MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
attb 6;vr 
THE PEACH. —NO. I. 
Mr. AVm. M. Wvi,ik gives in the Grand 
River Eagle, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; a 
couple of articles on the profit, protection and 
training of this tree, which contain hints of so 
much value, that we condense them for the 
benefit of the readers of the Rural. Especi¬ 
ally may our western readers glean something 
valuable from them. 
There are some who insist that the trouble 
of rearing and attending to a plantation of 
peach trees, more than balances the benefits 
derived from the fruit, so often is the crop de¬ 
stroyed, by unseasonable frosts, &c. Yet the 
peach is so easily raised and comes so soon 
into bearing, that, with all the untoward events, 
most people seem inclined to try it. And 
there are those who, with the right view of the 
matter, think it maybe made largely remuner¬ 
ative. A plantation of peach trees, producing 
a full crop one year in five, will, with ordinary 
care and thrift in husbanding the crop, more 
than pay all reasonable demands for labor, 
rent, &c., and leave a respectable allowance for 
the wear and tear of conscience, in restraining 
the uprising murmurings of the heart, for dis¬ 
appointed hopes, during the intermediate four 
years. 
However, if we take this calculation for a 
basis, we hardly do justice to our subject. The 
fact is, in this region, we hardly have one fail¬ 
ure in five years—that is, a total one—while 
in the other four we have one or two enormous 
crops But, to make one crop in five years 
pay the expense of four years’ barrenness, it 
must, of course, be saved—not allowed to rot 
or spoil—because the market happens to be 
overstocked. Let the fruit be dried—it is 
worth more than the trouble, as an article of 
food—is cheap, delicious, and ivholesome. Ta¬ 
king this view of it, one will want to plant 
trees in proportion to the uncertainty of the 
crop. If we depend upon one crop in five 
years, we shall want five times the number of 
young, thrifty, and just coming into bearing.— were killed to the ground. Hence, it may not 
Those on the north side of the fence were but be with peach trees, quite as indifferent a mat- 
little injured by the severe April freeze of that ter as with politicians, which side of the fence 
year, while those on the south side of the fence they are on. 
auk %xts, &t. 
DRUMMOND’S PHLOX (Phlox Drummondi) 
The germination of seeds is a thing which 
crop. If we depend upon one crop in five This Phlox was discovered in Texas, in t STEEPING SEEDS. 
years, we shall want five times the number of 1835, by Drummond, a botanical collector sent _ 
trees we would if the crops were uniformly ou ^ b J the Glasgow Botanical Society, who The germination of seeds is a thing which 
sure. Fruit, as a staple article of food, is be- soon after died in Cuba, in the midst of his re- man Y are interested in, and any method to in¬ 
coming more and more appreciated, and must searches. This being one of the last plants sure their pushing into growth more speedily 
. , , j- nr ., 1 . than usual, would doubtless be received by 
continue to be, as the race grows wiser and <Dsc°vered by Mr. Drummond, it was named ma ny with delight I have found the follow- 
better: and though far from being a practical * 1 ox Drummondi , in honor of its lamented ing plan of steening them to be of service in 
better: and though far from being a practical 1 lLox 
vegetarian, I fully believe that when the “lion discoverer, 
shall eat straw like an ox,” human diet will ^ 0111 
consist more of fruit, than of oxen. flowers. ] 
But how shall we ward off the effects of un- arc not.eer 
timely frosts on the embryo fruit or blossom, t£dbn S it t. 
‘Z " ' • . many with delight I have found the follow- 
1 liiox Drummondi, in honor of its lamented ing plau of steeping them to be of service in 
discoverer. my own case. AVhen about to sow seeds, such 
It is one of the most beautiful of annual as peas, broad beans, French beans, &c., I col- 
flowers. Indeed, the Horticulturist says, “ we !f 1 SOme sheep-droppings beforehand, and put 
, . - , , ,, , them into a vessel with water, enough to 
aic no certain Out we should be justified in moisten them. Into this I put mv seeds, but 
r* 5111 in nr if flic, flrinof nf oil Tf lo (U. ..... • , - . _ 1 — i • , 
timely frosts on the embryo fruit or blossom, 1 ailing it the finest of all. It is remarkable for of course into something by moons ot which 
and so secure to ourselves more seasons of the s P lendor and ™™ty of its colors. Flow- they may be conveniently withdrawn when re- 
fruitfulness 9 That is the great oncstion and ers ^ rom the same seed will be found in almost ( l llIied - thus situated I let them remain till 
lrumuiness. niat, is me great question, ana well soaked, when they will be in a fit state for 
upon which much has been said and written, er - sh ^ de of color ’ from the dee P est and sowing. I have found that for beans about 
and various modes recommended. The one raos t brilliant rose color, to the palest and 36 hours are required, and for peas about 24 
most generally relied on, perhaps, is tramping most dcbcate pink. Every flower, though of hours. Steeping, however, does not apply to 
the snow hard about the roots of the tree.— the deepest carmine, has the under side of its * be abo^e mentioned seeds alone; it may be 
This, if well done, may retard the development ^ tals of a P ale bla f b , c ° lor; and c ^’ P ebl1 - doubtlL many eds^g^ 0 Vel’afely 
of the buds m the spring. To make it the more tbou ° b of tbe P alest l )mk , has a dark carmine treated in this way as well, and with success.— 
effectual, the suow when well trodden, and be- s P°t base. Ihus the variety of colors dis- This will, however, very much depend upon 
fore a thaw comes on, should be well mulched P la Y cd in a bed of these flowers, almost ex- whether the plants intended to be raised are 
with sawdust, tan, manure, or any good non- cecds description: and when they are seen un- gross feeders or not; and also whether the soil 
conductor of heat But it is often the care der a bright sun, and agitated by a gentle coata ins much organic matter or not; for of 
ooimuLior oi utau i->ui h is ouea me ease ° . ° . . course the more it contains the less time m 
that the harm to the germ is done before this breeze, the efiect is exceedingly brilliant—we proportion will the seed require to soak before 
sort of protection can be given. Undoubted- bno " r of nothing more beautiful. ’ It is easily | being sown. This practice will be found (on 
1 v, in this region at least, the present season cultivated, and is propagated either from seed poor soils especially) to be of very great service 
will witness a more universal failure of the or cuttings. A\ hen any flower of extraordiua- |° g atd oneis in general, lor it will not. only 
peach crop than has been since 1849. But rj beauty is discovered, the latter .mode, though and vigorous as need be; and those who have 
the time of the injury differs widely. In ’49, tbe mos f trouble, should be adopted. The never tried it would be quite surprised to see 
it occurred about the middle of April, when cuttil igs must be kept in a green-house, or the difference it makes; an instance of which I 
not only the fruit buds, but in some instances warm room, during winter, and planted out in will now give. In 1852 I made a trial with 
the trees themselves, were killed. In such a tlie spring. In this way some beautiful varie- "on, Td tTfh^me Rme a ^iX uamitv 
case the bank of snow well mulched might Les ma > frequently be obtained. They dehgh t iu sheep-droppings, as described, where they 
prove effectual. This season the work was 111 rich, mellow, well-prepared soil. The seed remained about 44 hours; they were then taken 
done in December—too early for snow to be ma Y be sown earl 7 in Ma y> if the weather is up and put in soil near the former, and the 
made available. fin0 > and in Jld Y the P Iants will be in full bios- resuIt was surprising; but at the time the form- 
A safeguard is therefore needed, which som ; With Fhlox as with all fine seeds, it is theTestM^ray re^olleeH^ thlt 
shall apply to all such cases—one that shall vcr > necessa rv to guard against sowing them height,-and their foliage testified as to the state 
keep the sap of the tree in a dormant state, ^ 00 d(; cply. \Y e. are persuaded more seed is of health the plants were in. I have since 
from the cessation of irrowth in the fdl till lost from this cause than from any other.— practiced steeping with good results, and others 
“ m “her fZZ 2 Z TkV should bo covered onlvjust deep enough he induced to give it . trial will no 
uniform mild weather returns in the spring; i 1 UC T snouia De cove 
sudden thawings after severe frosts, should by J f° exc lude the light, 
all means be avoided. To secure these advan-1 .. .. 
tages, one may gain much in a choice of loca- j i ndiana Fariner expresses the opinion, based 
tion. "Where it can be had, the angle of two ; upon experiment, that the use of ashes as the 
tey should be covered only just deep enough wbo nia Y be induced to g> ve it a trial will no 
exclude the li^ht * ° doubt be similarly rewarded .—loseph Divers. 
-_1_ Would they not have grown just as well, if 
The Pie Plant.— A correspondent of the - vou had s , tee P ed them in clear rain water?— 
Gardener's Chronicle. 
hills that shall face respectively, north and manure for the pie plant produces a more de- The Fruit Croi* at the South. _The heavy 
west, is to be preferred. In such a situation, bc ! ous P bud than any mode of culture; not frosts of April, have cut off a good portion of 
with a favorable soil and the slope just enough 88 ? ou . r ; but containing jjit enough acid- the fruit crop. In many sections, apples, pears, 
to shade the trees from the direct rnvs of the r- t^ mak e them pleasant. Hie reason given peaches, plums, and grapes, have been entirely 
! ' . ' , , for this is, that the acid peculiar to the rhubarb killed. It is a great loss to the poor, for fruit 
morning sun, so that the thawing 1 shall be is neutralized in part, by the alkali of the ashes* is one half our summer living. Kvcn the 
gradual, and the trees thus kept from being if the above is a fact, it is a very important blackberries, the poor man’s bread, are almost 
roused too soon to activity, we may reasonably one; not so much in a practical ^ a scien tifi c f ntire! - v cut t off *, ) Vere ™ withoat the straw- 
hope for fair crops almost if not every season. v :. nv w > i i , , , , , .. berry, we should have a barren time of it,— 
1, A , ! , , * point ot mow. e should be glad to hear if This crop seems better adapted to Southern 
But when such natural protection can not any of our readers have observed a similar culture thau any other fruit. Frosts may cut 
be had, much may be gained by artificial pro- effect.— Eds. ofl' one, two, three, or four crops, and yet we 
tection, as the north side of high fences, of - —-—♦ • »-shall have fruit. We have a small bed, some 
shall have fruit. 
or four crops, and yet we 
We have a small bed, some 
buildings, or behind rows of free growing trees, ^ 0 Inker Birds from Pecking Fruit. —As b>11 01 b^een ucres of strawberries, aud on the 
set in close order A lunro neaoh orchard on tbe peason is coming on for the depredations of da Y A P ril - we never saw a finer promise 
... . . T ‘ b P . birds, I beg to report mv experience of last of fruit; the ground was literally covered with 
one of the prairies of Illinois, was bordered on yeai . when j saved my c h er ries by hanging up fruit, bud and blossom. A succession of frosts 
one side by a row of locust trees. By degrees several pieces of tin with strong thread in the killed all the buds aud fruit, and now, May 1st, 
these spread, by sprouts from the roots, until different trees, two pieces being hung near tbe beds are loaded with fruit in every stage 
they formed a thicket, enveloping two rows of cnou gb together to clash with the wind, which a S a ' u ' ^ e are more than e\er conviuceu, 
* , , rni , 1 r -1 1 sound, with the bright reflection of the tin in that the strawberry is the surest-fruit crop that 
he peach tom l ea, two rows rarely Mod th „ a „;, <xMMy fri » can be raised at the’ Sooth—Sotf o/tkr So ulh. 
to produce fruit, whilst the rest as rarely pro- h a<! my due share of the fruit, which, tlie pre- -—.— - 
diced any. A garden in my own vicinity was ceding year, I was obliged to relinquish to Lime Dust on Plants.—A n English or- 
bordered on the north and south sides by them. So says a New Jersey Farmer. chardist protects his trees from caterpillars 
peach trees, so that those on the south side of * * ^ * ?-- a »d other insects by shaking over the young 
the garden were on the north side of the fence, , Ca ^°7 % ed ? often steeped with advantage foliage quick lime pulverized and rifted through 
, bom 12 to 24 hours m sott water, and then a fine sieve, lhe time tor using it is in the 
and those on the north were south ot the rolled in sand or plaster. It is rather slow in dew of the morning, or whenever the leaves 
fence. In the spring of 1849, these trees were vegetating. are damp. He has found it very effectual. 
GAS FOR COUNTRY USE. 
By a new invention, people living in towns 
where no coal gas is or can be profitably formed, 
may still obtain tbe luxury of a brilliant home¬ 
made gas-light, at s'cost cheaper than that of 
the ordinary oil or fluid. We sVituessed this 
important improvement in complete operation, 
a few evenings since, at the residence of a well- 
known literary and scientific gentleman on 
Spring Hill, Somerville—being the first house 
into which it had been introduced in this sec¬ 
tion of the country. The light produced is su¬ 
perior to that of coal gas, being clearer and 
more powerful, as the flame is of fuller volume 
and burns with greater steadiness, while the ex¬ 
pense is about the same as coal gas at $2,50 
per thousand feet. It is the combustion of 
benzole, a resinous liquid, sold at $1,50 per 
gallon, mixed with atmospheric air—the gas 
being generated by an ingenious and not inel¬ 
egant apparatus, which may stand in the house 
entry-way, or even be placed on a closet shelf, 
and from which common gas fixtures may ex¬ 
tend in all directions and give the light’in any or 
every room at pleasure. The apparatus gener¬ 
ates no more gas than is immediately consumed, 
and requires for the purpose only the heat of 
one of the burners used as a light—so that the 
whole cost of tlie gas is that of the apparatus 
and the benzole. 
An apparatus of sufficient capacity for a 
good sized dwelling house is offered for $150. 
It is so constructed, that by means of a rotating 
air pump, which is revolved by a cord and a 
weight wound up by a crank, a stream of air is 
forced into the generator, whicii is partially 
filled with benzole. The generator contains a 
vaporator exposing a large surface of benzole 
to the action of the air as the latter is forced 
through both apartments by the pump and 
weight—and the thus vaporated benzole com¬ 
bining with the air produces a gas of the 
highest quality for illumination. The appara¬ 
tus is so perfectly simple, safe and durable that 
it may be managed by the dullest domestic, 
only requiring the weight to be wound up be¬ 
fore use and the generator to be filled twice a 
month, or not as often as all the lights are 
employed. 
This beautiful invention was patented in 
August last by Mr. 0. F. Drake, a practical 
electriciau of Boston, and must be regarded as 
one of the most utilitarian improvements of the 
times. It is applicable to houses, shops, ho¬ 
tels, factories, or other places in the country, 
and even on shipboard. Hereafter the dwell¬ 
ers on the remotest hill-tops, or* in the deepest 
shades of the “ back woods,”' may enjoy -as 
much as those of the cities in the way of arti¬ 
ficial “ enlightenment.”— Boston Transcript. 
THE INVENTOR OF RAILROADS. 
We hear the question asked, who was the 
inventor of the railway? and have never heard i 
it satisfactorily answered; and we believe there 
are very few persons in this country who know 
anything on the subject. Some few years ago, 
Howitt, of the People’s Journal, gave a some¬ 
what lengthy sketch of the alleged inventor, j 
who, up to May, 1836, had been neglected in 
England. While thousands had been enriched 
by his brilliant scheme, he had remained for¬ 
gotten—forced by poverty to sell glass on 
commission, for a living. IIow many of the 
railway projectors, agitators, stockholders, &c., 
have heard of the subject of these remarks?— 
“ About half a century ago—the exact year 
is not known—there was born at Leeds, Eng., 
a man named Thomas Gray. Scarcely any¬ 
thing is known of his early history. He was, 
we believe, a poor collier; and being very in¬ 
genious, he conceived the idea of facilitating 
the transportation of coal from the middle 
town colliery of Leeds, a distance of three miles, 
by means of a sort of railway which he con¬ 
structed of wood. Upon this his care moved 
at the rate of three and a half miles an hour, 
to the great merriment of a wise and discrimi¬ 
nating public, who laughed at the idea of a rail¬ 
way as something very visionary, and as the 
mere suggestion of laziness. Poor Gray tlio’t 
otherwise. Magnificent visions of future rail¬ 
ways, such as are now stupendous realities, 
loomed up before him, and he began to talk 
in public of a general system of iron railroads. 
He was, of course, laughed at, and declared a 
visionary, moon-struck fool. But the more 
Gray contemplated his little railway for coal, 
the more firmly did he believe in the practica¬ 
bility and immense usefulness of his scheme.— 
He saw in it all that is now realized, and he 
resolved in spite of the ridicule, the sneers and 
rebuffs that were heaped upon him, to prose¬ 
cute his undertaking. He petitioned the 
British Parliament, and sought interviews with 
all the great men of the kingdom; but all this 
had no effect except to bring down upon him, 
wherever he went, the loud sneers and ridicule 
of all classes. Still he persevered, and at 
length engaged the attention of men of intelli¬ 
gence and influence, who finally embraced 
hi3 views, urged his plans, and the result 
is now before the world. Thomas Gray, 
the inventor of railroads, who, no longer 
ago than 1820, was laughed at for ever men¬ 
tioning the idea, still lives in Exeter, England, 
in the full realization of his grand and noble 
railroad schemes, for which he was declared in¬ 
sane. How much has the world been benefit¬ 
ed by his insanity?” 
A Rival to Hemp. —The East India Co. 
I have forwarded to the Manchester, ('Eng.) 
Commercial Association some samples of cer¬ 
tain fibrous grasses, said to grow in Assam and 
other districts of India. One of these samples 
is identical with the fibric known as China 
grass, and has been valued by Messrs. Mar¬ 
shall, of Iieeds, at £48 to £50 per ton.— 
Another of the samples seems calculated to 
rival the Russian hemp, as in a recent experi¬ 
ment the former bore a strain of 345 ibs., 
I while the latter could only sustain 160 pounds. 
COKE OVENS. 
Guillaume Lambert, of Mons, in the Prov¬ 
ince of llainault, Belgium, has applied for a 
patent for a useful improvement in coke ovens. 
The first part of the invention consists in con¬ 
structing, arranging, and combining the ovens, 
I two by two, in such a way that the smoke and 
i gaseous products generated in one during the 
i earlier stages of the coking process may be 
i burned in tlie other, which was charged earlier 
and iu which the coking has progressed to a 
more advanced stage, and may deposit therein 
a portion ot their carbon, and that the incom¬ 
bustible products of combustion may, by pass¬ 
ing in contact with the exterior of the oven in 
which the process is least advanced, serve to 
assist in heating the charge and setting free the 
gases. The second part of the invention con¬ 
sists in certain means, by which each or any 
one of a long range of coke ovens may be dis¬ 
charged of the whole of its contents at once. 
YY'e consider that every improvement in the 
manufacture of coke is a great public benefit. 
The time has now arrived when either coke or 
anthracite must be used on all the railroads in 
the Eastern States, New York, and Pennsyl¬ 
vania, in place of wood. Coke is the fuel 
which has always been used on the English 
railroads, and will be the only kind used on 
our Western railroads at no distant day.— Sci. 
Jlmer. 
CUT OFF-OF STEAM ENGINES. 
Thomas Ashcroft, of Boston, Mass., has 
applied for a patent for an improvement in the 
cut-off of steam engines. The cut-off to which 
this improvement is applicable, is one that is 
well known, consisting of two plates working 
on the back of the slide valve. Its nature 
consists in furnishing the cut-off plates with 
two inclined planes, one for each plate—facing 
each other, and in placing between these, two 
inclined planes and an adjustable stop-bar with 
which the inclined planes come in contact, to 
arrest the cut-off plates in their movements 
with the slide valve, thus cutting off the steam 
at some point, in the first half of each stroke of 
the engine. 
The stop-bar will arrest the motion of the 
cut-off plates, and cut off the steam sooner or 
later according as it is nearer or farther from 
the valve, and hence by properly adjusting it, 
the steam may be cut off at any desired point 
under half stroke. By attaching it to a “ gov¬ 
ernor,” it may be ma le to act upon the plates, 
so as to govern the engine by the cut-off.— 
Sci. Jlmer. 
^ Paper from AVood. —At the last sitting of 
the Societe d’Encouragement pour l’lndustrie 
Rationale, of Paris, a paper was read setting 
forth a plan for making paper from wood.— 
The bark is first taken off the wood, and the 
wood cut in such a way as to be easily made 
into shavings; the shavings are then cut very 
thin: next they are placed in water for six or 
eight days, then dried; afterwards they are re¬ 
duced to the finest powder possible by means 
of a corn mill. This powder is then mixed 
with the rags which serve to prepare the pulp 
of paper, and the ordinary operation of paper¬ 
making is proceeded to. All white woods, 
such as the poplar, the lime, and the willow, 
are suitable for the purpose, but the discoverer 
ascribes a good deal of his success to the qual¬ 
ity of the water he employed, that of the little 
river Dollar, which runs near the Mulhouse. 
For the first experiment he employed the wood 
of the trembling poplar, aud he presented 
specimens of paper from it. 
Chloroform Counteracted. —Dr. Robert 
de Lambeile, a distinguished physician of Pa¬ 
ris, announces that a shock of electricity, given 
to a patient dying from the effects of'chloro¬ 
form, immediately counteracts its influence, 
and returns the sufferer to life. 
A Rich Ginger Cake. —Two cups of molas¬ 
ses, one cup of butter, two cups of flour, a 
few currants, a large table-spoonful of ginger, 
one tea-spoonful of saleratus. Bake half an 
hour. M . o. 
Cement to Resist Fire and AVater. —Half 
a pint of new milk, and half a pint of good vin¬ 
egar. Stir them together until the milk coagu¬ 
lates; remove the curd, and mix with the whey 
the whites of five eggs well beaten up; when 
those are well mixed, add sifted quick-lime, un¬ 
til the whole is about as thick as putty. If 
this mixture be carefully applied, and properly 
dried, it will firmly join what is broken, or fill 
up cracks of any kind, and will resist fire and 
water. 
Scotch Cake. —Stir to cream a pound of 
sugar and three-quarters of a pound of butter 
—put iu the juice aud grated rind of a lemon, 
and a wine-glass of brandy. Separate the 
whites and yolks of nine eggs, beat them to a 
froth, and stir them into the cake—then add a 
pound of sifted flour, and just before it is put 
in the cake pans, a pound of seeded raisins. 
Fruit Creams. —Take half an ounce of 
isinglass, dissolved in a little water, then put 
one pint of good cream, sweetened to the taste; 
boil it; when nearly cold, lay some apricot or 
raspberry jam on the bottom of a glass dish, 
and pour it over. This is most excellent 
Cheese Pudding. —To make a cheese pud¬ 
ding, grate half a pound of cheese, and add to 
it. two ounces of batter, and four beaten eggs. 
Butter a dish, put the mixture in, and bake it 
twenty minutes. 
Glasses may be washed either in warm or 
cold w ater, but either should be quite clean; 
they dry more easily from the w T arm, but have 
rather better polish if well dried from cold 
water. 
