, or in the spring? If in the fall, what 
month? Also, whether they need tan-bark around 
them as around strawberries.—E. M. W., Centerville, 
N. Y., 1858. 
Remarks. —Blackberries, or Raspberries, may be 
set out either in the fall, in October, or early in 
November, or early in the spring. The New Ro¬ 
chelle Blackberry does best with a mulching of 
some kind, and we have no doubt all kinds of ber¬ 
ries would be benefited by mulching, particularly 
the first year after planting. 
DEATH OP DISTINGUISHED HOHTICULTUHI3TS. 
Several distinguished horticulturists have re¬ 
cently departed this life. In our last we noticed 
the death of Mrs. Loudon, the wife of the cele¬ 
brated J. C. Loudon, the horticultural author, and 
herself the author of several works on flowers and 
gardening. Our English Journals, before long, no 
doubt, will give some interesting facts concerning 
her life and labors, which we may transfer to our 
columns. We now give brief notices of several 
other laborers in the beautiful fields of horticul¬ 
ture, who have “ceased at once to work and live.” 
Death of Stephen H. Smith, of Rhode Island. 
—The death of this intelligent cultivator is an¬ 
nounced in the Rhode Island papers. For a long 
time Mr. Smith has been one of the leading pomol- 
ogists of his native State. He was one of the 
founders of the Rhode Island Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, and its first president. A well written notice 
of his death in the Homestead, says:—“ Horticulture 
was with him a speciality, and no man in the State 
gave as much time and attention to it, or devoted 
himself with more zeal and enthusiasm. Though 
unacquainted with botany as a science, he was 
a remarkably close observer of any product of the 
vegetable kingdom, and procured a vast fund of 
information respecting indigenous plants, and a 
respectable knowledge of cultivated species.— 
Fruits, however, were his special favorites, and it 
was conceded, by his fellow members of the Horti 
cultural Society, that no man in the State was his 
equal in respect to a knowledge of our cultivated 
fruits. Mr. S. was for a quarter of a century the 
pioneer in horticulture in his State, and stood 
nearly alone during that period in his efforts, which 
were untiring and most enthusiastic, to diffuse a 
knowledge and promote the extension of that beau¬ 
tiful branch of human industry. It was not until 
within fifteen years that the labors of Mr. 8. began 
to be appreciated or felt, and when the Horticultu¬ 
ral Society was established, he found himself sur¬ 
rounded by a considerable number of co-laborers, 
who sympathized with his feelings and taste and 
partook of his zeal. He was the animating spirit 
of that Society for a long time, and its prosperity 
and success are due in a greater measure than to 
any other source, to his large experience and 
ceaseless efforts.” 
The Rhode Island Horticultural Society, at a late 
meeting, passed resolutions in relation to his death, 
in which they truly state an irreparable loss has 
been suffered in the death of Stephen H. Smith. 
Mr. George Me E wen, the Superintendent of the 
London Horticultural Society’s Garden, at Chis 
wick, died on the 10th of May, in the 38th year of 
his age. During the fourteen months he had acted 
as Superintendent, he evinced so much skill and 
energy as to make it a subject of the most lasting 
regret, that so great a spirit dwelt in so frail a 
body.— Gardeners' Chronicle. 
Mr. Robert Brown, the most eminent botanist 
of the present day, died at his residence in Dean 
street, London, on Thursday, the 10th of June. A 
long obituary is given in the Gardeners' Chronicle. 
On the death of Sir Joseph Banks, in 1823, Mr. 
Brown became, by his will, possessor of the Bank- 
sian Herbarium for life. For several years Mr. 
Brown held the office of President of the Linmean 
Society; this he resigned in 1853, since which he 
has ceased to take an active part in scientific pur¬ 
suits or Societies. 
For more than half a century, Mr. Brown has 
been universally recognized as the first of living 
botanists; one, moreover, who has proved himself 
second to Linnaeus alone, of all his predecessors in 
that department of science. His labors and wri¬ 
tings have had a great influence upon the progress 
of botany, and his death is felt with melancholy 
regret. 
\ -- - ■ -» »-»- 
To Make a Sm all Lot Profitable. —Will you 
gratify one of the most gratified readers of your 
valuable paper by informing him what is the most 
profitable fruit crop that can be raised in a two or 
three acre lot, of clay soil, peculiar to this place? 
The lot is flat and indifferently drained. Wnen 
you tell me ahrt to raise, tell me also how and 
when to do it, and oblige— One who Likes Large j 
Results from Little Labor, Suspension Bridge, 
N. Y., 1858. 
Remarks. —Our correspondent seems affected 
with the general complaint, desiring a large result 
from a little labor. In the first place we would 
recommend the inquirer to make up his mind to 
expend a good deal of labor on that lot. First, 
thoroughly underdrain it so that the water will 
not lay on the surface, nor about the roots of trees 
that may be planted. Then give it a very heavy 
coating of coarse, uilfermented manure, and sub¬ 
soil it well and as deeply as possible, thoroughly 
pulverizing the soil to the depth of, at least, eigh¬ 
teen inches. Be careful to do this when the soil 
is pretty dry. After this is done, the ground is 
prepared for almost any fruit crop—dwarf or stand¬ 
ard pears, raspberries, strawberries, currants, or 
any other fruit for which you would find a market 
the most readily. Whatever you plant, determine 
to give the trees the best of care, and raise the 
fruit in its highest perfection. We have seen so 
much of slip-shod culture lately that we are heart¬ 
ily sick of it. To hear men, who have murdered 
their trees by inches, complaining of dishonest 
nurserymen and a miserable climate, is enough to 
make the stones cry out 
The Madeleine Bear on the Quince. — Will 
you please to inform me through the Rural if the 
Madeleine pear succeeds well on the Quince, that 
is, compared with the Louise Bonne, Duchess de 
Angouleme, and a few others? Will the Seckel 
grow on the Quince?— John Lowe, Fayetteville, N. 
Y, 1858. 
Remarks. —The Madeleine makes a fine growth 
on the quince, but overbears when quite young, 
and becomes injure d generally in this wsv. I 
should be well manured, closely pruned, and only 
allowed to mature a fair crop of fruit The union 
between the pear wood of this variety and. the 
quince is not as perfect, we think, as with the 
Louise Bonne de Jersey, Duchess de Angouleme 
and some others. Still, it succeeds here, and gives 
fine crops. The Seckel will grow on the quince, 
but this variety makes but a small tree, on its own 
roots, and bears early, and forms a most beautiful 
pyramid, so there is but little necessity for grow¬ 
ing it on the quince root. 
To Cook Dried Corn.— Put about J pint (if 
your family is not too large) into a tin dish; pour 
cold water on it, and place it on the stove where it 
will be kept boiling hot for four or five hours, 
then stir in a little thickening of flour and water, 
and season with salt, (pepper is not necessarily 
needed) a little sugar, and plenty of butter if you 
have it to spare. 
Buckwheat Shortcake. —Three cups thick but¬ 
termilk; 1 teaspoon, rounding full, of soda, dis¬ 
solved in a little water—stir in buckwheat flour 
enough to made a thick batter. Bake about twen¬ 
ty minutes in a quick oven. 
Graham Bread —Perhaps some of the Rural 
readers may take a fancy to make Graham Biead 
—if so, here is a good recipe to make it by. Two 
quarts Graham flour; 1 quart warm water; § cup 
yeast—stir it up and let it rise—when light, add 1 
quart warm water; 1 cup sugar; 2£ quarts flour— 
stir thoroughly, and dip into deep dishes—when 
light, bake one hour. 
Graham Drop Cake— One pint milk; 2 table¬ 
spoonfuls cream; 2 eggs; 1 tablespoonful molas¬ 
ses, or brown sugar — mix, with these materials, 
Graham flour enough to make athick batter—drop 
on buttered tins and bake twenty minutes. 
To make nice biscuit, the shortening, soda, and 
salt should be rubbed into the flour, then wet with 
buttermilk sufficient to roll out. e. m. d. 
Sparta, N. Y., 1858. 
COLORING RECIPE FOR SILKS, &c. 
As A. M. Shepard has not been answered, I send 
the Rural the following recipe: 
For Black on Silks. —Prepare in strong cop¬ 
peras water (4 ounces copperas to 8 gallons water,) 
for one hour. Take out and rinse. Boil 2 pounds 
logwood chips, or J pound'extract; i pound fus¬ 
tic; and, for white silk, £ pound niowood. Dis¬ 
solve 2 pounds good bar t-oap in a gallon of water. 
Add all the liquids together, then add the soap, 
being careful to have just enough to cover tbe 
silk neatly. Stir the liquids until a good lather is 
formed, then immerse ilie silk and handle it lively. 
Have the dye as warm as the hand will bear. If 
not soon black, add more logwood liquor, and, if 
you have not a good lather, add more dissolved 
soap. Dry a bit with a hot iron, if not black, con¬ 
tinue thus until it black. Dry without rinsing, as 
that would destroy the lustre. Always dry silks 
quickly. The above is for 10 yards, or one dress 
Finish for Silks of all Colors —Boil i p>nt 
of linseed in a quart of water, strain into a suffi¬ 
cient quantity of water to wet the goods and no 
more; to this, add 2 ounces of glue, dissolved and 
strained, immerse the silks and stretch upon a 
frame, or iron on the wrong side — run over first., 
and half dry, then go over them again and finish. 
To Destroy Ants.— Sprinkle quick-lime plenti¬ 
fully where they are most troublesome. 
Will some one inform me through the Rural 
the best method of preparing cucumber pickles 
for winter use, and oblige Mrs. Nick. 
Centre, Morgan Co., Ohio, 1868. 
To Destroy Ants—N oticing an inquiry from 
“ Jennie,” in a late Dumber of the Rural, as to 
the best mode of destroying the Black Ant, I will 
give a method practiced by my sister Jennie. I)is 
solve a teaspoon of cobalt, or common fly poison, 
in three tablespoons of warm water, and “sweeren 
to their taste.” Place in the pantry, or wherever 
the ants are troublesome. In the evening, take a 
light and go carefully to the poison, and the ants 
will be eating side by side round the edge of the 
dish. In the morning, Mr. Ant will be missing, 
and you need have no fears that he ever will come 
back,—E. W. D., Hartford, Wis., 1858. 
Mrs. A. T. Ludlow, East Lansing, N. Y, sends 
us a recipe similar to the above, aDd says that, if 
perseveringly kept where they congregate, “not 
one will be left to tell the tale.” 
To Take Mildew Out of Clothing —I intend 
to try tbe fever and ague cure recommended by 
your correspondent, C. E M., Lima, N Y., and, if 
it cures me, 1 shall certainly he under eveilast.ing 
gratitude to the Rural, through whose agency I 
have learned this great blessing. In return, I give 
my wife’s cure for mildew in cotton cloths. 8he 
had (through ihe negligence of help.) the worst 
case of mildew I ever saw. She boiled the article 
in a lye, made of wood sshes, then spread it out 
on the grass, exposed to the sun, and kept it wet 
by sprinkling with lye and soft soap-suds, until ihe 
mildew entirely disappeared. There is no humbug 
about this, and I sincerely hope 'here is m>ne«bout 
tbe fever and ague remedy.—W m. Day, Morristown, 
N. J, 1858.__ 
Good Dumplings, &c.—W ill some of the many 
housewives who contribute so largely for our 
Rural, give us some recipes for making good 
dumplings, so that tbe crust will be light? Also 
tell us about starching,—bow collars and shirt- 
bosoms may be made to look ss they do when we 
buy them.—A melia, Cayuga, N V, 1858. 
Coffee and its Adulterations. — There is 
scarcely an article on the tabic in which tbe e is 
so much adulteraMou ami deception as coffee— 
that most palatable, and geneially. most comforta¬ 
ble of drinks, in an examination, made by a 
London physician, of thiity-four different ssmpb s 
of coffee, of a'l prices, it appeared that the whole 
of the coffees, with two exceptions only, were 
adulterated—the chicory wan prei-ent in thirty one 
instances, roasted wheat in twelve,coloring matter 
in twenty two, beans and potatoes and flour in one 
only; that iu ten cases tht> adulteration cons's ed 
of a single article, in iwelve of two. and in ten of 
three substances; that in many instance* the quan¬ 
tity of coff*e present was veiy small, and in oihers 
not more than a firth, fouith, thud bdt, and so on. 
Contrasiing coffee and chicory, it is found that, 
while the cuff- e-t'erry cotitaii s a large quantity of 
essential oil, visible in small drops in the cells and 
upon which the fragrance and ac.iual proper'ies 
mainly depends, not a trace of any similar oil is 
to be found in the chicory-root. Tbe properties 
of coffVe are those of a stimulant, and net vine 
tonic, with an agreeable liavor and delicious smell, 
not one of whi-h piopeities is possessed by chio- 
ory-root— Selected. 
