NOV. 20 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
375 
THE NORTHERN MUSCADINE GRAPE. 
In a late number of the Rural, we published a 
communication speakiDg very favorably of the 
Northern Muscadine Grape and rankiDg it above 
the Diana, and a dozen other varieties. We took 
the occasion, lest some of our readers should be 
misled by what we considered over-praise, to give 
our opinion of the fruit—its merits and its faults. 
The Rural Intelligencer, of Maine, copies the com 
munication, but not our remarks, and ihen makes 
the following strictures upon what we said: 
“The Editor of the N. Y. Rural does not agree 
with his correspondent, though he does not affirm 
that he his ever cultivated tnis grape. He thinks 
it has a ‘ foxy,’ or a ‘ musky ’ flavor, even more than 
that of the Isabella, whion he does not altogether 
like on account of this objec'ion. and eajsthat he 
should never like the Northern Muscadine grape, 
nuless he was drivtn into a very northern region, 
wheie he migut be Btarved to like it, there being 
no betferthere. Now, we Itvemanorthern climate, 
rather nearer the pole than Rochester, N. Y, aud 
are ready to say, that we have raised the Northern 
Muscadine grape tor the last two years, aud find it 
to ripen well in this latitude, and notice no more 
‘foxy ’ or ‘musky ’ flavor in it than in tne Isabella, 
wnich, maugre the objections of the Rural New- 
Yokker, is a popular grape in Massachusetts, Con¬ 
necticut, New York, and even Pennsylvania and 
Onio. We live in the down east State of Maine, 
aud can recommend the Northern Muscudine grape 
for our latitude, as a very good grape.” 
More fairness would have been shown by giving 
onr brief remarks, instead of allowing readers to 
guess at them from the answer. The editor of the 
Maine Rural may be in the habit of expressing 
opinions of fruit that he has not tested, but we 
wish him to understand that the Hoiticultural 
Editor of the Rural never expres?ed a decided 
opinion of any frait on tasting it once or twice, 
and not until he has seen and tasted it repeatedly, 
and under different circumstances calculated to 
affect its character. That the Muscadine is more 
“ foxy ” than the Isabella, and inferior to it, onr 
taste and smell will not permit us to doubt. That 
it is earlier than the Isabella, and therefore will 
ripen in localities where that variety can never be 
grown in perfection, we are well aware, and fur 
such places it may bo valuable. The Hartford 
Prolific, however, is about as early, and we should 
judge is a better grape, though we have only seen 
it twice. It is said to have one of the faults of the 
Muscadine, the dropping of the berries from the 
bunches at the time of ripening. 
The idea conveyed in the above paragraph, that 
we disliked the Isabella, is a very unfair represen¬ 
tation. When speaking of the foxy flavor of our 
native grapes, we said “the Isabella has as much of 
this character as we like ’’—and that was all. A well- 
ripened Isabella we like well, and were we plant 
ing a thousand vines to day, where there was a pros¬ 
pect of ripening them, at least one-half would be of 
this old favorite sort. To give a clincher to the 
“ objections ” which we never made, the editor says 
the Isabella, “ maugre ihe objections of the Rural 
New-Yorker, is a popular grape in Massachusetts, 
Connecticut, New York and even Pennsylvania and 
Ohio.” Now, we know the Isabella will ripen in 
the New England States, only in the most favored 
localities. Marshall P. Wilder stated at the last 
meeting of the American Pomological Society, that 
he had not ripened an Isabella grape on his grounds, 
near BostOD, in thirty years. The same was the 
experience of gentlemen from Connecticut, and it 
was for this reason that Mr. Walker expressed the 
opinion that the Hartford Prolic, on account of its 
early ripening, would be one of the best grapes for 
New England. 
We are glad the subject of grape culture is at¬ 
tracting such general attention. The opinions of 
practical men on the merits of any variety, we 
shall publish most cheerfnlly, though when these 
opinions, in our judgment, are calculated to mis¬ 
lead our readers, we must be allowed to add such 
cautions as will prevent the mischief. Our own 
opinions will always be given with care and candor. 
The good of onr readers is the only interest we 
have in view. 
PEAR CULTURE. 
‘‘can pears be grown profitably for market.” 
Our readers will recollect in the discussion under 
the above head, Mr. Allen asserted that the ex¬ 
perience of growers about Buffalo, was similar to 
his own, but that one gentlemaD, from “ constitu¬ 
tional obstinacy,” refused to acknowledge his ill- 
success. The “obstinate” gentleman referred to 
was Prof. Coppock, and in the November number 
of the Horticulturist the Professor tells the reasons 
why dwarf pears have failed with some of onr 
Buffalo friends. All our charges of poor trees, 
bad culture, &c, are fully sustained, by the article 
which we copy below: 
“I had promised myself, ere this, to respond to 
the article in yonr May number under this caption, 
but time and circumstances have alike prevented. 
It requires very little confession on my part, to 
admit that I am the unfortunate individual there 
charged with “ constitutional obstinacy,” &c., and 
the hypothesis perhaps indirectly claimed ip, that 
I am the cause of all this sad failure in pear 
culture. 
“Now, by your permission, and to save the 
‘ Bsnrres,’ I will ‘ confess ’ nor tell no tale of woe. 
I am a pear grower, not, perhaps, on so large a 
scale as Mr. Allen. I have a thousand, mayhap 
more. My trees are my delight, yet tilled with 
anxious care, and have thus far greeted me with 
grateful returns for the labor bestowed. But who, 
let me aBk, that has written for and read a dozen 
volumes of the Horticulturist, would be bo ungra¬ 
cious as to expect hi3 dwarfs to do duty, when the 
lord of the manor neither clothes nor feeds his 
subjects. Let us see if we cannot understand these 
Bad effects by looking at the cause. ‘We are all 
morter (mortal), here to-morrow and gone to-day!” 
was an oftexpletive of one good soul, who was 
prone to indulge in the dreamy fit of twilight 
musing, ‘doing good business in the future,’ when 
the mind, wandering from things sublunary, paint¬ 
ed with prismatic colors, the splendid creations of 
the ‘ Hesperides,’ where reign supreme the noble 
Duchess and the good Bonchretien, with hosts of 
Flemish Beauties, Doyennes and Benrres, with 
something Golden, like the Orange pear. Suppos¬ 
ing them realities of his o wn, instead of the more 
sober delviDg, pruning, mannring, grub-hunting, 
slug-hilling processes of tilts terrestrial sphere, 
which the anathema from the garden has rendered 
imperative, to grow fruit successfully, and especial¬ 
ly the dwarf pear for profit. 
‘‘A most important point to start with is, a healthy, 
vigorous, sound constituted tree. Who does not 
know thata dwarf once stunted cannot be recover¬ 
ed? it may live, it may grow, and for a time exist, 
but never, in my experience, will it langh and 
grow fat. Herein lies one cause of failure why 
pears cannot be grown profitably for market.— 
When Mr. Allen and his ‘obstinate’ friend com¬ 
menced pear culture, an unlucky invoice of many 
hundred cheap dwarf pear trees, from a New York 
house, landed in our city. These were divided and 
sub divided among the ‘enthusiastic coterie,’in¬ 
fected with the pear mania, Mr. A. taking the lion's 
share. These, he tells us, were planted, cut down, 
and grafted, &c., &c. This lot of trash, theD, con¬ 
stituted the gronnd-work of oar plantations, and 
well may those gentlemen say, when asked how 
their pears are getting on, ‘ Blurt out the fact, dwarf ! 
pears are a humbng.’ 
“ Now, no one for a moment doubts Mr. Allen’s 
skill as a theorist, nor as a racy and entertaining , 
writer on rural matters; but did he pursue the j 
same loose system of selection, feeding, breeding, | 
and general cnltnre of his Devons and Short-horns j 
that he has with the practical details of growing- j 
dwarf pears for a market, where would be his here 
to-morrow? In my own case, having got rid o' ! 
that stock, I purchased some thousand thrifty, well 
grown trees from Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, j 
and have taken care of them, as well as I know i 
how. I read the Horticulturist regularly, and t i 
many a good idea from ‘Jeffreys.’ Jeffreys’ 
views are chiefly good, and I must say my labors 
have been well rewarded. A few leading varieties 
make up my main collection, to which are added 
a score or two of novelties, to follow in the wake 
of my friendp. We have a ready sale for the fruit, 
chiefly at five dollars per bnshel, wholesale; seldom 
less than four dollars for the small varieties. My 
dwarfs yield me annually, with occasional excep¬ 
tions, fair crops. Last season I took a barrel of 
Vicar of Winkfield from three trees; this year I 
can do the same from two trees, as also from the 
Glout Morceau, the Bartlett, Louise Bonne de 
Jersey, Stevens’ Genesee, Onondaga—and Borne 
others are nearly as prolific. In August, I took 
over 1,700 pears from four Dearborn Seedling 
trees; about the same rate last season. To-day I 
have trees propped up on all sides to sustain the 
crop, and they are the same props that were used 
for like purposes, for tho same tret s last year. I 
have a row of Bartlett; the seed I took from the 
Louise Bonne, and sowed for the stocks, in the 
autumn of ’54. In ’55, I bedded them. To day 
those trees have from 30 to 45 sound, good-sized 
pears, which will sell, at retail, fur four to six cents 
each. I have Beurre Diels, dwarf, three years old, 
with equally as many on. I have Beurre GoubauU, 
dwarf, four years old, with 84 fine pears on, worth 
two or three cents each, &c., &c.,with plenty more 
to match; more, however, I will not enumerate 
as these were seen by Mr. Allen, recently, whil 
the frait was on the trees, and, therefore, he vil 
bear me,oat lallj in liie statement. I inns; 
say, in ali candor, fliear not the ‘lachrymose ’ tone 
of your correspondent among the cultivators of 
the pear, save the ‘coterie,’ I chance to meet with 
in our neighborhood; but, on the contrary b - 
frequent cheerful invitations to see their fine fruits, 
of which they feel exceedingly proud. From :iie 
pear on its own roots, I have, as yet, received little 
profit. From several hundreds, planted at 
same time as the dwarfs, before spoken of, I ho , 
had but occasional specimens; nevertheless, fr< 
these I entertain great hopes for tho future. The 
blight and borer have taken from mean occasional 
tree; their place I fill up with others, though 
smaller. 
“Now, let me ask, what further can I confess that 
my ‘ constitutional obstinacy ’ withholds? Sun-i; 
it cannot be on the score of courtesy. ’lis said 
misery loves company! Can it be Mr. A. desires 
that I should do as he has done? Forbid it y 
gods. I do fear, however, Mr. Allen may think I 
have confessed abundantly; nevertheless, this sub¬ 
ject is not without a moral. It teaches a great 
practical lesson, and from it we learn the great 
loss of time and capital in attempting to do man¬ 
ual horticulture in a cozy chair. ‘ Talking fruits ’ 
wiil not grow them. ‘ The pesky trees ’ won’t take 
care of themselves. That cold retentive clay won’t 
be loam, and was never intended to grow dwarf 
pears in. 
‘ Not laughing 8&rtb, whose bosom opes 
To clothe this world bright as some fairy bower I’ 
“That rude Timothy, envious of the puny dwarf, 
enrobed it with a mantle of green so completely as 
to hide its diminished head, while the pestilent 
caterpillar, the abominable slug, a streak of bad 
luck, the ‘ constitutional obstinacy ’ of his friend, 
and the annihilation of his orchard, drives him to 
the post, and he asks, ‘ Can pears be grown profit¬ 
ably for market? ’” 
Pear Tree Blight.— As I am a constant reader 
of yonr valuable paper, I frequently notice articles 
on Pear Tree Blight. I thought I would send you 
my experience upon the subject When I moved 
on the farm where I now reside I had a valuable 
tree, about two-thirds of it affected with the blight 
I considered it almost or entirely worthlet-s. 1 
trimmed off all the dead limbs, and commenced 
hanging my scythe and pieces of iron hoops in 
the limbs, and putting pieces of iron about the 
roots, and it has proved not only a preventive, 
but a care. It is now as flourishing a tree as I 
ever saw. The remedy has been tried by some of 
my neighbors with the same result—-J. 8. Turner, 
Scriba, 1858. 
Remarks. —Cntting away the injured limbs is 
the remedy alvays used, and is generally success¬ 
ful if tried in time. Unless othe^i had tfciedit we 
should have said the cntting did the good, and not 
the iron. And, even now, we would like to have 
the particular circumstances under which this 
remedy was tried by your neighbors before we 
could advise onr readers to put much faith in it 
Japan Apple-Pie Melon.— I have succeeded 
in growing a fine lot of these melons the past 
summer, and have eaten several pies made of them, 
which could hardly be distinguished from genuine 
apple pies. They are easily grown, and are said 
to keep all winter if unfrozen.—W. II. Gardner, 
Sublette, Lee Co., III., 1858. 
MONSTER FRUITS AND FLOWERS. 
Occasionally we have sent ns descriptions of 
deformed fruits and flowers, which are very cu¬ 
rious, and pnzz'e their owners. Should we pub¬ 
lish some of these the thoughtless would cry 
“ humbug," as the editor of the Horticulturist did 
not lung ago. The following interesting and in¬ 
structive article is from the London Gardeners' 
Chronicle: 
“Although the late uniformly warm, dry season 
baa produced a singularly small crop of monsters 
among plants, nevertheless we have two or three 
before us, the peculiarities of which entitle them 
to notice. 
Of Piars growing into short (branches, half 
pear, half branch, examples have been pent by Mr. 
G. Morris, of Edgbaston, near Birmingham, and 
Mr. Henry Bainrp. of Y r ork. All these prepent 
the usual appearances. Firat comes a fleshy cup 
with a few leaves on the edge, representing the 
original pear but, litlle altered. Then follows a 
fleshy oblong body with afew scattered leavesnpon 
it, representing ihe axis or growing point, (under 
natural circnmstancesnnobservable) prm’ernatnral- 
ly drawn out, and clothed with leaves, which have, 
however, grown fleshy, coalesced, and ultimately 
matured in a ptntc nearly tho same as that which 
they would have assumed had they nct.nslly be¬ 
longed to a pear in its usual state. But all the 
additional rings of parts that, go to Hie composi¬ 
tion of a pear flower ore dislocated and metamor¬ 
phosed. 
Ono solitary and extremely Instruct,ive Rose has 
again been'Communicates jfy onr valued corres¬ 
pondent, Dr. Belt, Baltf.h, and in represented in 
the accompanying wood engraving, Fig. I. Tho 
usual cup of tho Rose was entirely gone, only a few 
completo and incomplete leaves occupying its 
place, one of them being half a petal half a leaf; 
'his shows conclusively three things:—1. That the 
calyx of the Roso consists of five ordinary but 
partially developed leaves; 2, that the enp of the 
Rose Is no part of tho calyx, but merely a fleshy 
hollow on which that organ stands; 3, that tho 
petals themselves are merely altered calyx leaves. 
Immediately following the calyx were sixteen dark 
purple petals in their usual Btate, except that one 
of them was also half a calyx leaf. Tho plnco of 
both these is shown in Fig. II, a, which represents 
the Rose stripped of all its leaves. It seems then 
that the external patts of this Rose were formed 
pretty mnch as nsnal, bnt, that Borne sudden impulse 
was given to the growth of the centre or axis of 
the flower, forcing it to prolong itself instead of 
remaining hollow. This was effected hy throwing 
up a long cone (Fig. II, a—c) covered at the upper 
part with glandular hairB, but otherwise naked, 
except wheD, as at b b, some abortive stamens were 
present. This stage doubtless represents the meta¬ 
morphosed ring of stamens. At c, Fig. If, the axis 
stopped growiDg; and instead of bearing young 
pistils, produced out of their elements a second 
crop of petals, partly green, partly colored red, 
the origin of which is seen at Fig. II, e. Bnt this 
was not all; immediately after forming the second 
Rose, Fig. f, b, oat of the first Rose, Fig. I, a, sach 
a new impulse to growth was given as brought out 
a few common green pinnate leaves, as seen at 
Fig. I, c. Then matters look as if they had revert¬ 
ed to the ordinary state; the Rose recovered its Belf- 
possession; no longer ran into wild exuberance, 
bnt settled down into a plain, common, respectable 
Rose-bud (Figs. I and II, d), and abandoned the 
freaks wnich had made it conspicuous. Does not 
this show, plainly, that anything which disturbs 
the equable and very stow process of organization 
in a Rose, such as Buddeu access to mauure, or 
sudden beat and moisture, converts a beauty into 
a monster? And if this is so of Roses, why not of 
all other flowers? 
The third case is that of a bnnch of White Fron- 
tignan Grapes, grown in the Vinery of Dr. White- 
head, of Yoik, which produced half the berries 
of a black color, so that the black and white 
Frontignan were completely mixed in tho same 
bunch. For this we are indebted to our very in¬ 
telligent fiiend Mr. Baines, of the Museum, York. 
We believe another specimen was sent to the 
British Association at Leeds. Here we have an in¬ 
stance of a white Grape returning to its primitive 
color, black, aftqt having at some former period 
deserted its black color and hois ed white. Such 
examples are instructive horticultnrally, because 
they show that if a tree (woody plant) accidentally 
changes its nature on one twig, that twig, if used 
for propagation, will perpetuate the change — 
Chrysanthemums have thus sported and been 
fixed, so have Plums, so have Roses, so have Grapes, 
and so doubtless have numerous other varieties, 
the origin of which is now forgotten. Moss Roses 
have been perpetuated from a sport of the common 
Provins; and it is not improbable that Dr. Bell 
Salter’s monstrous Rose, above described, might 
also have been made the progenitor of a race of 
monsters had it been worth while to try the experi¬ 
ment. To be sure no body wants deformity, aud 
therefore the race ot such Roses is best extinguish¬ 
ed ; bat it is clear that if a given Rose bash shows 
a tendency to produce such monsters, no bud 
should be taken from that Rose bush for propaga¬ 
tion.” 
PLANTING AND MULCHING TREES, &c. 
Eds. Rural:— Will yoa please answer a query or 
two in yonr paper, as it no doubt will interest many 
of yonr readers? I am a subscriber and a constant 
reader of the Rural and do not think that the fol¬ 
lowing questions have been ever noticed, at least 
for the several years I have been taking it. 
1 st. In planting trees it is generally insisted upon 
to dig deep aud wide. Now, what I want to know 
is this:—When a large quantity of loose earth is 
beneath the tree, do tbe young rootlets strike and 
take hold as readily as when in contact with a 
more solid mass? and, does not the loose earth, or 
' '•t.ber the richer earth, as that is generally put at 
bottom of the hole, induce the roots, after be¬ 
aming established to strike too much into the 
•soil, and where that is a tight clay thus prove 
m injury? 
I. In applying water at the time of planting, 
•a> in a sufficient, quantity to cause the earth about 
roots to squash up when pressed upon, after dry 
It has been added on top, is it proper? Now, to 
e the matter better understood, my method nn- 
1 ■ some circumstances, is to fill in enough of the 
inest of the earth to cover the roots, and having it 
a little basin shaped to cause the water to settle 
round the tree, then to ponr in water enough to 
mke the earth like thin mortar, then geutly shake 
ree to cause tho thin earth or mortar, to settle 
ng the rootp, then throw in more earth and 
ly prets the whole with the foot towards tbe 
which causes all the cavities among the roots 
-> filled. Then put on Ihe balance of the earth 
sely aud it is done. Now, the question is, does 
ibis making a mud about the roots have any bad 
effect? 
3d. Tn fall planting, what objection is there to 
mult-hit g more than the liability to dept edations of 
mice? Does not the mulching prevent the too 
severe freezing of the roots notyet established, and 
thus prove a benefit? 
4tb. In boiling or heating plaster, is the sulphu¬ 
ric acid driven off) or is it only the water? as my 
work on chemistry does not clearly say; but in 
heating magnesia, “the acid is driven off” Will 
you please set me right? Also, is the calcined 
piaster aDy benefit to land? 
5tb. Is the wood of the ailanthns tree durable for 
posts? a.s I have heard the assertion, but, cannot, 
from the appearance of it, tbiuk it possible. 
Millbrook, Lou. Co., Va., Nov., 1858. G. R. K. 
Remarks —1st. Digging a deep, narrow hole in 
a hard soil, and filling it with rich earth, would no 
doubt induce a growth of roots downwards. When, 
however, these downward roots canto to the hard 
subsoil below, there would be nothing to encour¬ 
age a farther growth in that direction, for the soil 
below that which was filled in, would, no doubt be 
found poorer than that nearer the surface. The 
great evil of encouraging a growth of roots down¬ 
wards is, that they are too much out of the influ¬ 
ence of warmth and air. The directions to dig 
holes deep and wide do not often mislead, we think, 
a3 few persons dig deeper than necessary for the 
od of the tree. 
Id. We have tried a good many ways in plant- 
* trees, and onr plan is this: — Prepare thor¬ 
oughly and deeply the whole ground, breaking 
up the snbsoil as much as possible. Make good 
large holes for convenience in working. Fill in 
with rich, mellow loam as high as necessary, place 
the tree in the hole, spread carefully the roots, re¬ 
move any that may be injured, cover with the 
1 ioest soil, carefully working it among them, and 
ibis can be done beat when the soil is rather dry. 
tip to within an inch or two of the surface, 
j leaving a basin. Fill this with water, and leave it 
antil you have fifty or more set, or for half an hour 
i or more, then fill up. When there is a prospect of 
rain we seldom use water, and it is not necessary 
in fall planting. After we once get the roots 
tt ranged and covered, we dislike to disturb them, 
and never would do it after watering. 
J , Encouragement to mice is the only objec¬ 
tion ro mulching in the falL Otherwise mulching 
is of benefit. 
Gypsum or Plaster is a combination of 
water aud sulphate of lime, and in the pro- 
ess of boiling or burning, the combined water is 
driven off, producing a species of ebullition,— 
whence the term boiling. This operation is per¬ 
formed at a temperature below 400 Fab. A higher 
temperatnre indurates the particles and prevents 
setting, as it is technically termed. The sulphuric 
acid is not driven off, and cannot be by auy ordi¬ 
nary heat. Neither can the corresponding salt of 
magnesia be deprived of its acid at any ordinary 
heat unless by contact with some reducing agent in 
which case a sulphide or sidphuret is produced — 
This i3 also true of most of the sulphates. 
Plaster calcined at a low heat (so as to acquire the 
property of setting) would, from its great affinity 
for water, be very apt to burn up the vegetation 
around it. After it had absorbed sufficient water 
it would he chemically nearly the same as common 
ground plaster, and would probably act in a simi¬ 
lar manner. 
5tb. Of the durability of the ailanthns for posts, 
we have no experience. The wood is represented 
as hard, compact, resembling mahogany, taking a 
fine polish, and quite valuable fur cabinet-making. 
Cauliflower—Pontiac Ahead— Your corres¬ 
pondent W. Creed, in the Rural of Nov. 6tb, after 
giving an enthusiastic article on Cauliflowers, says 
he has “grown Cauliflowers afoot in diameter.” 
We will just ask Mr. Creed to doff his hat, when 
we say to him that Z. B. Knight, Esq., of this 
village, raised a Cauliflower this season meas¬ 
uring 13 inches horizontal diameter, 8 inches ver¬ 
tical diameter, and weighing 12 pounds, including 
about eight inches of stock. He also raised 
others very large. The seed was received from the 
Patent Office, and labeled “ London Cauliflower ."— 
N., Pontiac, Mich, 1858. 
Vegetables for Market. —Gan you recommend 
one to any woik which will give directions for the 
raising of Vegetables for the city markets, their 
various processes, rotations, and ini proved modes 
of culture.— Hal, Sycamore, De Kalb Co., III., 
1858. 
Remarks — Uuist's Kitchen Garden is the best 
work on the subject, and cos's 75 cents. Bridge 
man's Young Gardeners' Assistant iB also a good 
book. 
CRACKERS, CAKES, AND PUDDINGS. 
Eds. Rural: — I have been much interested in 
the Domestic Economy portion of yonr paper, 
and have often thought I would like to contribute 
a mite. I have a few very good recipes which you 
fiud herewith. 
Soda Crackers. —Take five pints of flour, mix 
with it thoroughly three teaspoons of cream tar¬ 
tar; half as much soda; eight ounces of melted 
butter, and one piut of water. Roll in sheets an 
eighth of an inch thick, cut in squares, and bake 
ten or fifteen minutes in a quick oven. 
Graham Cake — One cup of sugar; one of sour 
milk; one and a half of flour; one teaspoonful of 
saleratns. 
Jenny Lind Cake.— One enp of butter; ane of 
sugar; three eggs; one-balf enp of sweet milk; 
one half teaspoon of saleratus. Beat the butter 
and eggs t gether, dissolve the saleratns in the 
milk, add sugar and flour, stir well, and bake in a 
modet ate oven. Raisins improve the cake. 
Egg Pudding.— Seven eggs; one quart of milk; 
one pint of flour; a little salt; beat the eggs, stir 
all together, bake one hoar. To he eaten with 
sweet sauce. 
Puffkt Pudding. —Six eggs; one quart sweet 
milk; one quart of flour. Bake in a deep dish one 
hour. To be eaten with sour sauce. 
P. S. Will some of the lady subscribers of tbe 
Rural give a recipe for co'oring brown or red 
that will act on cotton carpeting, and mnch oblige 
j Quaker Hill, Scken. Co., N. Y., 1858. Mas. E. P. 
PICKLING RECIPES, &c. 
Friend Rural:— Inasmuch as you area medium 
for the contributions of all, I thought I would send 
my experience in Pickling Cucumbers, &o. My 
method of preserving cucumbers is to use two 
quarts of salt and one pound of alum for brine 
for a barrel. We never fail to have good pickles. 
To prepare them for the table, soak until sufficient¬ 
ly fresh, then put them in vinegar, (that which has 
been on pickles will answer,) in a tin vessel, (I 
never use brass,) heat almost to boiling, fekirn 
them out into cold vinegar, season with led pep¬ 
pers. 
To Pickle Beets. —Wash and trim your beets, 
and bake in a moderate oven. By so doing they 
will retain all their sweetness and color. Slice them 
in vinegar, add a little salt and pepper. The same 
vinegar will answer for two or three times by add¬ 
ing a little new each time. 
To Make Good Potpie Crust. —Take one quart 
buttermilk; four eggs; one-half teacup batter; 
two teaspoonfu's saleratns; a little salt Mix into 
a soft dough, break eff pieces the size you wish. 
This is best for mutton, or any fat meat For 
chickens, use cream in place of buttermilk. 
Kent Co., Mich , 1858. A Yocsa Hocskkbeper. 
Another Goluen Opportunity for the Gibl3. 
Mr. Sylvavus seems to take quite an active part 
in the Domestic Department of the Rural. Prob- 
bably it is became tho ladies do. Be that as it 
may, I think if he were to dine with “Molly, on 
the Hill Bide,” there would be cause of action im¬ 
mediately; for I imagine he would think more 
of the “ dumplings ” than of Molly. In choosing 
a wife, I would look far beyond the dish of “dump¬ 
lings,” and see if there was to be found a loaf of 
good, wholesome bread. Show me the young lady 
of twenty who can mix, make, and bake a loaf of 
good, light bread, and I’ll show yon one who is capa¬ 
ble of taking upon her the responsibilities of 
housekeeping in every department, and the one 
for whom I’ll set my cap —mighty quick —Nebu¬ 
chadnezzar, Suspension Bridge, N. Y., 1858. 
Pound Cake—Lemon Cake. — One pound of 
sugar; 1 pound of floor; J pound butter; 2 table¬ 
spoons sweet milk; 10 eggs; £ teaspoon of salera¬ 
tus; 1 teaspoon of lemon essence. 
Lemon Cake.— Two cups sugar; 3 cups of flour; 
£ cup of butter; 1 cup sweet milk; 4 eggs; 1 tea¬ 
spoon of soda; 2 teaspoons cream tartar; 1 tea¬ 
spoon lemon essence. —Martha, Oak Orchard , N. 
Y, 1868. 
Sugar Dough Cakes. —Two cups of dongh; 1J 
of BUgar; 1 of butter; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon of soda; 
§ of a teacup of rabins; spice well—let it rise 
while yonr bread is baking.— Eugenia, Oak Cas¬ 
tle, 1858. 
Carolina Cake. —One cup butter; 2 of Bugar; 
3 of flour; 4 eggs; 1 teaspoon cieam tartar; little 
more of soda; 1 cup new milk.—X, Newark, N. 
Y., 1858. 
Cracker Pudding. — Three pints of milk: J 
pound of sugar; 8 eggs; 8 crackers; 1 pound of 
raisins; 1 gill of wine or brandy.—C. E. E., Benton 
Centre, Yates Co., N. Y, 1858. 
Query. —Will some of the lady readers please 
inform me how to color Wool Delaines a bright tan 
color, where they were previously a light blue?— 
Mollie A. F., Clyde, N. Y., 1858. 
Old-Fashioned Yankee Doughnuts. —One enp 
of butter or lard; 1 of sugar; 2 of milk; 3 eggs; 
1 cup of bread sponge; teaspoon of soda—season 
with cinnamon.—A. P. T., Carport, N. Y., 1858. 
Relief of Neuralgia —As this dreadful dis¬ 
ease is bec>>m'Dg more prevalent than formerly, 
and as the doctors have not, discovered any method 
or medicine that will permanently cure it, we 
simply state that for some time past a member of 
our ftmilv hits suffered most, intensely from it, 
and could And no sure relief from any remedy 
applied, until we saw an article, which recom¬ 
mended the application of braised horseradish 
to the face, for toothache. As neuralgia and the 
toothache are both nervous diseases, we thought 
the remedy for the one would be likely to give re¬ 
lief to tae other, so we made the application of 
horseradish, bruised and applied to the side of the 
body where the disease was seated; it gave almost 
instant relief to the severe attack of neuralgia. 
Bioce then we have applied it several times, and 
with the same gratifying results. The remedy is 
simple, cheap, and may be within the reach of 
everyone .—Laurensville Herald. 
