fenced and well cultivated thia season, It will be 
kept in the possession of the Commission, and 
trial be given to it for another year, though it is 
to be hoped that there will not be, when another 
fall comes around, many sick men here in hos¬ 
pital to need grapes or other delicacies. God 
grant that we may all be then enjoying the 
blessings of a restored government, and a sure 
peace, at home, under our own vines and fruit 
trees. 
Satisfied that the large and beautiful mound 
referred to above was of artificial origin, though 
there weregrowing upon the top of it, last year, 
trees one and a half or two feet in diameter, Mr. 
Read is having an excavation made in the side, 
and under the center, which has already settled 
the question as to the nature of its origin. Sev¬ 
eral human skulls, with broken pottery, and 
hollow spaces carefully prepared, and evidently 
occupied by materials which have entirely 
perished, have already been found. In due 
time Mr. Read will probably be able to make a 
report of bis explorations which will be of much 
interest h. 
THE VINEYARDS AND WINE MANUFAC- 
TORES AT PLEASANT VALLEY, N. Y. 
INQUIRIES ANSWERED. 
In the Rural of Nov. 12th, I saw a request 
for recipes of different kinds. I send you seve¬ 
ral which I know to be good. 
For Hop Yeast Cakes that will Keep. 
—Put two quarts of water into your kettle: add 
a large handful of hops tied in a thin bag. When 
thisliquor boils, add one tablespoonful salt,one of 
sugar and one of ginger. Let this boll one hour 
Then stir in fiour enough while hot to thicken 
it When cool add yeast sufficient to make It 
rise. When ..ght, knead in Indian meal and a 
little flour; then make Into rolls and cut into 
slices one-fourth of an inch thick, and dry 
where there will be no danger of scalding them 
When dry, hang away in a bag. and they will 
keep aix months, if not auiowed to get wormy 
To Color Cotton Blv k. —Oneoz. Pru- 
siate Potash; oneoz. Oil of Vitrol; oneoz. Cop¬ 
peras. This will bolor three pounds of rags. 
Dip in the copperas water first; then into the 
other dye. Wash thoroughly or the dye will 
rot the rags. 
To Color Cotton Yellow. —One pound 
Sugar of Lead; half pound Bichromate of Pot¬ 
ash. This will color four pounds. If you wish 
for orange, dip in good lime water. The dye 
must be in brasB or a tin boiler. 
Taking Mildew from Muslin.— Mix salt 
and soft soap together, and entirely cover the 
cloth with the mixture, and lay out in a hot sun, 
and repeat the process until the mildew is re¬ 
moved. 
For Coloring vVoolen Cochineal Red. 
—To one pound yarn, stir briskly into warm 
water, enough to cover the goods, two ounces 
cream tartar. When the heat has increased a 
little, add two ounces powdered Cochineal. Stir 
well; add two ounces solution of tin. When 
the liquor boils, put in the goods and move it 
around briskly for twenty minutes. Rinse well 
in cold water. If your ingredients are all good, 
you will have a color that you will not be 
ashamed to hang out to dry. If you wish your 
yarn clouded, you have only to tie it at intervals 
with new cotton, very tight. — A Farmer’s 
Wife, Ashtabula C'o., 0. 
To Color with Cochineal. — For every 
pound of yarn, take four ounces of muriatic acid, 
two ounces of pewter; put them into a bowl, 
let stand two hours, covered. Put into a brass 
or copper kettle soft water sufficient to cover the 
yarn; acid two ounces of cream tartar: stir un¬ 
til heated; add one ounce of powdered Cochi¬ 
neal—which must first be mixed with a little of 
the water; pour in the acid and pewter; stir 
until it boils. Put in the yarn, move it about 
briskly two or three minutes, then let it boll 
gently twenty minutes. Rinse in clean; soft 
water. — Mrs. George Wolford, South Ma¬ 
con, 111. 
Hop Yeast. — Noticing an inquiry for a re¬ 
cipe to make hop yeast, I send mine which I 
know to be excellent. 
Take four handfuls of good hops, put in a 
kettle with two quarts of water; take four large 
potatoes, peel them, and put in the kettle; boil 
dntil done. Take out the potatoes, mash them, 
strain the hop-water from the hops, then add 
to the water the potatoes; half cup sugar, one 
tablespoonful salt, also one of ginger. Set on 
the stove and stir In sufficient flour to make a 
thick batter; let it scald, then take from the 
stove, and when about milk warm, put in two 
dried cakes soaked in warm water: keep warm 
until light, then add Indian meal sufficient to 
make into rolls. Cut in thin slices and dry on a 
cloth rack. If you have no cakes, use a little 
bakers yeast.—MI 33 A. H., Exeter, X. Y. 
Stains on Porcelain. —If Mrs. N. M. L. 
will boil ashes in her “porcelain lined vessel,” 
all stains will be removed. 
Quince Marmalade,— Tell Mrs. H. to pare, 
quarter, and core her quinces, boil the pannes 
in the water, measuring a teaeupful to a pound of 
fruit; when they are soft, mash and strain them, 
and put back the water into the preserving ket¬ 
tle; add the quinces and boil them till they are 
soft enough to mash fine: then put three quart¬ 
ers of a pound of sugar to one of fruit; stir well 
together, and boil over a slow fire till it will fall, 
like jelly, from a spoon. Put it in small jars or 
tumblers, paste paper over the top of the jar. 
It will be just as good to take an equal part of 
apples and mix with the quinces. 
Old Fashioned Gingerbread. — Say to 
P. F. M. to make good old fashioned ginger¬ 
bread, take one quart Orleans molasses, one pint 
lard—if it is sweet—one pint of very sour milk 
two heaping tablespoonfuls soda dissolved, in 
the milk, two tablespoonfuls ginger; mix into a 
dough as soft as can be rolled, roll thin; cut in 
round cakes; bake in a quick oven, and put 
away in a stone jar. They will keep three 
months and be better than when first baked.— 
M. F. \V\, Groves , Ind. 
BY HENRY 8. RANDALL, 
On a pleasant forenoon, towards the close of 
October, General Marshall and myself left 
his residence in Wheeler, Steuben county, on a 
visit to our good friends, Aaron Y. Baker, 
Charles D. Champun and Grattan H. 
Wukklkr. After proceeding several miles 
and surmounting a ridge of hills, we looked 
down their eastern slopes on a comparatively 
level valley about three miles long and one 
wide. North of it, Crooked Lake fills the 
chasm between the hills; south the land be¬ 
comes broken and elevated. The ridges of hills 
which hem in the valley on the east and west 
arc about one thousand feet high. The eastern 
and much of the western range are yet covered 
with pine, oak and chestnut, the dark green, 
crimson and russet verdure of which, touched 
by the October frosts, contrasted finely with the 
emerald hue of the grass; and on the whole I 
decided in my own mind that Pleasant Valley 
is not a misnomer for the region which was 
lying under my eye. The village of Ham- 
mondsport is situated at the head of the lake. 
It is seven hundred feet above tide water. A 
steamboat piles between it and Penn Yan. 
Isabella and Catawba grapes were Introduced 
into Pleasant Valley about thirty years ago by 
the Rev. William Bostwick, and were found 
to flourish admirably, to be quite as sure if not 
surer^than any farm crop, and to be wholly un¬ 
subject to diseases of any kind. 
Inj 1858 or 1854, Andrew Reisinger, a 
German vine dresser, came into Pultney, eight 
miles north of Hammondsport, and planted about 
an acre and a half of the hill-side on the banks 
of the lake with Catawbas and Isabellas, mostly 
the former. The soli was a heavy clay, and he 
trenched it in the German mode two and a half 
feetdeep. Keisingkr’s experiment was rather 
a failure, and was ultimately abandoned by him. 
But in the mean time, (1855,) Orlando Shep¬ 
herd and Judge Jacob I.arrowk, finding' 
how well grape culture succeeded at Avon, in 
Livingston county, brought vines from there to 
Pleasant Valley, and set out about half an acre 
each on the hill-side near Hammondsport. 
The minds of the people in the Valley have 
received a strong impetus towards grape culture 
from several causes. The first of these was the 
uniform prolificacy and excellence of the grape 
on their lands, under almost any treatment; 
second, the great success and profits of Long- 
worth and others at Cincinnati in its culture, 
and the example already named, nearer by, in 
Avon, and also that of a Mr. McKay of Naples, 
Ontario county, who had cultivated a vineyard 
of several acres from about 1848, with great 
profit; and finally, the agricultural newspapers 
at that period were specially engaged in calling 
attention to the subject. An influx Into the 
neighborhood of industrious and honest Ger¬ 
man emigrants, familiar with grape culture and 
wine making, gave the people an opportunity lo 
obtain further information on the subject. They 
became satisfied that their soil and climate were 
adapted to that culture, and the Germans sup¬ 
plied them with experienced laborers. They, 
therefore, did not await the result of Sh k i'¬ 
ll KRD’ft and Larrowe’s experiment. In 185S, 
both of these gentlemen increased their vine¬ 
yards to two or three acres each; Bell & 
McMasteu set out six or eight acres of vines; 
Grattan II. Wheeler four acres; Edwin 
P. Smitfi two acres; Charles P. Champlin 
THE DELAWARE AS A WINE AND TABLE 
GRAPE. 
Editors Rural New-Yorker:— The Dela¬ 
ware grape is now quite extensively grown near 
Cincinnati, Ohio, for the purpose of wine mak¬ 
ing. Mr. John E. Mottikh, one of the most cel¬ 
ebrated wine makers of that section, has a con¬ 
siderable number of acres of the Delaware now 
in full bearing, and there are other prominent 
growers who cultivate nearly as many. From 
the experience of these men, the fact is estab¬ 
lished that the Delaware grape is not only more 
certain to produce a regular fair, or good an¬ 
nual crop than the Catawba, but the wine readi¬ 
ly brings at least double the price in market 
that the Catawba wine does. The Catawba 
grape is extremely liable to be attacked, when 
about half grown, with the rot. This is now of 
such frequent occurence that many of the Ohio 
vine growers are substituting the Delaware for 
the Catawba. The Catawba makes a good wine, 
much admired by those who are accustomed to 
that kind or class of wines; but the Delaware 
makes a rich, superior wine that all lovers of 
wine will admire. It is usually sold as soon as 
made. From my own experience I prefer the 
Delaware w ine to any other that I have ever 
tasted, either foreign or domestic. 
As a table grape, in point of flavor, the Dela¬ 
ware Is not surpassed by any native grape we 
have. The small size of both bunch and berry, 
are'objections to it in the estimation of many. 
We Americans are pleased with big things, and 
will pay double the price for a basket of large. 
Inferior strawberries, in preference to an equal 
quantity of smaller onesof superior quality. The 
Delaware grape will always find purchasers in 
market, at good prices. But the Iona being 
scarcely inferior to the Delaware, as it regards 
quality of fruit, and the bunch and berries being 
more than twice as large, will be preferred by 
many. The flavor of the Iona very closely re¬ 
sembles the Delaware. It is the Delaware en¬ 
larged, with its superior.richness only more dif¬ 
fused. 
I have no special interest in any particular 
grape, nor in any one who either grows or vends 
vines, but am induced to offer, the foregoing in 
answer to the inquiry of « E. E.,” Reaver Co., 
Pa. , in the Rural of Nov. 12,—to w hom you re¬ 
ply, speaking of the Delaware as a wine grape: 
while we do not believe it a better grape than 
the Catawba, we believe it an excellent wine 
grape. “We do not believe it better, because 
we have not seen any evidence that it is.” 
THE SHELDON PEAI) 
full one. The vines are fastened to trellises. 
Ash or chestnut stakes five feet high are set in 
the ground about twenty-one feet apart in the 
rows; and they are strung with three No. 12 
wires. Some place them but eight feet apart 
and use wooden slats instead of wires. 
No manure is used until the vines have been 
cropped two or three years. They then receive 
a very light dressing of well composted barn¬ 
yard manure; and this is repeated annually on 
the poorer portions of the vineyard. Even a 
trifling excess of manure injures the quality of 
the crop the year it Is applied. The vines are 
pruned almost exclusively by Germans, and 
according to the German system, except that a 
little greater length of bearing wood is left. 
The rule is to allow a fruit bud for every square 
foot of surface. It is believed that in a good 
vineyard the vines will last at least one hundred 
years. 
The picking of early varieties of the grape for 
the table commences the first of September— f or 
wine, about the 10th of October. It is done by 
women. The best quality of fruit is first picked 
for wine, and the second Is left on the vines and 
afterwards picked for brandy. The pickers 
remove with picking shears all the unripe or 
impet feet berries, and then place the clusters in 
boxes or half-barrel tubs. These are carried 
directly to the wine house, weighed, and ac¬ 
counted for as grain is accounted for in grain 
warehouses. 
The grapes are first mashed in a wine mill 
(IIickock’s) and dropped directly into large 
fermenting vats, or on the press. The larger 
portion of the wine from the vats and all from 
the press is drawn directly by means of a hose, 
into wine casks in the cellar. The “ mark ” (or 
pomace) which remains behind, is left to fer¬ 
ment in the vats, and tbe succeeding spring is 
distilled for brandy. The wine in a portion of 
the vats, however, is left to ferment on the 
skins for the manufacture of red wines. 
This wine and brandy manufacture was 
entered upon under the auspices of Mr. John 
F. Weber, a German of intelligence and much 
experience in the business, as well os in every¬ 
thing connected with grape culture. He was 
connected with the U. 8 . Patent Office for some 
years prior to I860. In the last named year, the 
the Pleasant Valley Wine Company was formed 
and Mr. Wkukk assumed the superintendency 
of its mechanical and manufactu ring affairs. It 
organized with a capital of $10,500, the corpora¬ 
tors being William Baker, Aaron Y. Ba¬ 
ker, Charles D. Champlin, Grattan H. 
Wheeler, T. M. Younglove, D. Rose, 
U. H. Brundage, E. Brundagk, Bell & 
MuMaster, Dugald Cameron and J. W. 
Dams. An arched wine vault, a press house, 
a propagating house, etc., all excellently con¬ 
structed of stone, were erected about a mile and 
a half from Hammondsport. Many thought it 
a very visionary undertaking, but in 1802 the 
capital stock was doubled. Two or three of the 
original corporators have sold out. The pres¬ 
ent directors are the original corporators, with 
the exception ol William Baker, Esq., de¬ 
ceased. The present oflieers are Grattan H. 
Wheeler, President, and C. D. Champun, 
Secretary and Treasurer. 
The manufactures of the Company have been 
as follows: 
In I860 were manufactured 35,990 lbs. grapes. 
" 1861 “ “ 33,988 »» 
“ 1863 “ “ 271,835 “ 
“ 1863 “ » 193,476 “ 
“ 1864 “ “ 400,000 “ 
ting np stone storehouses to preserve them 
through winter for table use. 
Great has been the change effected in the 
appearance of things, and in the value of prop¬ 
erty, in Pleasant Valley, by this new husbandry. 
The steep hill-sides where the vineyards are 
now growing luxuriantly, would have been 
prized, a very few years since, as worth not to 
exceed fifteen or twenty dollars an acre for 
ordinary agricultural purposes; nor should I 
now value most of them I passed over at higher 
than $25 or $30 an acre at the outside, for such 
purposes. But In good, eligible situations for 
grape culture, they now command from $200 to 
$300 per acre; and where set with vines and 
in bearing they command $1,000 per acre! The 
statistics above given were obtained from au¬ 
thoritative sources, and they are reliable. 
THE SHELDON PEAR. 
The high commendation given to this pear 
at the recent meeting of the American Porno- 
logical Society (see page 351) by every member 
who gave testimony concerning it,has attracted 
the attention of our readers, and in response to 
the demand we give herewith an engraving 
of it. A reader asks for a description of it. 
The portrait is a very good one, except it is 
rather under size; for the fruit is rather above 
medium size, generally roundish, but varying 
much; sometimes quite round, others obovate 
or inclining to oval; some taper to a point at the 
stalk, and others are ;n broad at the stalk as at 
the eye. The stalk Is generally sunk slightly, 
as in the engraving, though sometimes set on 
the surface. The calyx is medium size in a 
smooth, round, shallow basin. Skin smooth, 
greenish russet—sometimes tinted with red on 
the sunny side, sometimes slightly bronzed, and 
again without any color. The flesh is melting 
and juicy, sugary and rich, with a peculiar 
sprightly flavor. Season, September and Oc¬ 
tober. 
Illinois Horticultural Societt. — This Society 
holds it3 Annual Meeting at Bloomington, 111., Decem¬ 
ber 6th to 9tb inclusive. 
The Ctrucuuo in Dry Seasons —Will some know¬ 
ing reader inform me if the cureulio is worse in its 
ravages on fruits in a dry season? And if so, if a reg 
ular sprinkling from a forcing pump would be of ad¬ 
vantage in arresting its work?—A Rural Reaphu 
HOSPITAL GARDEN AT CHATTANOOGA 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— Some of your 
readers, interested as they are, both in horti¬ 
culture, and in the means used to relieve the 
wants of the sick and wounded men of our noble 
army, may be pleased to know the products of 
the hospital garden and vineyard, under the 
direction of M. C. Read, Esq., General Superin¬ 
tendent of the work of the U. S. Sanitary Com¬ 
mission at this point, some account of which was 
given in your paper hist spring. 
All the products and results of that garden 
canuot be tabulated. The impressions for good 
upon the many persous who have visited the 
garden, and enjoyed the beauty and fragrance of 
the innumerable flowers which covered the 
mound upon which stands the tasteful quarters 
of the head gardener, Mr. Tnos. Wills, as well 
as the influence of a style of agriculture before 
wholly unknown to the slovenly cultivators of 
this region of country—indeed the good done in 
every point of view is too vast to be represented 
iu figures of bushel- or market values. Still 
such accounts are profitable. Upon looking at 
the reports I find that thero have been issued 
over 15,000 bushels of vegetables, among which 
are 1,407 bushels of onions, 927 bushels of ripe 
tomatoes, 1M)4 bushels of potatoes 384 of sweet 
potatoes, 107,502 ears of green corn, 32,316 
cucumbers, Ac., Ac. 
From the green tomatoes uot Likely to ripen, 
sliced by machines with onions, 115 barrels of 
excellent pickles have K-.o made, besides those 
made of the same materia ,5 issued by the load to 
hospitals, to be worked up in the same manner. 
The rich prospect last spring of an abundant 
harvest of Catawba grapes ended in disappoint¬ 
ment. Aboutthe middle of June the rot struck 
the grapes and continued until the whole crop 
was ruined. As the vineyard has been staked. 
Honey Locust yob Hanes.—The editor of the Gar- 
i{nu-rs’ Monthly says of this plant —It is one of the 
best of hedge plants. It Is very thorny, grows rapidly, 
and when judiciously pruned tn June and September, 
as Osage Orange, and all tree-growing hedge plants 
mast be, it is as close and compact a hedge as need be. 
- * It has in fact one advantage over Osage Orange; 
it will grow and do well where that plant will starve. » 
Tub Barberry on tub Prairies.— The barberry is 
easily raised ftom seed, and does well on the prairies. 
It is excellent for preserving. 
The Low, Runninq Blackberry grows weil in 
New England. It grows most naturally on sandy 
plains, and does not fruit well on prairie soils —3. W. 
A., DtKalb Co , III. 
A Laruk Radish.—E. R. Wooducll of Wayne 
Co., sends as a radish which measures 27 inches in 
circa inference, and weighs eleven and a half pounds, 
and asks us to tell what kind it s. We do not know 
the variety. We think Its size is due rather to the 
season than to the character of the variety. Had you 
others that approached it iu size? If so, when was the 
seed planted ? What the so:! 0 Where did you get the 
seen ■ Does not your garden Journal furnish yon with 
these facts? 
Iu I860 and 1861 the crop was about an aver¬ 
age one ; in 1802 it was very large, A. Y. 
Baker’s crop, and probably some others, yield¬ 
ing 9,300 pounds to the acre; in 1863 the crop 
was a little above an average one; in 1864 it was 
below, but of very fine quality. 
When a vineyard is to be set out, the ground 
is plowed and trench plowed eighteen or twenty 
inches deep, the large stones removed, and then 
it is ready for planting. The vineyards are 
nearly all on the hill-sides, and frequently where 
the ascent is decidedly abrupt ,8ome are plowed 
imo terraces four or five feet wide, but in more 
of them the vine^ are planted on the natural 
surface. I 11 some of them the rows run directly 
or obliquely up ami down the hills, in others 
along their sides. Tbe rows are eight feet apart 
and the vines seven lett apart in the rows. The 
roots are set in the spriug, and commence bear¬ 
ing in three years; but the third year they only 
pay expenses. The fourth year the crop ts a 
DOMESTIC INQUIRIES, 
Stains from Steel Knives. —Please publish in 
your paper the best method for removing stains from 
highly-polished steel knives.— a. h. 
Apple Jelly.— Will some of the correspondents of 
the Rural give a recipe for making good appie jelly, J 
and whether to use Bweet or sour apples?— Mary. ^ 
.About Furs.—I wish some of the readers would tell 
me of the different kinds of fur, their different grades, 
which is the beet, and which the poorest, and oblige— NjJ 
Nettie Bond, Witanuin. Jk-f 
Uookiss Oystbrs — Condensed Milk —Will yon jM 
please ask some of your many friends to tell me how jvj? 
to make oyster sonp and oyster pudding? Also, how 4 Va 
to prepare 1 • condensed milk " for use through the win- 
ter? and much oblige— A Youns Housekeeper. - 
The Greeley Prizes for Fruits.—Horace Gree¬ 
ley offered sometime since a prize of $100 each for 
the best Native Grape, the best Apple, and the best 
Pear adapted to the soil and climate of the Northern 
and Middle States-to be of as uniform good character 
as possible in ail so m asons, regular bearers, and 
of such flavor as to be generally acceptable, &c., Ac. 
A committee has been appointed to make the awards, 
and the Horticultural Branch of the American Insti¬ 
tute has resolved upon a series of exhibitions at the 
rooms of the Institute on the first Tuesdays of Decem¬ 
ber, January and Fehruary, at 9 P. M., and invitee all 
fruit growers desirous of competing, to exhibit their 
fruit at one of the above uained exhibitions. 
