fruit GROWERS' SOCIETY OF WESTERN NEW YORK. ’ 
TENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 
[Continued from page 55, last number.] 
KEEPING FEARS. 
The second topic reported by the Committee 
on programme was taken up. 
How should pears be pul up for winter use in order to 
perfect their ripening, and at the same time preserve 
their freshness and fine flavor? Also, does (lie sur¬ 
rounding moisture of the atmosphere exercise any 
influence lo ha-den or protract the maturity of the 
pear, us well as other fruits, according to the appli¬ 
cation of heat or cold? 
H. E. nooKBft—Weput up our pears in close 
packages; prefer half barrels, Keep them in a 
cool, dry place until December, usually, or until 
there is no danger of freezing. Then we put 
them in the cellar as we tlo winter apples, and 
eat each variety, as it ripens, in its season. We 
think It. best to cat them as we tube them from 
the cellar. I would recommend the same mode 
for keeping apples. Too much heat will hasten 
maturity; too little will retard it. Too much 
moisture will cause fruit to mildew and decay; 
too little will cause it to shrivel. Care should 
always be taken that fruit is not kept where 
there is an excess of moisture. 
G. Ellwanger— I agree in the main with 
what Mr. Hooker has said. But I wish to call 
attention to the importance of letting the fruit 
(pears) hang on the tree as late as they will in 
the fall —as late as the 8th of October here. 
They keep better find they arc better. 
We pack our pears in half barrels, put, them 
in a cool place under shelter — in the barn or 
under the shed—until the heavy trosts. Then 
we cover them over to prevent their freezing, 
and let them remain until the cold is too great, 
when wc put them in the cellar — not in the 
house cellar, however, but in a barn cellar 
where they may be kept cool and in a dry 
atmosphere. In this way we keep them in 
excellent condition. The day before Christmas 
we had the Winter Nelis—two barrels of them 
—in excellent condition. If we have but a few, 
we put them in whitewood boxes instead of 
barrels. We tlo not put them in pine boxes. 
The wood flavors the fruit; whitewood is 
better. 
Olmstead— r put Easter Beurre pears in a 
grape room, and they shriveled badly. The 
grapes kept well, but the pears did not. The 
grape room was a chamber in my house. 
G. Ellwanger —It was probably too dry for 
them. They require air. 
II. T. Brooks —I wish to call attention to the 
statement that fi uit should be kept out of doors 
until on the point of freezing and then put in a - 
warmer atmosphere, and ask if, in such cases, 
it \\ ill not sweat and decay ? 
G. Eu.w.txGF.R—It is sometimes the case 
that they will sweat after having been in the 
cellar sometime. But we make it a business to 
look after them and take care of them. 
NEW VARIETIES OF TEARS. 
Which arc the most promising of the new and the 
very new sorts of pear. 
On as. Downing — 1 have not tested them 
all sufficiently to name many as promising even, 
which may prove meritorious. I do uot thiuk 
any body has tested the very new sorts suffi¬ 
ciently to give an opinion concerning them. I 
will read a list of the new sorts which promise 
well. Doyenne du Comice, Durandean or Do 
Tongres, l.ycurgus, Wilmington. Dana's Ilovey, 
Jones’ Seedling, Beurre de Jouglic, Beurre 
Kemies Beurre Muuxion, Comte de Paris, 
Omar Pacha or St. Merrion, St. Dorothee, 
Penn, Clapp’s Favorite, Auguste de Maraise, 
Butter. 
G. Ellwanger —I will name the Edmonds 
as a promising variety, originating in thisvlciu- 
ity. Belle Williams, for a winter pear, is very 
promising indeed. 1 want to try it longer. I 
have only tested the J'ndt of Clapp’s Favorite. 
W. B. Smith—I think highly, so far as 1 have 
tested it, of Duchess Bordeaux. (?) 
H. E. Hooker— Will not Mr. Eli. w anger 
tell us more about the Edmonds, which he says 
is promising. 
(3. Ellwanger —It is a large pear, hardy 
and productive, so far as tested. I think it will 
prove a valuable market variety. It promises 
Well, at least. 
J. J. Thomas—I wish to ask if any one has 
heard of the St. Crispin, it was sent me from 
Massachusetts—a single specimen of the fruit. 
It was twice as large as any pear here. Its size 
prevented me forming a favorable impression 
of it. I ripened it, and to my surprise, 1 found 
it nearly or quite as good as the Virgaliou. But 
it was only a single specimen, and it is not safe 
to say much about it. Others may have seen it. 
H. E. Hooker— Tongres is exciting much 
attention East. I have produced beautiful 
specimens of it. I cannot say as much of its 
quality as some do. But 1 think its beauty will 
render it a striking market pear. It ripens in 
November. The tree is a very Indifferent 
grower—not strong, but did not seem to lack 
hardhiood. 
II. B. Smith—I have grown it several years. 
I lie fruit does not suit my taste. It has a vinous 
flavor. It is a productive tree, but not strong, 
healthy and vigorous, i like the Flemish 
Beauty better. 
Cu as. Downing—T he tree is a vigorous 
grower with mo, and produces excellent crops. 
best varieties ok tears for family use. 
Which arc the best fourteen varieties of pours for fam 
lly use? 
It was decided to discuss varieties, and sub¬ 
sequently each member should vote by handing 
to the Secretary a list of 14 varieties which he 
would reeomraend. 
Doi/enne de Ete— Chas. Downing—I t is the 
best early pear we have. 
Olmstead—I think veryhighly of it, indeed. 
Dr. Sylvester—I t bears early. It is a good 
fruit for an early pear. It is productive. I 
grew 12 fine specimens on a tree only 3 years old 
from the bud. 
F. W. Lay—I got. this fruit 12 years ago. It 
commenced bearing the second or third year 
afterward, and has borne well since. 
Frost—I t is a good grower, and a hardy 
tree. It produces well, and the fruit is of fine 
quality. 
Maxwell, of Geneva—It is a good pear 
with us. 
Beurre Giffurd — Olmstead — I name this 
pear as next In the order of ripening. 
G. EllwangeP.—I t is one of the very best 
early pears. It is in season 10 or 12 days after 
Doyenne de Ete. There is no finer pear at that 
season of the year. 
Maxwell—F ourteen years ago I got trees of 
it of Eliavanger & Barry. After two or 
three years it commenced bearing, and has 
borne every year since. Picked early it is a 
very fine pear. 
J. J. Thomas—I t is the best pear in its sea¬ 
son, preceding as it does the Tyson and Rostie- 
zer. The tree is crooked and a poor grower, 
but the fruit is excellent. It does not rot with 
me. 
H. B. Smith—T here is nothing will fill the 
place of this pear. 
Frost—I t is an excellent pear. 
Auftman’s Summer —Dr. Sylvester —I 
recommend this as next in succession. 
F. W. Lay—T he tree is a good grower with 
me, but a poor bearer. 
Fisher—I t is a productive tree, and bears 
well; but the fruit is not of the highest flavor. 
Dr. Beadle, St. Catherines, C. W.—I have 
not found any better pear in its season. 
G. Eliavanger —Those who like a sweet 
pear will like it. For my palate it is too insipid. 
Dearborn's Seedling— Olmstead— It is an 
inferior pear with me. I think little of it. 
Eliavanger—I t dhappoints one when young; 
it did me. As the tree gets age it matures and 
develops its fruit better. 
Dr, Beadle — Compared with Aultman’s 
Summer it is insipid; but it does not come in 
season until the former is gone. ’With us it is 
sometime in season, ripening irregularly. On 
standard trees it is not as good as on dwarfs. 
Downing—I t is equally as good with me 
young as when old; it is good at any time. I 
regard it an excellent early pear. 
H. B. Smith—W ith us it is second quality. 
J. J. Thomas—I find that it varies much in 
quality in different localities. 
Fish—T hree years ago ours were poor. Last 
year they were a third larger, and I though! 
them very tine. I picked off all the good fail- 
pears, leaving on the tree the small and imper¬ 
fect ones. Three weeks later I found those left 
on the trees bad developed into very fine fruit. 
Rositiezcr —Downing—T his is the best pear 
of its season. 
Hook kk—I t should not bo planted for market 
purposes. It is an excellent fruit. 
Downing—I predict, when known, it will be. 
one of the very best market pears of the season. 
J. J. Thomas—I t is. in its relation to other 
summer pears, what the Seekei is to autumn 
pears. 
T[/son —Hooker—I recommend it as next in 
the list. 
Downing—I t is tardy in hearing, and the 
fruit gets better as the tree gets older. 
Dr. Sy'lvkster—A fter it comes in bearing 
the tree bears every year. 
J. J. Thomas —I have trees which have 
borne many years. The fruit is always of fair 
size and good. It is a beautiful tree and a good 
grower. 
Smith—T he tree is hardy with me and a good 
grower; fruit excellent and showy. I saw a 
tree near Philadelphia which measured, breast 
high, six feet and nine inches in circumference, 
and bearing bountifully. 
AINSWORTH—1 have been acquainted with 
this pear 18 years. The tree is a remarkable 
grower, and peVfeutly hardy. The fruit is lust 
quality; few varieties excel it. I have a tree, 
budded 14 years ago; planted in the orchard 12 
years. During the past three years it has 
averaged a barrel of good fruit each year. And 
it bore heavily previous to that. It bears the 
third or fourth year after transplanting: The 
sixth or eighth year it hears good crops. The 
ninth and tenth years it bears heavily. It is 
one of the best fruits in its season. It ripens 
the 25th of August, am] is in season two or 
three weeks. It is from two to three times as 
large as the Seekei. 1 sent, a barrel of them to 
New York the past season; it netted me ?S per 
barrel. It never lifts blighted with me. My 
trees are on pear stocks. 1 have never grown 
it to any extent on quince. On the quince the 
fruit is coarser and larger than ou pear stocks. 
■— - — - 
“THE WILLOW SWAMPS,” AROUND. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: In your issue 
of Jan. 8th, I8G4, is an article entitled ‘‘The 
Willow Swamps,’’ which somewhat excited our 
cautiousness in this section of country. We 
have been lately visited by a couple of youngraen, 
who said they belonged iu Lake county, Ohio, 
and who have received a good many orders for 
the White Willow. They often called it the 
“Grey, or English Willow,” but said it was the 
real “White Willow —Salix Alio and they 
made us all believe it, and wo know not to the 
contrary yet. Now we cannot say that those 
fellows have deceived us, or mean to do so. But 
C. D. Il.’s description of the amount of business 
going on in all the old willow swamps in the 
country, prompts us to look into the matiei 
enough to see that we do not’get such worthless 
stuff palmed on to us for the genuine article. 
While we would not reflect upon the honesty , 
and gentlemanly appearance of those men soli 
citing orders with considerable success for tbi.- f 
new commodity here, we must confess that C. D. 
B. described them much better than we could 
ourselves — for they bad smooth tongues and , 
middling soft voices, with quite an innocent 
appearance; and they carried a block sawed otl 
from a stick crosswise with the grain, showing | 
the growth of a tree to be six Inches in diame- , 
ter in three years. They also had a miniature 
hedge, on paper, and a photograph sketch of a , 
hedge grown in Lake county, where they reside, 
showing an enormous growth and a splendid 
fence within four years time of its being set. ( 
These undoubtedly materially aided them in 
getting orders from many. But some of us were 
influenced more by an article in the January 
number of the American Agriculturist, entitled 
“ More Notes on the White "Willow,” and the 
illustrated fence accompanying it. The slant 
that C. D. B. gave the Agriculturist editors, 
made some of us stare; for w r e think much of 
the information received from it, as well as from 
the Rural. But if either of them leads us into 
an error and we thereby get fleeced out of ten 
or twelve dollars each, we shall be apt to feel as 
if they were of little advantage. 
Now, if you, or C. D. B., will inform us of 
any peculiarity of the real White Willow. 
through the columns of the Rural, beside 
what is given in the January number of the 
Agriculturist, that we may certainly know the 
genuine, you will confer a great favor to many 
Rural readers in this section of Michigan. 
Hauover, Mich., Feb. '.Hli, i6tH. B. 
Remarks.— In the outset, we would like to 
inquire of any of our Lake Co., Ohio, readers, 
if they know of a white willow hedge In that , 
count y that has made or will make a fence within 
four years from planting? If so, will tbey give us 
the name and post-ofliee address of the party 
owning it, that we may publish it for the bene¬ 
fit of our readers? We have seen a good many 
of these blocks showing the remarkable growth 
of this willow'. And we have learned some 
facts concerning them, incidentally, accidentally 
and otherwise. These sections are cut from 
trees standing in isolated locations, favorable to 
the greatest development of the willow—on low, 
wet, and very rich soil. -Some of these sections 
exhibited are doubtless of the age represented 
by the agent; but some agents carry “childreu 
of older growth.” Of course these may be 
pretty easily detected; but all men are not care¬ 
ful observers. At a horticultural meeting where 
this willow' was being discussed, an honest man, 
not having the fear of Willow peddlers before 
his eyes, said he had been offered fifteen dollars 
for a little willow tree he had growing in a 
favorable locality. The peddlers wanted it to 
open the dear people’s eyes with 1 
No description can be given by which white 
willow cuttings can be distinguished from seve¬ 
ral other willows. Good botanists find it very 
difficult to identify it without the foliage. The 
only way to secure yourself from deception, is 
to require a satisfactory guarantee or bond from 
a responsible party that these itinerants are not 
procuring money from yon by false pretences. 
And if the peddler cannot or will not rive such 
i guarantee or bond, you should set him down 
w an adventurer whom it is uot safe to trust. 
The fact is, this class of leeches take money 
enough out of the pockets of credulous farmers, 
annually, to pay the interest on the national 
debt. And it Is astonishing that any paper 
claiming respectability and intelligence should 
lend Itself to these men with, or without, the 
purpose of aiding and abetting them in their 
schemes for plunder. 
THE CACTUS IN CALIFORNIA. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— To those of 
your lady readers who have a penchant for cul¬ 
tivating the prickly pear, and such like species 
of the cactus family, it may prove interesting to 
learn something of its growth, aspirations, and 
uses in Lower California. By-the-by, I never 
could divine the object of cultivating as a home 
plant, a genus of such grotesque shapes; but 1 
suppose it is ou the admitted principle that 
extremes delight to meet in matrimony, and 
why not in flower pots and posey gardens? 
In New England, the prickly pear (cactiLS 
opuntia) seldom attains the bight of three feet, 
and I am not aware that It ever flowers or yields 
fruit. No such mockery of object or stature 
there. It has a truuk near the ground as large 
as a man’s body, and attains a height equal to 
that of the oaves Of a common-sized Vermont 
bam or byre. Think of a lady cultivating a 
plant that would require a flower-pot of the 
dimensions of a hogshead, and a stand made of 
SxIO timber to support u. 
There, it is cultivated mainly for fencing pur¬ 
poses. Planted and guarded, it soon protects 
gardens, and orchards, and fields, and becomes 
a feuce that Beelzebub himself ou horseback 
could uot break through. Armed with innu¬ 
merable spines, horses and cattle, and even 
swine, would as soon undertake to attack an 
army of mounted hedge-hogs as a cactus fence. 
The varieties are very numerous, amounting in 
all to several hundred. They are natives of 
North and South America as well as uearly all 
the "West India Islands. This family of succu¬ 
lent plants Is remarkable for its tenacity of life— 
so great iu some varieties that they retain vital¬ 
ity for years in a hot. dry atmosphere, without 
receiving a particle of moisture except that ab¬ 
sorbed from the atmosphere. This tenacity of 
life is owing to their peculiar structure which 
allows them to exhale moisture but very slowly, 
for they have no proper leaves! 
The flowers are scarlet or crimson, (some, 
however, are yellow,) and strongly resemble 
in appearance our garden poppy. It produces 
i purplish edible fruit. The natives (Indians) _ 
subsist on this fruit in its season. It thrives in 
dry soil, and seems intended by Providence 
mark the Creator’s care for man) to grow on 
the most barren wastes and afford both food 
and drink to the traveler. It is a fleshy, suecu- ' 
ent plant, and yields from an incision a gen- 
erous supply of excellent water to allay thirst. v 
At the San Gabriel Mission, is a large orange u 
and lemon orchard, the trees of which are as 
large as those in at) old New England apple ^ 
orchard, which i» surrounded by a cactus fence, 
which—so runs my authority—was planted by " 
the old Spanish Jesuits in the latter part of the * 
seventh century. On passing it recently, we 
found it to he in an excellent state of self-pres- e 
ervation, s. b. r. 
s 
FRUIT ORCHARD EXPERIENCE. 
_ c 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— In my judg- 
ment, fruit culture is destined to take a promi- e 
neut place in our Agriculture. Instead of being 0 
subordinate to everything else, receiving but ■' 
little attention or none at all, crowded out or 0 
put off to a more convenient season, it should 
and will receive a large share of the attention | 
now bestowed on other products, and assume 1 
an importance hitherto unknown, especially in 1 
those sections favorable to the perfect develop- 8 
ment of the fruit, and possessing good market 
communications. s 
It will pay to raise apples to feed stock; aud c 
better to raise them to sell. I know of no in- • 
vestment on a farm that will pay better for the t 
trouble and expense incurred, than an orchard. 1 
Let me say a few words respecting 150 apple t! 
trees 1 planted in the spring of 1859. They l 
w'cre selected from the nursery rows, most of a 
them being three years from the bud. A few I 
.were older, and larger, but are hardly equal to a 
the others now. They were set at the distance 
of thirty feet each way, in a good loamy soil. 
The ground has been occupied with hoed crops 
every year since, now five years. No particu¬ 
lar attention has been paid the trees, except to J 
wash tire trunks with a solution of potash 
water every June, to keep them clean, and 
smooth, and keep off the borers, which it has . 
done effectually, since I never could find any on ^ 
them. They were also mulched four or five 
feet around the trunks the first few years. I 
consider tliis very important to young trees; it ; 
keeps the ground mellow and moist, and its , 
decay furnishes food to the tree. The roots and . 
stumps of corn, cut near the ground, are excel- . 
lent for this purpose, as they last several years; 
and mice don’t live in them. The crops occu¬ 
pying the ground have been manured just as 
they would have been had there heen no trees, 
and have grown as well as if they had the 
whole ground; but I think the trees will injure 
other crops now'. Every tree has lived and 
flourished better than I expected. The average 
circumference two feet from the ground is over 
a foot, and the diameter of the head from six to 
twelve feet. Each succeeding year has given 
three times as many apples as the preceding 
one, and I expect an increase in that proportion 
for some years to come. I don't suppose my 
trees are better than a great many others, but I 
am satisfied that planting those trees was the 
most important work I did that year. Potatoes 
have to be planted every year; apple trees once 
inaceutury; and yet I expect when the orchard 
is ten years old, to receive an annual return from 
it as large as I should were the ground planted 
with potatoes, and with a small part of the out¬ 
lay required by that crop. The apple is by far 
our most important fruit crop, aud will be. My 
advice to every farmer is to plant an orchard, 
not in a meadow, but in a cultivated fiel t, aud 
keep cattle out of it, and take care of it, aud 
you never will be sorry for it, G. 
New Haven County, Conn., lStvt. 
horticultural holes. 
Custom Grapes in February. — Mr. "VC. H. H. 
Barton, of this city, who has an acre ami a half plant¬ 
ed with Clinton grapes in Walworth, Wayne Co., n. Y., 
exhibited samples of this variety in our office, this 
morning (Feb. fitb,) in perfect condition. They were [ 
packed in paper boxes, in layers, with paper between j 
the layers, and kept in a cool place. Mr. B. thinks 
highly of it as a wine grape He mixes it with Isabella 
for wine, and makes an article which sells well in 
market 
-- 
Graph Vises on Kku.kv’3 Island. —A correspond¬ 
ent of a Cincinnati paper writing from Kelley's Island, 
Jan. 15th ulr., says:—" The severe cold weather of Jar. 
uary 1st and 2d has made sad havoc in onr vineyard. 
December 30th, 1S03, I engaged to deliver (in the 
Spring) 100.000 Catawba cuttings, and a few days ago 
I had to notify the parties that the grape buds were all 
killed, and uot one cutting could be made. We shall 
not trim any more uutil the leaves start lu Spring, so 
we can save the buds, if any, that the cold slighted, i 
think there will he buds enough to give us a fair crop 
of Cat aw 1ms next year, provided nothing else interferes 
to prevent. The vines are injured more by severe cold 
than ever before in my recollection. An insertion of 
these facts in your paper will answer many inquiries.” 
. .— - 
The Aii.antuus or Chinese Sirs. Worn.— The fol¬ 
lowing is what we tind written concerning this worm 
as it appeared near iVlerslicld, England:—"Aportion 
of the garden was planted with young Ailanthus trees, 
which were covered with a light canvas-mado building, 
» necessary precaution against, birds which plek off the 
young worms. The creatures were feeding on these 
trees, and were really beautiful to look at—not pale- 
lookiug livings like common silk. worms, but magnifi¬ 
cent follows, from to 3 inches long, of an intense 
emerald green color, with the tubercles tipped with a 
gorgeous marine blue; their feet" have, great adhesive 
power, and their bodies are covered with a fine down 
which turns the rain drops like the tiny hairs ou the 
leaf of a cabbage, so that they are uot injured by wind 
or ruin. Of MX) worms placed upon the trees the previ¬ 
ous summer, ISO yielded cocoons. A market was found 
for all she could grow, a gentleman in Paris taking 
1 them for French manufacture.” 
KITCHEN CONVENIENCES. 
1. Many housekeepers are troubled in coll 
weather with hard, rough hands. They look 
badly, but this is a minor item; they are un¬ 
comfortable, and a great annoyance in sewing 
any delicate fabric. Much of this trouble 
might he avoided by a little care, especially 
in handling iron ware, either hot or cold. 
Make a large, substantial holder; sew a long 
string to it; tie it fast to your working apron. 
Then it is always at hand, and should be con¬ 
stantly used in lifting kettles, even if not hot 
enough to burn the hand. 
2- Hundreds of steps are wasted every day in 
setting tables and clearing them after meals. 
Get your tinner to make you a plain tray of any 
convenient dimensions, say 18 by 30 inches, with 
a straight rim, and stout rings or boles at. the 
ends to carry it by. Place your table furniture 
on this, and with two journeys from your pantry 
to your dining-room you can set or clear any 
ordinary table. 
3. Don't waste time and spoil cutlery by scrap¬ 
ing your iron-ware with a knife, while washing 
it. Keep a circular piece of tiu In your sink; 
bend it a little for convenience in bolding, and 
see how nicely it will do the work. e. h. m. 
Remarks. —"Will not the Miss or Madam who 
sends us the foregoing, in the shape of dainty 
ehirography, send us “more of the same sort?” 
And will not other women remember that “Do¬ 
mestic Economy ” does not consist simply in the 
best modes of cooking, but in the best modes of 
doing household work, and the adoption of the 
best aids thereto. Suggestions of this char¬ 
acter will be especially welcome; and if accom¬ 
panied with drawings of any novel convenience, 
all the bettc-r. 
COLD FLOORS. 
“Keep the head cool and the feet warm,” 
says the physician. Some people are so unfor¬ 
tunate as to live in hired houses, or are too poor 
to repair their own, or do not wish to lay out 
money to$x up the old one, when they expect 
in a year or two that its place will be occupied 
by a new one. What are such people to do 
when the floors are filled with cracks that let in 
the wind and the cold? No sort of chance to 
follow the advice of the doctor, in such a case. 
The cracks change things just end for end. Cold 
feet and blood and heat to the head. We were 
in just such a fix. We read in the Family 
.Journal, that newspapers being spread between 
bed clothes were excellent non-conductors, and 
rendered beds very warm. We applied the 
principle to our cold floor. Before laying down 
the carpet, we covered the whole floor with 
newspapers, being careful to’break joints. It 
produced a decided change in the temperature 
of the room. Feet and legs rejoiced, a.- they 
were comparatively comfortable. Please tell 
your readers, Mr. Editor, that this is about the 
best use some papers can be put to.—L. L. F. 
Batter Pudding.— Four eggs, well beaten; 
three cups of butter; milk with a little soda— 
the quantity of soda depending on the sourness 
of the milk—well beaten together. Stir in flour 
sufficient to make a stiff batter. Have your 
pudding-bag well wet in cold water. Lot the 
water in your kettle be of sufficient quantity 
that the bag with the pudding in it can float 
nicely. A little salt should be put in the water 
to take off the fresh taste it would otherwise 
have. Let the water boil, put your pudding in 
the hag. tie it at the top tightly, drop the bag in 
the kettle, keep it boiling one hour, by the clock, 
and not a minute longer: for the lightness of the 
pudding depends upon it. Then take it out and 
serve with sauce to suit your taste. Add fruit 
when making, if preferred. This, if made 
right, is a nice dish, and one of my own inven¬ 
tion. I have used the recipe without fail, many 
times.— Mrs. R. Piper. 
Gingerbread.— One cup of molasses; one 
oup of butter; one teaspoonful of soda; one- 
half teaspoonful of pulverized alum burned; one 
tablespoonful of ginger, stir together the mo- 
I lasses, butter and ginger. Put the soda and 
alum each in separate cups, pour about a spoon¬ 
ful of boiling water on each, let them stand a 
moment, then mix the whole together, and roll 
as thin as you would for biscuit. After it is 
j done, rub over with molasses.— M. L. R., 
Ellington, X. Y., 1864. 
- ».■» ■ - 
now to Make Green Apple Pie with¬ 
out Sugar. —All you that have pickled peaches, 
take the vinegar off them, (instead of throwing 
it away as some do,) say one teacupful to a milk- 
| panful of sauce. Y'ou will need bo spice, as your 
vinegar, of course, will be spiced; use apples 
that are not very sour. Try it.—MRS. 51. F. H., 
Knkimxzoo Co.. Mich.. 1864. 
♦ »-»- 
Ginger Cookies.—O ne cup of sugar; two 
cups of molasses; one cup of butter or lard; one 
cup of boiling water; one large spoonful of soda; 
one ditto of ginger, and as liiueh flour as will 
make this stiff" enough to roll out; cut it into 
small cakes; bake iu a quick oven.— Mollie. 
Fried Cakes without Eggs.—O ne oup 
sugar; two cups sour milk; two-thirds of a cup 
of butter, (or lard;) one teaspoonful soda; mix 
as soft as you can roll them. — Mrs. M. F. II. , 
Kalamazoo. Mich., 1864- 
[srsciAL NOTICE.] 
Call for the Best.— When, you purchase an article 
that is cheap, of which but little is used, always call 
for the best, for the difference in cost between that and 
an inferior article will be insignificant Call foe De 
Land’s Chemical Suicratus and having once procured 
it you will call for no other. The grocers all have it, or 
should. 
