picked a month since. We have now oil our vines l»a- 
hello* completely ripe, ami they are 80 good as to snr- ^ 
pride »ome who have grown thin variety for twenty year*. 
We ore apt to pick all our winter fruit too early. Vuriu- 
ties that hang on the tree well, should he allowed to 
remain as long a* possible. Alight frost will not injure* 7/»/ 
them. A specimen, acci'lentally left on the tree until & f 
November, will he found much better flavored than those TVjy 
gathered at the time of picking. Tbia we have observed 
many times. _ 
Ths fUicussTuK NouaxRiKs.—If there Is anything of 
which Rochester has a right to boast, it is the beautiful 
and fertile country in which it ie situated, and Its apien- ^ 
did nurseries which have attained a world-wide fame. 
New York city is acknowledged to bo the head and con- t l ,nr l 
ter of the commerce of the country, amt Rochester, we 9el1 ' 
think, may claim to be the center of the nursery trade. Ink'! 
W« have not the statiatice by which we can show the creai 
extent of this business, or the capital employed, but we n lift 
know enough to warrant ua in saying that thousands of j] le ( 
acres are now covered with nursery trees, at least a m j]] { 
thousand men are kept in constant employment, and the 
amount of capital employed id very great. We have 
observed the rise and progress of the business to its Sofil 
present position. Some twenty years ago wa saw the of n 
first tree planted in the grounds of Kllwanokk & BARRY, gaol 
who have now, at least, one ol the largest and best con- a , 
ducted nnrseries in the world. Twelve year* since, 
Fuobt & Co. commenced the general nnrsory business 
in a small way. Now they have three hundred and J " 
tifty acres devoted entirely to tho cultivation of trees l“ er 
and plants, and keep in steady employment two hundred you 
Their specimen grounds con- N. 1 
at what trifling expense these pamphlets muy he 
obtained—by merely writing to the nurseryman, 
stating what you want, sending your address, and 
inclosing a postage stamp for each volume—it is 
a wonder how any one can feel able to do wilhont 
the pleasant and valuable information they con¬ 
tain. 
Having concluded what yon want in the way of 
fruits and llowcrs, or determined to let the nur 
deal with decide for you, if you can 
early as April and Slay, on fences, in board-yards, 
buildings and pine trees, accreted during the 
winter under the bark and crevicta. The only 
remedy I know is that suggested by Mr. Harris, 
which is to stick newly-cut branches of pine 
trees iu the ground, iu an open place, during the 
season when the insects are about to lay their 
egg*. In a few hours these branches will be 
covered with them, when they may be shaken 
into a cloth and burned. 
The little grub is white, glossy, plump, aud 
curved into an arch; its body is soft, and broad¬ 
est anteriorly, as shown enlarged. The family of 
Curculionida, or snouted beetles, the weevil tribe, 
is very extensive. Mr. Stephens describes 400 
species, now embraced in a number of genera, 
“too numerous t<> mention.” The above must 
suffice for the present. I will add, however, that 
this is not the Pine Weevil, Curculio (llylobias) 
Ahieiis, which Dr. Ratzeburg, in bis Entomolo¬ 
gical communication in the Transactions of the 
Imperial Leopold and Caroline Academy of Sci¬ 
ences, vol. xvii, 1st division, pp. 429, has so fully 
seryman ynn 
not go and bring away your purchases yourself, 
there is no better way than to make out a list 
stating as nearly as possible your choice of trees, 
plants, shrubs, Ac., estimate the cost of the whole, 
inclose the list and the cash in a lrdter to the 
proprietor of the nursery, telling him what dis¬ 
cretionary power he may exercise in filling your 
order, what he may add to your list in case there 
is an overplus of money, what strike off should 
there be a lack, and sending your address and 
directions as to the mode of transportation of 
your package. By return mail you will get a let¬ 
ter acknowledging the receipt of the money and 
containing a promise to fill your order as soon as 
suitable and convenient. Iu due time, with per¬ 
haps lesa liability to destruction or accident than 
the Btovo you order sent by canal or railroad from 
the hardware store, or the chairs from the cabinet, 
shop, you receive your purchases, at small expense 
for freight, and bo skillfully and securely packed 
that it is a real pleasure to undo and take them 
out of their envelop of moss, straw, and twine. If, 
on examination, tho articles prove more nume¬ 
rous, and, of course, cheaper, than was expected, 
you may bo as agreeably surprised os was tho 
writer at finding several of the items of a bill 
accompanying a package of nurseryman's goods 
set down at prices considerably reduced from 
those named in tho catalogue, (whether a new or 
an old oue T cannot say,) furnished by an agent 
but a short time before. a. 
South Livonia, N. Y,, 1860. 
ALL ABOUT SODA BISCUIT, 
PICKING AND BARRELING APPLES. 
men and tweuty horses, 
tain over 1,200 trees, 20 varieties of hardy grape* iu 
bearing, CO varieties of strawberries, Ac, Some notion 
of the extent of the business of this firm may bo gather¬ 
ed from the fact that they use over 300,000 lent of lumber 
every year iu making boxes for packing trues and plants. 
Their houses urn convenient and iu good order, and con¬ 
tain over 11,000 feet of glass. Messrs. Frost it Co. de¬ 
serve, and wii are glad they have achieved success. Wo 
have several other exteutlve nurseries of which we may 
speak at some other time. 
It may be asked why Rochester has thus hncorae so 
largely engaged In this busineie, and so justly celebrated 
To this We reply that tho soil aud climate of Rochester 
are peculiarly adapted to the production of healthy, vigor¬ 
ous true and plant*. Thu men, too, who have been 
engaged In the nursery business here, with very few 
exceptions, have been men of the strictest honor, and at 
the same time careful, energetic, and enterprising. AH 
them! requisite* are necessary to the successful nursery¬ 
man. Although In an extended business, mistaken umy 
and will occur, yet we believe our Leading nurserymen 
would at any time rather destroy n hundred tree* than 
seud out one with a wrong name. 
two tenspoonfuls cream tartar, in the flour; water 
or milk enough to mix, with one teaspoonful soda 
dissolved in it.—Mrs. C. J. Horne, Jr., Carrollton 
Station, IV. K, I860. 
Having noticed an inquiry In your paper for a 
recipe for making Soda Biscuit, I thought I would 
send mine, which I think very good. Two quarts 
of flour; butter, size of two eggs; two teacups of 
sweet milk; two teaspoons of soda, dissolved in 
the milk, and four teaspoons of cream of tartar, 
rubbed well iu the flour, with the butter. Use a 
little salt if you take lard instead of butter.—A b- 
bib, Avon , JV. y., 18G0. 
BUNNS, CRULLERS, BRECKENRIDGE CAKE. 
Ena. Rural New-Yorker: —I see it is custom¬ 
ary for ladies to give recipes through the columns 
of your excellent paper. 1 thought that I would 
do a little in that way too, in case you deem the 
following recipes worthy of a place in that de¬ 
partment of the paper. I have tried them, and I 
kuow them to be good: 
Bunns.-— Four eggs; 1 pound of sugar; | a lb. 
Of butter; 4 cup of sour cream; 1 tablespoon of 
soda; 1 lbs. of flour. 
Crullers. —Eight eggs; 1 pound of sugar; G 
ounces of butter; 2 gills of thick cream; cinna¬ 
mon, and sufficient flour to make it stiff enough 
to roll out,—boil in lard, like doughnuts. 
Bkkckknriook Cake. — One pound of butter, 
beat it with your hand iu .1 warm pan till it comes 
to a line cream; put in one pound of powdered 
loaf sugar,—heat together to a nice cream. Pre¬ 
viously, have 000 pound and a quarter of flour 
sifted; putin a little, aud give it a stir; putin 
four eggs, and beat well; then take a little more 
flour, and four more eggs, as before, and bout well 
again; then stir in the remainder of the flour. If 
baked in small tins, they should be buttered; if 
in large tins, paper them; sugar over the top, 
and bake them in a moderate heat. 
Mrs. Lydia B. McCldre. 
.Scotland, Franklin Co., Ta., I860, 
DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS 
PINE WEEVIL. 
Dear Rural: —In reply to your correspondent 
L. A. Griswold, Esq., who has sent, a portion of 
an infested twig, in the channel of which I found 
a matured insect, I send you a few remarks. He 
writes that a vigorous Norway spruce in his 
yard, some four years old, growing luxuriously, 
began to droop, and the leaves and side stalkB 
gradually died away. On the 9th of August he 
cut off the last season’s growth, as that was all 
that appeared affected, fiuding an insect under 
the bark, which he also inclosed. Fig*. 1 and 2 
are a drawing taken of this insect Fig. 3, the 
portion of the twig cut off, split open, in the 
channel of which I found the same matured in¬ 
sect lodged. Fig. 2 is the grub or larva. 
DIAPREE ROUGE PLUM, 
A» intimated last week, we continue our de¬ 
scription of Plums, and present our readers with 
an engraving of ono of the best and most beauti¬ 
ful of the dark varieties, Diapree Rouge or Red 
Diaper. The fruit is large, of beautiful form, us 
swelled almost to bursting. When arrived in the ] 
immediate vicinity of the plant lice, they greed¬ 
ily wipe up she sweet fluid which has distilled 
from them, and, when this fails, they station 
themselves among the lice, and catch the drops 
as they fall. The lice do not seem the least an¬ 
noyed by the ants, but live on the best possible 
terms with them; and, on tho other hand, the 
ants, though unsparing of other insects weaker 
than themselves, upon which they frequently 
prey, treat the plant lice with the utmost gentle- 
uess, caressing them with their antenna*, and 
apparently inviting them to give out the fluid by 
patting their sides. Nor are the lice inattentive 
to these solicitations, when in a state to gratify 
the ants, for whose Bake they not only Beem to 
shorten the periods of the discharge, but actually 
yield the fluid when thus pressed. A single 
louse has been known to give it drop by drop 
successively to a number of antH that were wait¬ 
ing anxiously to receive it. When the plant lice 
cast their Bkins, the ants instantly remove the 
latter, nor will they allow any dirt or rubbish to 
remain upon or about them. They even protect 
them from their enemies, and run about them iu 
the hot sunshine to drive away the little ichneu¬ 
mon flies that are forever hovering near to de¬ 
posit their eggs in the bodies of the lice.’ 
Several pages might be filled with the history 
given of this insect. I have discovered much 
that accords with these accounts, and much that 
I consider new, having quite a collection of 
various species and genera of this family, and 
paid considerable attention to their history, I 
maj at some other time cuter into a more com¬ 
plete history of them. 
Persons sending insects of such Binall size, 
ought to inclose them iu a quill, as they are 
usually dry, bruised and mangled when folded lu 
paper, and get smashed with the posHnaster’s 
stamp, or by close packing. J. Stauffer. 
This gives confidence 
to all who ileal with them, and a steadily increasing 
business I* thu result. 
Ghskseb Vallkv Horticultural society— Autumn 
Snow.—This Society holds its last exhibition for the 
season at Corinthian Hall, Rochester, on Tuesday, the 
13th inst. The leading feature of this exhibition will 
be pot plants, principally chrysanthemums, we presume. 
There will also ho a show of apples and other late autumn 
and winter fruits. 
Inquiries anb ^.nstnevs 
Having met with the same villain before, and 
become acquainted with him from the descrip¬ 
tion given by Dr. Harris, I can ussuro friend 
Griswold that it is what is called the White 
Pine Weevil, Rkynchcenut (Pisaodes ) Strobi of 
Prof. Peck, the P'usodes nemorensu of Gekmak, 
first described and figured by the professor in 
the fourth volume of the “ Massachusetts Agri¬ 
cultural Repository and Journal.” I may as well 
copy, as did Prof. Harris, since his description 
is bo correctly given that I cannot improve upon 
it He says:—“The lofty Btature of the white 
pine, and the straightness of its trunk, depend 
upon the constant health of Us leadiug shoot for 
a long succession of years: and if this shoot be 
destroyed, the tree becomes stunted and deformed 
in its subsequent growth. This accident iB not 
uncommon, anil iB caused by the ravages of the 
White Pino Weevil.” I may add, that this de¬ 
stroys the value of the pineB for ship musts, for 
which they are usually employed. He continues: 
“This beetle is oblong oval, lather slender, of a 
brownish color, thickly punctured, aud variega¬ 
ted with small brown, rust-colored, and whitish 
scales. There are two white dots on the thorax; 
the scutel is white; and on the wing-covers, 
which are punctured in rows, there is a whitish 
transverse band behind the middle. [They are 
covered with minote oblong scales of various 
colors, similar to those on the wings of the but¬ 
terflies, which produce the mottled appearance 
in their coats or coverings.] The snout iB longer 
than the thorax, slender, [I Bhould say rather 
stout,] and a very little inclined. The length of 
the insect, exclusive of its snout, varies from 
one-fifth to three-tenths of an inch. Its eggs are 
deposited on the leading shoots. The larva:, 
hatched therefrom, bore into the shoota, and 
probably remain in the wood more than one 
year.’’ Mr. Fitch feels confident that eggs de¬ 
posited in the spring become matured beetles by 
This beetle waB 
reporters. That iu the Rural Is corrected from our own 
notes, and in some cases written out entire from them, 
and Is tho most correct. Still, we have observed some 
Blight errors. __ 
Savixo Ten-Weeks Stock Seeds.—P lease Inform me, 
through thu columns of our highly prized Rural, how 
I can save sued of the Ten Weeks Stock, so 8s to have it 
double next year: My plants stand alternately, a.double 
and single ono, the tranche* of some intermingling. 
The double ones were beautiful flowers, and well repaid 
all the care bestowed on them, but#* I suppose is always 
tho case, have fallen off without producing seed. I saw 
a suggoslion (I thiuk In an old unmber of the RuiiaL,) to 
save only those flower* which contained flvo petals, but l 
citnoot hud any soyJi on my blunt*. 1 Via therefore in a 
dilemma, and, like many other*, flee to the Rural for 
information. By answering which, you will confer a 
favor nn a lover of flowers.— Eliza I), Knowles, Lolls 
Creek, law a, I860. 
The single Tun-Weeks Stock has bat fonr petal*. A 
perfectly double flower never produces seed. Seed from 
your single plant*, arranged a* they are, will give a 
good proportion of doutde flowers next season. 
Plants and GRavts,—I am somewhat in term ted in 
tilling the soil, and am going to remove to Western 
Pennsylvania, In March next. 1 want to take along some 
choice apple grafts, raspberry roots, and strawberry plants, 
and 1 do not know when to cut tUe grafts or dig the 
roots, neither do I snow what to do with them, or rather 
how to keep them till that time. Will you, or some one 
of your many Teaders. please tell ine when to cut the 
grafts, and dig the root* aud plant*, and how to manage 
them till March, or till time to set them?— AHuiihCuilkr, 
Bhown in the engraving, and of a bright reddish 
purple color, with a few golden specks, and a 
light blue bloom easily rubbed off. Stalk tbree- 
fouitbs of an inch long, slender, hairy, slightly 
iuserted. Flesh pale green, Juicy, very melting, 
rich, and delicious; separating from the stone, 
which is quite small. Last of August. 
It seems to us this will prove oue of the best 
dark plums that can be grown for market. We 
have observed it several years, and have before 
called attention to its good qualities in the 
Rural. 
APPLE PICKLES AND HOP YEAST, 
EVERY MAN HIS OWN NURSERY AGENT, 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker :—Having received 
much benefit from the domestic department of 
your valuable paper, I desire to contribute some 
recipes of my own. 
Apple Pickles. —In answer to “E. E. A. M., 
Sena, O,/’ I will give a recipe which I have tried 
for several years and found good. For 1G lbs. of 
apples; 4 tbs. of sugar; l pint of vinegar; 4 pint 
of water; l oz. cloves; 1 oz. spice; 2 ozb. cinna¬ 
mon. Boil the apples until soft, and when they 
all have been thus boiled, proceed with the in¬ 
gredients as with auy sauce. When boiled enough^ 
pour over the apples, close the jar, and iu a week 
they will be delicious. 
Hot* Yeast.—W ill some one give a recipe for 
hop yeast?—I da, Saquoit, N. K, 18C0. 
As the time for fall planting is now near at 
hand, to those who are unable to visit, the nursery 
in person for the purpose of purchasing such 
trees, Bhrub 3 , plants, bulbs, Ac., as they wish to 
set, and those who are waiting for an agent to 
call and take their orders, I would suggest what 
seems to me quite aa good a way as either of the 
above for the procurement of horticultural wares. 
It is no new discovery; bat doubtless there are 
many to whom it has never occurred; and, of 
horticultural Jtfoteo, 
EHUTTS RECEIVED. 
Northern Spy Apples —From J. L. Kbnnbl, Chili, 
vary laTge Northern Spy Apples. No variety has borno 
better than the Spy the present season. Almost every 
tree we have noticed has been loaded dowu with fruity 
like a Baldwin, The specimens, too, are unusually high 
colored. No apple, to onr taste, equals a high-colored, 
medium-sized Northern Spy. We have a tree that gave 
its first crop of fifteen bushels the present season, arter 
being twelve years planted. It ia rather trying to the 
patience to wait 90 long hefore seeing a single fruit, but 
suppose it had given half * dozen specimens two years 
after being planted, and increased gradually every year, 
until the present time. It is doubtful whether we would, 
in all, have obtained our Utteen bushels, while the growth 
of the tree would have been much less inconsequence of 
the too early production of fruit. Now we have a full- 
grown, mature tree, as all the nutriment the roots were 
capable of furnishing the tree, has been used in the pro¬ 
duction of wood. 
An English Apple —John Roberts, of Cobourg, C. 
W., sends us a box of golden-yellow apples, of medium 
size, oblong, smooth, glossy skin, with a faint blush on the 
*unny side, and altogether a very beautiful apple. The 
flesh ia tender, but the specimens were altogether too 
ripe to judge of quality Mr. It. aajs:—■“ Eight or nine 
years ago I got the scion from St, Ewe, Cornwall, Eng¬ 
land. It originated in a garden belonging to a woman by 
the name of Polly Whitxkak, by whom it was named. 
I have named it the Emigrant. It is a great bearer, giving 
a crop every year. What do you think of the name that I 
have given it:” 
If it has been named in England, you should retain 
To give a new name, would create 
COOKING CARROTS, CARROT PIE. 
How to Cook Carrots. —As many in the West, 
at least, do not appreciate the value of the carrot 
as an article of diet, I will give our plan of cook¬ 
ing it, should the editor of the Rural think best 
to insert it. Cut in rims, rather fine, and stew in 
juBt water enough to cook tender; if any remains 
when soft, or nearly so, uncover and let it dry out. 
When quite tender, season with salt, pepper, and 
a small piece of batter; add a teacupful, — or 
more, according to quantity, — of nice, sweet 
cream; let it boil up, and send to the table. 
Carrot Pie. — Cook as above, omitting the 
pepperand reserving the cream; when tender and 
quite dry, mash, sift, and treat the samo as for 
pumpkin pies.—E. K., Lott '3 Creek, Iowa, 18G0. 
Changing tux Color op tits Dahlia —Can a yellow 
dahlia, or any other color, be variegated by sewing sad¬ 
dlers silk through the root.-,- For instance, to sew red 
silk thrnugh the loots of a yellow or straw-colored 
dahlia root, will the r*blU become yellow aud red, or 
straw-color and red: It you think not, will norno of your 
many subscribers answer my question through the col¬ 
umns of the RURAL?—CitARUK E. AUSTIN, A«rtray, 
Herkimer Co., /V, K, 1800. 
No such effect will be produced by auy operation of 
the kind_. 
BukStixg or ' 1 ;:* BARK —I wish to inquire, through 
the Rural, the reason why young apple trees split their 
bark? I have trees set out. on.- year ago. Some have 
grown well and some not at all. L find them all affected 
alike. Tho bark bursts about six inches above the sur¬ 
face of the ground, and four to six ln«be* in length, 
causing them to bleed very much, and leaving tl.e bark 
completely saturated down to the surface of the soil. 
The iuice U of a thick guiumy nature. A neighbor told 
me that he had lost many or his best trees from this 
cau‘«, bat did not know any remedy. I have consulted 
Col*, Barky, and other works in my possession, hat hod 
nothing touching the matter in question. Any informa¬ 
tion leading to can*e or cure, will be thankfully received. 
_ — - .. - J n_a **1.. /i 1 // 1 
the following spring, or earlier, 
matured between August and October, as the 
one found In the channel (dead, but fully devel 
oped) proves, as well as those found escaped 
from the channels. If those were hatched from 
eggs deposited in the spring, then the time of 
maturity is shorter; if, however, from eggs laid 
the spring previous, then Mr. Harris is correct 
I am in doubt as to the facts of the case. 
IIarris says further:—“When the feeding state 
[BFKOIAL XOT1CK.] 
Bread is likely to be plenty this year. But its quality 
much depends upon the way it ia made. Those who pre¬ 
fer bread perfectly light and vweet, must recollect that 
Dk Land & Co.’s Chemical SeLratus i* indispensable iu 
it* manufacture. It can be procured from any good grocer 
or storekeeper. It costs you no more than an inferior 
article, and makes iuliniteiy better bread, cake, pastry, 
A.C., than the common Sale rat uh. Sold at wholesale by 
the principal grocers, and by the manufacturers, D. B. 
Ds Land & Co., Fairport, Monroe Co., N. Y. 
the original name 
confusion. 
Catawba Grates.— We are indebted to E. S. Hay- 
war*. of Brighton, N. Y., for sore rat bunches of ripe 
Catawba grapes. We seldom see Catiwbas so well ripen¬ 
ed in this section, aud as usually picked and sold in onr 
market, they are entirely unfit for eating. As a general 
thing, persona in this section pick their grapes as soon as 
they color, especially if there is prospect of frost. Nine- 
tenths of the grapes grown here, we presume, were 
has tried a cold-house for the grape, with Hoar’s method 
for the border, (that is, charcoal, bricks, mortar, and 
bones, exclmively inclosed in brick.) and with what 
success? Was the border out «r iuxile of the house? 
Divided for each vine or not? Also. from one who Jia* 
tried Bright's new method? Doea either of the mstb**!-, 
trive finer grapes than the more general one by Allan 
and others; and will it pay for the additional expense lor 
a cold-house?— Amateur, Walpole, Oct., I860. 
/ 
