DEC 18 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
407 
LAST WORDS FOR 1858. 
This is the last opportunity we shall have to 
speak to our horticultural readers until the first 
number of the volume for 1859. We will only say 
that with new type, a most beautiful horticultural 
heading and other improvements, we shall com¬ 
mence our work for the new year, under the most 
favorable circumstances for producing a paper that 
will please and profit all. Borne of the very best 
Pomologists in the country will contribute to our 
columns, and no pains or expense will be spared 
to make the Rural the best medium existing for 
gaining and disseminating horticultural knowl¬ 
edge. Every subject requiring it, will be fully and 
freely illustrated, with engravings of the first class. 
In this department last year, we gave about one 
hundred and fifty engravings, and in the coming 
year we shall do as well, — at least, we shall do all 
that a proper understanding of the subjects dis¬ 
cussed or the interests of our readers require. 
With our immense circulation weekly, we are 
doing a work for the Horticulture of the Country 
nnequaled by any other half-a-dozen journals; 
and, we think, therefore, we have a claim upon the 
kind offices of all lovers of Fruits and Flowerp, 
and with confidence call upon all disciples of 
Flora and Pomona to aid ns in extending the cir- 
lation and influence of a journal so well calculated 
for good, as it is at once a Hand Book for the 
Farm, the Garden, the Orchard, and the Kitchen; 
a Companion for the Fire Side and the Parlor. 
TREES-THEIR BEAUTY AND UTILITY, NO.II 
One of their greatest charms is the sweet music 
trees constantly afford. From the “ little leaves,” 
of Tennyson, which, “laughing, clap their hands 
with glee,” to the “far spreading wood” of the 
graver poet, where, “ mighty winds make music 
not unlike the roar of Ocean in his winding caves,” 
there is a perpetual hymn of nature sounding 
among the trees; sometimes sweet-voiced and 
low; at others, high and spirit-stirring; and not 
nnfrequently, wild and sublime, as that of some 
lonely, mid-night oak, '■ when the storms in his 
branches shout.” Amid the harsh and dissonant 
noises with which our ears are pained in this age 
of steam-whistles and ponderous machinery, this 
violent forcing every where of material nature into 
the service of man, and which seem like wild 
screams and protests of inarticulate life, in being 
thus forced, how sweet it is to listen to that low, 
magical under-tonc which is perpetually murmur¬ 
ing wherever there is a tree, speaking of peace 
and rest, and calling the too anxious spirit away 
from the eager excitements of business, to calm 
and pure enjoyments. 
Having indulged myself in a few rather fanciful 
reflections about trees, I shall now proceed to 
consider them in a more practical light. A tree 
can never be considered merely an article of use, 
until it is actually out do!?n. As long as it stands 
upon the earth, it must be viewed partly as an 
object of taste, and when it is used for convenience 
or ornament, reference should always bo had to 
the peculiar characteristics of the tree, and of the 
place where it is to stand. Some people seem to 
think that if they plant a seed or a sapling, no 
matter where or of what kind, they have done 
their duty. Not at all. It is so easy to put the 
right thing in the right place, and the whole com¬ 
munity have such an interest in it, that a mistake 
here assumes almost the grave nature of a fault. 
Every tree has an expression as individual as 
that of a human form or countenance. “The 
manly oak, the pensive yew,” the mournfal cypress, 
the graceful willow, the delicate bircb, the laugh¬ 
ing poplar, are terms which arise from the univer¬ 
sal law of association, and in grouping trees, refer¬ 
ence should be had to the character and effect of 
each. We have but to recollect the involuntary 
admiration which certain happy combinations 
have produced in our minds, to be aware how 
much depends on this adaptation. 
In certain situations, nothing can be more ad¬ 
mirable than perfect uniformity. Witness the 
continuous rows of elms in Temple, and other 
streets in New IlaveD, Connecticut. Their stately 
forms, their regularly curving branches, produc¬ 
ing long reaches of solemn, Gothic arches; the 
comparative lightness of the foliage which natural¬ 
ly rests in a spreading crowD, sufficient for orna¬ 
ment and shade, but without obscurity or gloom; 
the great height at which the foliage is borne, like 
piles of green, feathery clouds far overhead, leav¬ 
ing an open space below, where the air circulates, 
and gleams of sunlight dance over the grass or 
the pavements,—all circumstances unite to en¬ 
hance the satisfaction which we feel when walk¬ 
ing beneath these fine old trees. They are also 
peculiarly adapted to the quiet, reflective character 
of a place whose chief feature is an institution of 
learning, where the studious and thoughtful daily 
walk, and where the bustle and turmoil of business 
are almost unknown. 
We have seeD, also, long avenues of maples, 
leading to stately mansions, where a mixture of 
other trees would have disturbed the character, 
and marred the beauty. A grove of evergreeens 
on the north side of a honse, to screen it from the 
wind, or planted in the corner of an open field, to 
Bhade the flock in summer and protect it in 
winter, is always agreeable from the ideas of 
comfort and shelter which it suggests, while a 
cedar or a hemlock, standing alone and unpruned, 
upon a lawn, pleases the imagination by the con¬ 
trast its wild and savage simplicity affords, to the 
high and exact cultivation around it. 
But it is in the arrangement of groups and 
clumps of trees, in parks and lawns and pleasure 
grounds, that the hand of taste is most distinctly 
visible. I remember, on coming suddenly upon St 
John’s Park, in New York, being wonderfully 
struck with the artistic disposition of the trees; 
the sizes, forms, and shades of color, being so 
combined as to produce the most varied and beau¬ 
tiful effect. Here every tree had evidently been 
planted with reference to its immediate neighbors, 
and also to the general effect of the whole. Maple] 
willow, poplar, locust, horse-chestnut —almost 
every common variety of tree was there, yet so 
grouped as to acquire anew and startling beauty. 
I walked, not long since, through Worcester 
Square, in New Haven. There was a profusion, too 
SUMMER ROSE APPRE. 
One of the most delicate and beautiful of all our 
summer apples is the Summer Rose. It is rather 
small, even below medium size, but this is no 
objection, in our opinion, to a dessert apple. There 
is no object in growing apples for the table as large 
as small pumpkins. The skin is smooth as marble, 
but of a rich, soft, waxen yellow, finely and deli¬ 
cately touched with a little red on the sunny side. 
great a profusion, of pines, poplars, elms, maples 
and willows, but they appeared to have been plant¬ 
ed on no other principle than that of an equal 
scattering of all the different kinds over the whole 
area. No sister willows drooped their arms caress¬ 
ingly over a by path; no family of thick standing 
pines gave an air of privacy and seclusioD, invit¬ 
ing confidential friends, or solitary, thoughtful 
souls to Beek their dim recesses; no sturdy maple 
or oak had a fair field left to him, in which to 
stretch his arms and build his broad and massive 
tower; but every individual tree seemed elbowing 
its neighbor, and all were growing together in a 
tame, promiscuous, expressionless manner, with¬ 
out exciting the admiration, or affording the 
pleasure which a different grouping would have 
enabled them to do. To be sure, the trees were 
half grown, and time may do something for them, 
more especially as many were dying out, thereby 
affording more scope for the others. 
A tree which would be extremely interesting in 
one situation, would lose half its charm in another. 
A walnut scattered hero and there, over a plowed 
field or a stony pasture, its slender snadow, and its 
promise of autumn treasure to the boys and girls 
of the neighborhood, is much moro in place than 
in the centre of a lawn; while in the same field a 
drooping willow would appear entirely misplaced. 
There is so much sentiment and expression in this 
latter tree, that it should always be placed near the 
habitations of meD, or in places much frequented by 
them. It is peculiarly approprate to a gate-way; 
lovely when drooping over an arbor; inviting, when 
mingling with button-woods, it shades the low, 
green bank of a river; touching when it hangs its 
pensile boughs over the little mound in the grave¬ 
yard, and graceful and suggestive everywhere. 
Here I would remark, that it is a little singular 
that the Lombardy poplar, once such a favorite, 
should have gone so entirely out of sight. In 
certain circumstances it has a very fine effect, 
especially by way of contrast and variety among 
trees of a light and wavy character; or, where an 
effect of art and refinement is wished for in a wild, 
uncultivated spot. If the cultivation of this tree 
were sparingly revived, and that of the ailanthus, 
with its awkward branches and disgusting and un¬ 
healthy odor, discountenanced, it would be an im¬ 
provement to the country. The absence of the 
ailanthus might also be supplied by the sumach, 
which is similar in the character of its foliage, and 
has the advantage of being resplendent in the 
autumD, and which, if cultivated, rises to the dig¬ 
nity of a tree—rather a low one, to be sure, but not 
on that account the less desirable in certain situa¬ 
tions. A clump of rocks, if you are so fortunate 
as to have one in sight, with here and there a 
small fir, orpine, or hemlock, inserted in its crevi¬ 
ces, and a group of sumachs, or two or three 
butternuts, planted at its foot, (an operation which 
might be accomplished in a single day,) instead of 
being the deformity which it is very often consid¬ 
ered, would, in a short time, become an object 
I most pleasiDg to the eye. 
It is surprising how generally the fact is ignored 
in many parts of the country, of the value of 
beauty on a farm, or about a farm-house or cottage, 
whether it is viewed as giving comfort, respecta¬ 
bility and refinement to the family, or a 3 enhanc¬ 
ing the value of property by tempting the eye of 
wealth and taste, and securing a liberal purchaser 
if a purchaser is wanted. There is no doubt that 
attention to external beauty yields a large profit 
either in a mental or a pecuniary point of view.— 
And in no one thing can this beauty be secured 
so readily as in the cultivation of trees. Plant 
them, and guard them until they have acquired 
a little strength, and nature, with her dews and 
winds, her sunshine and showers, does the rest 
They make the mother proud of her home — 
the young people exalt in their beauty and their 
shade —they screen the children in their plays, 
the superannuated in their repose —the traveler 
blesses them a3 he passes on his journey—the 
summer breezes murmur sweetly in their branches, 
the birds sing there; and in minds of any thought¬ 
fulness or sensibility, they awaken admiration and 
gratitude towards the Being who gave them to the 
earth, as a joy and a blessing to man. s. s. a. 
Sqi. ashes. —Tn answer to E. I). J, in regard to 
the Low Dutch Squash, I would say that I am not 
acquainted with any variety by that name, but we 
have two kinds here that answer his description. 
One is a medium sized squash, good baker for 
table use; the other is a very large size.—G. D. J, 
Vundalia, Cass Co, Mich., Dec., 1858. 
The flesh is tender, and abounds with a sprightly 
and refreshing juice. Ripens here in August.— 
The tree grows rather slowly when young, but is a 
good bearer. It is just the apple for the amateur’s 
garden, and those who grow dwarf apple trees in 
their gardens should mark the Summer Rose as 
number one. Farmers, near large cities, who grow 
apples for market, wonifi find this a paying variety, 
NATIVE GRAPES. 
Now that our native grapes, and particularly the 
new varieties, are receiving such general attention, 
and some inferior sorts are loudly applauded by 
those who have not had much experience, or are 
interested in over-praising them, the following, 
the result of the present season’s observation on 
the grounds of the “Oneida Community,” will be 
interesting. It must he remembered that the sea¬ 
son is not as favorable for ripening the Isabella in 
Oneida County, as in most places in Western New 
York. Here, with proper pruning, the Isabella will 
ripen in nine cases out of ten. 
Northern Muscadine.— This is a seedling in¬ 
troduced by the Shakers of New Lebanon, and 
partakes strongly in habit and flavor of its parent, 
the New England “ Fox grape.” Fruited the first 
time this season by ns. The clusters were small, 
and by no means as numerous as upon other sorts 
of the same age and similarly situated. It may 
improve by different pruning from what we have 
given it. The berries j|t b-l'.y from the cluster, 
which will detract from itn market value. Ripened 
and gone before tho 15th of Sept., and, unless su¬ 
perseded by the Delaware, will be valued for its 
early maturity. 
Concord —This grape we consider a decidedly 
valuable acquisition. Fair and handsome clusters 
—perfectly sound and healthy. It is quite as early 
and hardly a3 the Clmton; has not quite so good 
a flavor as the Isabella, yet none, we think, could 
hesitate in saying that it is good enough. First 
ripe grapes were picked Sept. 17th. It has not 
been so uniformly productive with us as the Isa¬ 
bella; still it is generally considered very product¬ 
ive; and some vines of oars give signs of great 
fruitfalness; one small vine having only about 
two feet of bearing wood, bore fourteen clusters 
of line grapes. Wo have planted this for a leading 
variety. 
Charter Oak. —This is a " humbug ” grape, dis¬ 
seminated to a great extent, we judge, by persons 
who had little just appreciation of good fruit or 
desire to introduce valuable grapes. A worthless 
grape in onr esteem, and, says a nurseryman, “not 
worth the strings which hold it upon the trellis.” 
Clusters small, none exceeding fifteen berries, yet 
some berries were four inches in circumference. 
One vine, large enough to have borne twenty or 
thirty pounds, hardly yielded as many ounces. 
There are so many inferior grapes cultivated in 
the country, when better may be had, that we are 
glad to help “write down” one of them. 
Clinton. —This is a very hardy and productive 
grape with us. It partakes more of the nature of 
the frost grape than of the fox grape. When al¬ 
lowed to fully ripen, its acerbity of flavor is much 
diminished, and is greatly liked by many who do 
not object to acid fruits. Bears handling well, 
and makes a violet-colored wine, which, however, 
needs some sugar in tho manufacture. 
Diana. —This beautiful grape we fruited this 
season for the first time. It gives signs of being 
prolific. In all epicurean qualities it is superior 
to the Isabellq. Ripe Sept 25th, fully two weeks 
earlier than the Isabella, growing under the same 
conditions. Its fruit appears to be slightly dis¬ 
posed to shrivel and drop. 
Isabella. —This old and well-known grape has 
fully sustained its character with us. Many clus¬ 
ters weighing half a pound each, and some one 
pound each. Though this grape would have fully 
ripened with ns, yet we were induced to gather 
most of the crop before fully ripe from fear of a 
freeze. The worst that can he said of it is that 
we are not sure of ripening it here—more or less 
uncertainty always attends its ripening. 
Our experience has confirmed us in a few prac¬ 
tical conclusions, among which are: 
1st- Shelter from west and north winds hastens 
maturity. n 
2d. Summer pruning or pinching favors the 
early maturity of the fruit and wood, thus better 
enabling the latter to bear the cold of winter. 
Clusters most exposed to the sun, other things 
equal, are soonest ripe. 
3d. Deep culture is most favorable to a vigorous 
growth. 
4th. Mineral manures produce a slower and 
sounder growth, thns rendering the wood more 
hardy, and less pinching or summer pruning ne¬ 
cessary. 
5tb. The raising of grapes i3 one of the quick¬ 
est ways which every man who owns a rood of 
ground, can take to supply him and his with a 
“ royal fruit.” 
PLANTING TREES IN CLAY SOILS. 
Musses Ens:—In a late number of the Rural, it 
vas recommended iu setting trees, to dig deep, and 
mellow and enrich the soil below where the tree 
vas to staud. This advice will ensure a failure it 
followed on a stiff clay soil. The reason why, I do 
not certainly know, but suppose it is because tbe 
soil makes the place a water-tank, aud upon that 
the more sand and the more vegetable mould, the 
oaure deadly to the life and health of the tree — 
For ten years I have practiced setting a few shade 
and frnit trees, and I can’t say, with most corres¬ 
pondents, with success, but with uniform failure. 
( have dug deep and large, filled with sand and 
chips—dug trees when the ground was frozen four 
inches deep, so as to remove roots and dirt for 
three feet aronnd the tree—set large trees, and 
small, and all to see them die after a sickly growth 
of two or three years. But do not understand me 
that I never made any trees grow; for sometimes 
I have dug more than I had places prepared- 
crooked, unpromising trees, which were set in 
the natural soil in some corner, and the ground 
hastily prepared, and these wero the trees that 
grew. And the inevitable conclusion is that, true 
kindness to men, animals and trees, is natural and 
unaffected, and the best rules for all to follow, whose 
object is to improve upon nature, whether Doctors, 
Moralists, or Ruralisls, to heed the practice of the 
sacred gardener, to “ dig about it and dung it and 
never dig under it and duDg it. 
But vice versa: in conversation with a successful 
farmer, who said before he emigrated from the 
land of Canada thistles, he and his hired man went 
out to mow down the thistles, to prevent their 
seeding, and in the midst of their work there came 
up a thunder shower. All the thistles mowed be¬ 
fore the shower, died root and branch, tho others 
did not. His conclusion was that the water filled 
the cavities of the stub before the sap could 
close it, and rotted tho root. Try it, all who are 
furnished with tho vegetable. t. w. 
Windham, Portage Co., Ohio, 1858. 
Remarks. —The trouble with our friend’s plant¬ 
ing is that he does not thoroughly prepare tho 
whole ground by draining and subsoiling, as we 
recommended an inquirer in Canada to do, in the 
last number. Digging a large hole in a stiff, im¬ 
pervious clay, and filling it with a light loam, 
makes, of coarie, a good “sink-hole ” for the water, 
which cannot pass through the clay soil. Dig a 
hole in clay ground, us deep as you should dig for 
a tree, say two feet deep, and if tho water lies in 
it long after showers, spriDg and fall, or any time 
when the ground is wet; and rest assured the 
same thing will occur if you plant a tree in it, 
and fill it with loam — a fruit tree cannot be 
expected to nourish in such a place. Neither 
should we expect any better success to plant a tree 
in the same soil, and cover the roots with the clay 
for if it was kept light, as the ground in which a 
tree is planted should be, the effect would be about 
the same as if filled with loam, and if hard and 
impervious as the surrounding soil, what fruit 
tree could grow and prosper under Buch circum¬ 
stances? The only true way is to thoroughly 
drain, and deeply pulverize a stiff soil, and then it 
will not matter how large the hole is made, or how 
much loam or sand is placed around the tree, so 
far as the water is concerned. 
The scripture quotation is quite out of place. 
The direction to “ dig about and dung it,” was not 
made in reference to planting a tree, but to do 
something towards saving and making fruitful one 
that we presume had been badly planted, or placed 
in a poor soil. 
A Russian Hot-House.—Bayard Taylor de¬ 
scribes the magnificent green houses, which the 
Czars maintain, for jhe production and growth of 
tropical and other exotic plants, amidst the snows 
of Russia: 
“The Botanical Garden, in which I spent an 
afternoon, contains one of the finest collections of 
tropical plants in Europe. Here, in latitude 60°, 
you may walk through an avenue of palm trees 
sixty feet high, under tree ferns and bananas, by 
ponds of lotu3 and Indian lily, and banks of splendid 
orchids, breathing an air heavy with the richest 
and warmest odors. The extent of these giant 
hot-honsea cannot be less than a mile and a half. 
The short summer and long, dark winter of the 
north, requires a peculiar course of treatment for 
these children of the sun. During tho three warm 
months they are forced as much as possible, so 
that tbe growth of six months is obtained in that 
time, and the productive qualities of the plant are 
kept up to their normal standard. After this re¬ 
sult is obtained, it thrives as steadily as in a more 
favored climate. The palms, in particular, are 
noble specimens. One of them (a/;/i«mr, I believe,) 
is now in blossom, which is an unheard of event in 
such a latitude.” 
Transplanting Evergreens, — Will you, or 
some of the numerous readers of the Rural inform 
me the beat time to transplant Evergreen trees, 
such as Pine, Spruce, <fce?—L. S. Coolidge, Ilop- 
kinton, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., 1858. 
Remarks. —Large evergreens may be transplant¬ 
ed in the winter, when the ground is frozen, with 
a ball of earth attached to the roots. This is a 
safe, though troublesome operation, but pays well 
where a few liae specimens are needed for particu¬ 
lar locations. For general planting we like the 
latter part of May. 
Pear Trees — Dwarf or Standard. —In your 
issue of Nov. 20th, in an article which you copy 
from the Horticulturist, on “ Pear Culture,” from 
the pen of Prof. Coppook, occurs the following:— 
“I have a row of Bartlett’s, the seed I took from 
the Louise Bonne, and sowed for the stocks, in tne 
autumn of 1854. Iu 1855 I bedded them. To-day 
these trees have from 30 to 45 sound, good sized 
pears,” &c. Do these trees retain their dwarf na¬ 
ture, from the fact of the seeds from which the 
stocks were produced, coming from pear stocks 
dwarfed on the Quince? or, would trees produced 
in this way be called “Siandards?”—A Subscriber 
Niagara Co-, N. Y., 1858. 
Remarks —The seed is not affected by the root 
upon which the fruit is grown. The trees spoken 
of, therefore, are standards, as much so as if grown 
from seeds from a standard tree. The Bartlett 
bears when quite young, on its own roots. 
Coal Ashes for the Borer. —Though a novice, 
I have learned from a practical farmer, in Lee Co., 
that coal ashes, laid around the tree, close to it, 
will secure it against the apple borer.—W. Barnes, 
Keokuk, Iowa. 
PRESERVING grapes. 
You say in last week’s Rural, in reply to a 
query of tbe “ Montgomery ledger," that “there is 
no difficulty in keeping grapes here until after 
New Years.” I would add, that there is no difficul¬ 
ty in keepiDg them until ppring. I kept them last 
year until tho 15th of June, and they wero then 
nearly as fresh and fine flavored as when first 
gathered. For four years I have not failed to have 
them, in good eating order, as late as the 15th of 
of May. I U8e common black wadding, instead 
of newspapers, to put between the layers—one 
thickness only between each layer—and raisin 
boxes to pack them in, bnt aDy other clean, shallow 
box will do as well. They should be taken up at 
least once during the winter, and all the decoyed 
and defective ones removed. 
You remark that “they mature after picking if 
well kept,” which accords with my own experi¬ 
ence. The Catawba will become sweet and lus¬ 
cious, if gathered soon after they begin to color* 
and whilst quite acid, and will keep better than 
when allowed to get fully ripe before gathering, 
but tho flavor will not be as perfect. 
Grape culture is just in its infancy in this 
country. The time will come when every farmer— 
every family I might say—will lay by a supply of 
grapes for winter use, as regularly as they now do 
a stock of apples or potatoes, and (Ihope) when 
all tho wine used, will be of home manufacture.— 
How I wish that I could add that nothing stronger 
ivould be drank, and that, only at home, but I fear wo 
shall never see that happy day. r. b. w. 
Alabama, (ienepee Cm, N. Y. 
HOW TO IMPROVE CIDER. 
Prof. Horsford, the chemist, has recently 
communicated to the Massachusetts Horticultural 
Society, a valuable recipe for the improvement 
and preservation of cider, which the Springfield 
Republican recommends to general trial. It is as 
follows: 
“Let the new cider from sour applep, (sound 
and selected fruit is to he preferred,) ferment 
from one to three weeks, as the weather is warm 
or cool. When it has attained to lively fermen¬ 
tation, add to each gallon, according to its acid¬ 
ity, from half a pound to two pounds of white 
crushed sugar, and let the whole ferment until it 
possesses precisely the taste which it is desired 
Bhonld bo permanent. In this condition, pour 
out a quart of the cider, and add for each gallon 
one quarter of an ounce of sulphate of lime, 
known as an article of manufacture under tho 
name of ‘ anti-chloride of lime.’ Stir the pow¬ 
der and cider until intimately mixed, and return 
the emulsion to the fermenting liquid. Agita’e 
briskly and thoroughly for a few moments, and 
then let the cider settle. The fermentation will 
cease at once. When, after a few dayp, the cider 
has become clear, draw off and bottle carefully, or 
remove tbe sediment and return to the original 
vessel. If loosely corked, or kept, in a barrel on 
drafr, it will retain its taste as a still cider. If pre¬ 
served in bottles, carefully corked, which is better, 
it will become a sparlking cider, and may be kept 
indefinitely long.” 
In connection with the foregoing we may state 
that wo have been experimenting with cider in the 
following manner:—After the cider has been long 
enough in the barrel to settle, it is drawn off into 
jugs of two gallons and upwards in which it re¬ 
mains for a few days, when it is bottled, the corks 
being driven in tightly with a mallet. The filled 
bottles are laid upon their sides in straw, sawdust or 
bran, and permitted to remain until evidence of 
fermentation is exhibited by the forcing out of one 
or more of the cockp, when all should be placed 
erect for a week or two when they may again be 
placed in a recumbent position. We have not a 3 yet 
tied or wired any of the corks, but think it would 
be well to do so. Cider thus put up in October has 
retained its full sweetness, and in other qualities is 
much improved, while the same in barrels, has ac¬ 
quired considerable acidity. This mode is simply 
intended to preserve it from becoming “hard” or 
sour, and will not, of course, compare with what is 
known as “champagne cider.” The following me¬ 
thod is more intricate, but will give a superier 
article: 
To Make Ciiampaione Cider.— Have a perfectly 
clean barrel ready, with three or four strips of cot¬ 
ton cloth an inch or so wide and two feet long, 
prepared by dippitg in melted ‘brimstone. Light 
one and insert the lighted end in the barrel, through 
the bung. As soon as one piece is consumed light 
another, until the barrel is filled with a sulphurous 
smoke. While one person is doing this, another 
should prepave the cider, by straining it through a 
seive overlaid with muslin cloth. It should be pat 
into the barrel as quick as possible and baDged up. 
One gallon of pure whiskey to the barrel will 
entirely prevent fermentation, and a little dissolved 
isinglass will make it clear as wine. In this way it 
will be about tho color of champaigne, and keeps 
as laid down many a year. Without the whiskey 
the fermention will not he entirely arrested, though 
it will keep a good long time. Filtering through 
charcoal is a good plan where the right kind of 
charcoal, or bone black, can be obtained. 
How to Make Bread. —Mrs. Washington Bacon, 
of Detroit, took the first premium at the Michigan 
Stale Fair, for making bread, and this is her recipe: 
Salt or milk lisiDg, to one teacup of new milk, and 
one teaspoon of salt, pour in two teacups of boil¬ 
ing water, when cooled so as not to scald, stir in 
flour to make a batter, aud set it in a kettle of warm 
water until it rises up light, which will be in about 
five hours, pour the batter into your pan of flour 
and mix with warm water or milk in sufficiency to 
make four loaves of bread. Add a teaspoouful of 
soda to the wetting, knead thoroughly, and put it 
in the pans to rise, which it will do in half an hour. 
Bake one hour. 
To Color Tan. — If Mollie A. F., of Clyde, 
N. Y., has not yet dyed her De Lainep, l will assure 
her that she can obtain a very beautiful color, with 
little cost. Make a strong dye by steeping hemlock 
bark in water. The quantity of bark used will deter- 
mine the shade. Alter the goods have remained 
an hour in the hot liquid, rinse in lime-water, to 
brighten them. The lime-water is made by dis¬ 
solving a quart of quick lime in a gallon of water, 
then allowing it to settle. Water sufficient for 
rinsing may then bo added. Stir it often while 
coloring.—H. L. N., Sherburne, N. Y., 1858. 
Inquiry —Can any of the Rural contributors in¬ 
struct me in the best method of making bread 
from tbe floor of groivn wheat. — H. L. N., Sher¬ 
burne, N. Y, 1858. 
