HUHAL H3E W-1T0B3£ER 
••PROPAGATING GRAPE VINES.’ 
Some men have such an anxiety for notoriety 
that they are willing to make themselves notorious, 
thongb in doing so they become ridiculous. In the 
effort to make a great show of knowledge, they often 
succeed only in making an extensive exhibition of 
ignorance and impudence. We will not say that this 
has been done the present year by any one. hut we 
W ill say that we were very strongly reminded of this 
too common weakness by the recent course ol T. lb 
MivEtt, who has been figuring pretty extensively of 
late in the Agricultural press. Mr. Dowsing having 
stated that the Delaware was earlier than the ( on- 
cord, Mr. Miner denied its truth, and expressed the 
opinion that Mr. Downing had some other variety 
which he was cultivating for the Concord. This m 
exceedingly cool, and will he relished by all who 
know the parties, and particularly by the large num¬ 
ber who have seen Mr. Downing's vines and tasted of 
their fruit. 
Again, a correspondent and an amateur w 10 
wished to grow a few Delawares from cuttings, and 
who had noticed that nurserymen raised plants by 
grafting single eyes and by other processes known to 
the profession, in propagating houses, inquired o! ns 
if the Delaware would not grow from cuttings out of 
doors, the same as other varieties wore grown. To 
this we replied-‘-The Delaware will grow from 
cuttings, and the reason it has not been so grown is, 
the wood has been scarce and dear, and an eye would 
make as good a vine as a cutting with several eyes!” 
Now, we claim that our answer was correct, for we 
have grown Delawares from cuttings with “several 
eyes,” have seen hundreds that have been grown in 
that way, and some now bearing frnit that were 
planted as cuttings a year ago the present spring 
Mr. Miner wrote an article on the subject, which was 
published in the Country Gentleman, in which he 
gave the above reply, and among other things said - 
*. u e [Ed. Rural) is quite mistaken if he Intends to 
say that the cuttings will grow in the open ground 
like those of other varieties.” As proof of his posi 
tion, he stated that he made cuttings of the Delaware 
single eyes, with about an inch of wood each side of 
the eye, and planted them two inches deep, and all 
failed. In answer to this we declared, what every 
practical grower knows, that cuttings of the Isabella 
made and planted in this way would fail, as did the 
Delaware, in nine cases out of ten; and we might 
have said the tenth also, for wc do not think one in 
a thousand would grow. Wc do not believe there is 
a grape vine grower in the country foolish enough to 
waste hia time in planting in the way described. 
In a late number of the Country Gentleman, Mr. 
Miner publishes a lengthy article, in which ho 
accused ns of saying things which we did not say, 
and gives himself credit for saying things which he 
had not previously thought of. The performance is 
singular, and yet so characteristic, that we give the 
better portions, with appropriate headings. 
WUAT MR. MINER DECLARES TO BK TllK PURPORT OP 
WHAT HE SAID. 
The chief purport of my romarks was designed to 
show that the Delaware grape vines cannot be eanly 
propagated by cuttings, when planted In the open air, 
without the aid of artificial heat. 
something which we recommend to the especial at¬ 
tention of nurserymen; nothing less than 
A NEW SYSTEM OK SKTTINO CUTTINGS. 
1 plow furrows, with a one-horse plow, three feet 
apart, and run the plow three times in each, and as 
deep a* possible. The cuttings arc then set along 
Ehles of the furrows at a slight angle, the «,la of 
the cuttings of the different rows all oblique 
lv the same way, and set so that when the furrows are 
filb d up. the upper eyes of the cutting will either be 
even with, or a little above the surface of 
for growth. When this is done, the appearance of 
the guard, before being put on, will be as in Jig. 2. 
Place the guard thus formed round the tree, and 
fasten the ends of the wire or string. The guard is 
much the same as the cradle put round the neck of a 
blistered horse, to prevent his gnawing the irritated 
up 
tlrnSriundr ft lest to have the upper eyes 
about half an ruch below the smbice of the soil, if it 
wore practicable In all cases; but in setting so man 
cutting'* 1 the time cannot be afforded to place each 
one just as we would prefer that all should “J a “ d 
the result is, that some of the upper eyes will be be 
low and others above the ground. 
There, you old fogy nurserymen, you who take so 
much pains, with planting line and spades, and gangs 
of men, to have every plant or cutting just in its 
proper place, learn a lesson and profit thereby. I ou 
who plant ft million of stocks and cuttings, liow can 
you afford to wa-ste your time and money in this way, 
when a modern Solomon, with thirty thousand, can¬ 
not afford to set each cutting as it ought to be. And 
you who have believed in that old maxim, “what¬ 
ever is worth doing is worth doing well," please 
stand corrected, for here Is one so wise that he can¬ 
not learn of us, and yet lie cannot afford to do work 
as he acknowledges it ought to be done. You grape- 
growers, too, who have so often failed with native 
grapes when the eye was below the ground, and who 
take so much pains to avoid this, learn that the best 
way of planting cuttings is to have the bud half an 
inch below the surface. Two inches was Mr. Miner’s 
first plan, hut he Is getting nearer the surface, and 
may ere long merge into daylight. 
GREAT IMPROVEMENT IN THK CULTURE OP THE GltAFE, 
ACCORDING TO T. B. MINER. 
Moreover, the culture of the grape was, compar¬ 
atively but superficially understood at that time, 
[when’Barry’s Fruit Book was written, 12 years ago,] 
and there was no necessity existing tor out door 
propagation by single eyes. 
WIIAT THAT GREAT IMPROVEMENT CONSISTS, 
base of the cutting become discolored, indicating a 
state of decay. Pure sand has been found the most 
fitting material tor this purpose; the rapidity with 
which water percolates through it, renders it ft fit 
medium for preserving a uniform degree of moisture, 
while no danger is likely to occur from saturation, 
provided the surplus water has ready means of escape 
through efficient drainage. — \Vm. Saunders, before 
Philadelphia Gard. Society. 
V 
l 
THE STUDY OF BOTANY. 
IN 
AC* 
CURDING TO TDK SAME. 
H Is difficult to propagate vines from cuttings ex¬ 
tensively in a dry season. * * * lt 18 onl / * n 
garden propagation, where the water pot can be free¬ 
ly used, that he feels certain of success. 
The salest way to propagate grape vines is by layers. 
As our readers are no doubt sufficiently amused and 
edified, here we rest. 
Floras 2. 
part. The ends of the stakes merely rest on the 
ground, and they should be cut quite flat at the bot¬ 
tom, to prevent their sticking in it. At the upper 
end, \liey should have a sharp slanting cut with a bill¬ 
hook, to throw off the rain. The motion of the tree 
will not be in any degree impeded; and the bark 
cannot be injured, let the wind blow as it may, tor 
the guard moves freely with the tree in every direc¬ 
tion. If a tree is growing rapidly, it will want room 
before the guard requires renewing; in which case it 
is only necessary to untie the string or wire at the 
top and bottom, lengthen the string or wire by tying 
a piece to it, and introduce an extra rod, and two 
extra separating pieces. As a principal feature in 
this guard is, that the tree is left quite at liberty to 
be blown about by the wind in every direction, of 
course it does not obviate ttie necessity of staking a 
newly planted tree until lt becomes fairly rooted. 
Nature is preparing for Flora’s festival, which, 
beginning with the first pale blossom that Springs 
up beside the rapidly melting snow, ends not until 
trees and plants are stripped of their marvelous 
livery, and the eartli, turned brown and bare, is 
again covered with a mantle of white. And it will i 
become us who are to bo guests at her festival, to 
tumour attention to it. Already half-fledged bota¬ 
nists are beginning to air their classifications accord¬ 
ing to Lincoln or Wood, and talk glibly of orders, 
genera aud species; while others, not quite so 
tongue-learned, listen with that air of bewilderment 
which one guiltless of algebra exhibits when y, y and 
s are deftly handled through a long and intricate 
problem, and brought out of the masse, at last, 
standing face to face with their equivalents in 
simple figures, with only the sign of equality 
between. 
A practical knowledge of botany is hardly valued 
enough— a-readiness iu distinguishing and classify 
ing our own common wild flowers is seldom met 
with. We may call the exotic by its botanical name, 
but the order of the weed at our feet is entirely un¬ 
known. And so, to many, the word botany suggests 
merely a string of technical terms, meaningless and 
. y_ 4\%n TtiAmnrv itifltt’ilil Ol CM illtrluBl* 
HflfittStW #C0U0l»g. 
RUSK, YEAST, INDIAN BREAD, &c. 
Ens. Rural New-Yorker:—! saw in your paper C|| 
not long since, an inquiry for a recipe for making 
rusk. I send you mine, which I think stands No. 1: 
Rusk. —Take 1 pint light sponge (made of yeast 
preferable); 1 cup of sugar; 1 cup of butter; mix, 
and let rise before and after making into cakes. As 
soon as baked, have ready j cap of sugar, dissolved 
in a little water. This, with a bit of cloth, rub over 
the surface, which gives them the appearance of 
bakers’ rusks. 
While I am about it, I will send a few more recipes 
that I know to be excellent: 
Yeast. —Mash, and rub in a cup of flour, six po¬ 
tatoes; turn upon them two quarts boiling water, in 
which a teacup of hops has been boiled twenty 
minutes, to which, when cool, add a cup ot reserved 
yeast. 
Indian BiiKAD.-Take 1 quart buttermilk; 1 pint 
sweet milk; 1 heaping tablespoonful soda; an even 
spoonful salt; \ cup of molasses; 1 part rye or wheat 
flour, to two parts Indian meal. Stir stiff, and bake 
la a pan three hours. 
Hard Gingerbread. —Take 3 tablespoonfuls boil¬ 
ing water; the same quantity of butter, or lard; put 
in a teacup and fill with molasses. To 2 cups, take 
2 teasjiooufuls soda and a heaping tcaspoouful of 
ginger; (dissolve ft tcaspoouful of alum in the boil¬ 
ing water;) stir stiff. “ If M first you don’t succeed 
try again." 
Hamlin, N. Y., 1861. 
c. Lamson. 
WHAT HE mi) SAY. 
He [Editor Rural J is quite mistaken, if he intends 
to say the [Delaware] cuttings will grow in the open 
cronnd. * ♦ * * Last season 1 made a faithful 
trial of attempting to propagate cuttings of the pela- 
wurft crape vine, and utterly failed* 
receiving a quantity of the Delaware grape vines 
from a grower ofthem, about a year ago, he remarked, 
•• I suppose you know that the cuttings will not grow 
unless they he placed in a hot-bed, or forced in a hot¬ 
house.” 
WHAT HE STATES WE SAID. 
The Horticultural Editor of the Rural New-Yorker 
contends that they cun be propagated with the samo 
ease and in the same manner, that other varieties ot 
the grape are, which I emphatically pronounce not 
to be true. 
WHAT WE Dll) SAY. 
The Delaware will grow from cuttings, and the 
reason it has not been so grown is, the wood has been 
scarce and dear, and an eye would make as good a 
vine aB a cutting with several eyes. * * * * We 
readily admit that the Delaware will notrootas freely 
as the Isabella and many other varieties. 
All of which would Beem to show that Mr. M. has 
become badly mixed up, so as to be strangely oblivi¬ 
ous to facts. 
M STICKS TO HIB THEORY OP GROWING VINES IN THE 
'OPEN GROUND FROM SINGLE EYES lil'RJKD TWO 
INCHES DEEP. 
I beg to assure the Horticultural Editor of that 
paper, [Rural,] that I have propagated thousands oi 
vines ou that system, and know lt to be tile best 
method when the cuttings of any variety are scarce, 
and it is important to grow as many vines as possible 
in the shortest space of time. * (> n this 
system a thousand vines may be grown in ft bed a tew 
feet square, by laying the cuttings about two InchcB 
apart. 
We suppose it is always important to grow as many 
vines or trees as possible in the shortest possible 
time, especially when it can he done so easily, and 
on so little land. 
but strangely abadons it in practice. 
The reader, however, will please to note that I 
only recommend the single eye system when cuttings 
are scarce, and the variety to be propagated valuable. 
The entire lot of 30,000 cuttings set this season con¬ 
tain from two to four eyes each. 
Some of those 30,000 we judge roust be valuable, or 
they would not be propagated; and some of them no 
doubt are scarce, for M. would not have us believe 
that he propagates nothing but the obi common sorts, 
like'the Isabella and Catawba. Why then is that 
excellent system abandoned for the old fashioned 
method, especially when ft 1,000 vines can be grown 
on “ a few feet square ”? But we cannot imagine, If 
the plan is so good, why it is not best for ull — why 
confine it to the varieties that are scarce? If, how¬ 
ever, he succeeds so well with single eyes; of course 
if he abandons the system for a better, it must be lor 
one that never fails. Yet we find he has 
RIBAND BORDERS. 
The practice of planting flowers in borders so as 
to form a kind of riband of different colors is now 
quite fashionable in Europe, aud may be adopted in 
this country, though a little different selection ol 
plants is necessary. The following on the subject is 
from the Scottish Horticulturist: 
The Riband system is now very generally prac¬ 
ticed, and where a border admits of sufficient length 
and width, a most effective display may be created 
by planting, Bay-1st row, Cerastium tornentosnm; 
2d row, Purple Verbena; 3d row. Variegated Geran¬ 
iums; 4th row, Scarlet Geraniums; 6th row. Bedding 
Dahlia, alba floribunda nitua, planted in a sloping 
position so as to keep it dwarf. Such a riband can 
be very much varied by using White Verbena, Blue 
Lobelia, Purple Zeliuda Dahlia, Yellow Calceolaria, 
and many other plants, always avoiding if possible 
bringing a bright scarlet and a yellow close together. 
Very effective beds may be planted with Blue Ager- 
atuin bordered with lemon Calceolaria; Maroon, or 
Purple Verbena, with the silver Cerastium; V ellow 
Calceolarias with Cattcls Orange Hcarlet Nasturtium, 
or Gazania splendens; Variegated Geraniums with 
Bcarlet Geraniums, or vice versa ; Blue Lobelia with 
the silver Cerastium or variegated Alyssum; Gazania 
splendens with Blue Lobelia; white Verbena with 
Scarlet Verbena, or vice versa; Pink, Rose, Maroon, 
or Crimson Verbena, with white Verbena; Alba fieri- 
bunda Dahlia with Purple Zelinda Dahlia; Tropteo- 
lum Lobbianum elegans with silver Cerastium; Scar¬ 
let Geranium or Crystal Palace Scarlet Dahlia with 
silver-leafed Cineraria; Heliotrope with variegated 
Mint. In fact, so many different and pleasing 
arrangements may be made in regard to the plants 
named that we do not consider it necessary to detail 
them here, as they will readily suggest themselves to 
those who bestow a few momenta thought on the 
Bubjcct. Bordering beds seldom look well if the 
beds arc very small. The border, to be effective, 
should be about one-third the diameter of the bed.” 
PROTECTION TO TREES, 
Fig. 3 shows, on a larger scale, the ground plan, or 
rather horizontal section 1 foot from the ground, and 
a portion of the elevation of a tree so fenced. Iu this 
figure the wire or Htring is shown passing through the 
upright rods and horizontal short pieces, from c by d 
to but, from r by / to e, the wires are only shown 
passing through the upright rods; the short pieces 
being seen in vertical profile, as they are in nature. 
PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 
have 
where 
square 
not much confidence of success. 
If we should have a month of very dry weather be¬ 
fore iny 30,000 cuttings have commenced to root, 
there would he danger of losing the whole lot. 
Man, you should have stuck to those single eyes, 
thousand can be grown on “a few feet 
But we suppose all our words will be wast¬ 
ed, for it will be seen he is 
TOO WISE TO LF.ARN OF US. 
Nor can I admit that he can impart any informa¬ 
tion on the general subject of grape propagation that 
is new to me. 
Some persons always know too much to learn, and 
that is the reason they acquire so little knowledge, 
and make such bad use of the trifle they do possess. 
But we are always willing to be taught, and Mr. M. 
has learned us tbe truth of the old saying, that a cer¬ 
tain class, which we will not name, “are not all dead 
yet.” But he has taught us more than that, 
Many in this country, and some among our Rural 
readers, are making lawns somewhat after the charac¬ 
ter of the English parks. These add much to the 
beftuty of tbe landscape, and ftre a more fitting anr* 
rounding to the bouse than cultivated fields’, they are 
the best of all pleasure grounds, well adapted lor a 
ramble, or even a drive when of largo extent. They 
aro of hut little cost, for they should be pastured 
with cattle and sheep, and where desirable may lie 
mown for hay. The trees will not he so thickly set 
as to interfere materially with the yield of grass, 
while for cattle they afford a grateful shade. Then 
the cattle, if they should be “fat and sleek,” add 
much to the quiet pastoral beauty of the scene. 
There Is only one difficulty in the way of the gene¬ 
ral and profitable adoption of this plan, and that is 
the necessity of protecting trees when young from 
injury by the cattle. This is well done by wire screens 
or fencing, which is now made and sold tolerably 
cheap. The trees may he planted in clumps, and a 
wire fence snrround each group. This has been done 
in this country, and with the most satisfactory 
results. But the expense is considerable, and we 
introduce an English plan, which has the advantage 
of cheapness, can be made by the farmer during 
leisure times, and we have no doubt will answer tbe 
purpose as well as the most expensive contrivances. 
Procure poles of auystraight growing tree, six feet 
or more in length, and two inches in diameter at the 
thickest end; they should have holes drilled through 
them at the top and bottom, about 1 foot from each 
end. Get a similar hole drilled two or three inches 
up the center of a stake, and 
then Baw off the length which 
has had the hole drilled through 
it, and which will give a piece 
that, when tbe string or wire 
is drawn through it, will resem¬ 
ble b iu Jig. 1. Repeat the 
operation till as many pieces 
are drilled and sawn off as 
Pass a strong piece of wire, or 
thick "tarred string, through one stake by the holo 
at the top, and then through one of the two-inch 
pieces, then through another stake, and so on, sepa- I more 
rating each Htake at top and bottom by one of the 
two-inch pieces of wood, until you have enough to 
surround your tree loosely, leaving plenty of space 
Figure 1. 
may he wanted. 
and 
It will have been observed by all who 
attempted this species of propagation, that, under 
certain circumstances, the cuttings will grow, the 
shoots elongate, and external appearances would 
indicate that the rooting process was progressing 
favorably, while at the same time the cutting, instead 
of forming roots, was rapidly undergoing decompo¬ 
sition. It will also have been noticed that, under 
certain conditions, cuttings will produce a good sup¬ 
ply of roots, although they exhibit no indication ol 
growth by the external buds. These results are found 
invariably to follow certain conditions, proving that 
the art of propagation is not the mere consequence 
of an unguidable operation, depending upon chance 
for success, hat that it is founded upon principles 
which cannot be violated with impunity. 
When we remove a slip or cutting from its parent 
branch, our first necessary care is to preserve it from 
decay, and the amount and kind of care necessary to 
effect this object, will depend upon the kind and 
nature of the cutting. Cuttings of young succulent 
Hhoots, that have no matured wood, arc entirely 
dependent upon the preservation and healthy exist¬ 
ence of the leaves with which they are furnished at 
the time of removal; for it i« upon the assimulating 
power of these leaves that the rooting process 
depends. On the other hand, a cutting of matured 
wood, bucIi as currant or grape vine, taken in the 
fall is already charged with sufficient organized 
matter to form roots independent of any immediate 
action of leaves. Between these two extremes there 
are, of course, numerous intermediate conditions, 
and just in proportion to the succulency ol the 
shoot, so is the care increased in preserving it while 
roots are being produced; the more leaves, the more 
care required; for if placed in a dry atmosphere they 
will speedily shrivel, if exposed to intense light they 
will wilter, and if kept too dark and moist, they will 
rot. Hence the practice of using close fitting 
frames and hell glassy, to prevent contact with dry 
air, and the better to secure those peculiar atmos¬ 
pherical requirements. 
The proper condition in which cuttingR should be 
taken to ensure success, depends upon the naturo of 
the plant There is no known universal rule. While 
some will root most readily from matured wood, 
others cannot be propagated successfully by any 
other except the tender growing points of shoots. 
This is consequently u matter of observation and 
experiment, and every well established experiment is 
so much gain to horticultural knowledge. 
The necessity of preserving a uniform degree of 
moisture around the base of the cutting is also a 
point of great importance. An excess oi moisture 
in the soil into which they are inserted, will speedily 
cause decomposition, the cutting will thus absorb 
_watery matter than can he decomposed by the 
feeble action of the limited quantity of leaves. The 
result of such treatment will readily he detected by 
the leaves assuming ft pale yellowish hue, and the 
burdensome to the memory, instead of an uitr 
ea |ly beautiful science, teaching tbe regular arrange¬ 
ment and classification of the almost infinite variety 
of plants and (lowers that carpet the broad earth, 
lt may never Im ours to comprehend the extent ol 
this most interesting Bcience, but surely we may and 
ought t" become conversant with the flora ot our 
own vicinity. 
Ou the southern side of sunny slopes, the Liver-leaf 
creeps into sight as soon aB April breezes have melted 
the March snows. Hepatica triloba is its botanical 
name, given it because of its threc-lobed, liver- 
shaped leaf. Examining the flower, we find at. in¬ 
volucre, or whorl of bracts, surrounding the stem, 
and hearing some resemblance to a calyx, lbcse 
bracts are leaves, in different stages of transition, 
from their natural form to that of sepals, or divisions 
of the calyx. Immediately above this involucre are 
perhaps six leaves of white, delicate rose or pale 
purple, forming, not the corolla, but the calyx. The 
number of sepalfc varies, being seldom less than five 
or exceeding nine. The corolla is wanting. Another 
variety of Hepatica triloba differs from the one 
already described only in the shape of its leaves, 
which are more acute, and in the tact of its preferring 
the northern side of hills. 
A more delicate flower next claims our attention, 
the Claytonia, or Spring Beauty, belonging to the 
order of Portnluraceir, or Purslanes. As the name 
or the order indicates, it is a fleshy plant. It is 
small, seldom growing more than three inches in 
height. Half way up the slender stem are two leaves, 
opposite and entire, or even-edged. The flower con¬ 
sists of two sepals and five petals—the latter being 
white or 
shade. The 
to the petals. 
Most curious of our spring flowers is the Dieh/tra 
cuculluria, sometimes called Dutchman’s Breeches. 
It has but two small sepals- petalB four in number, 
oddly shaped, two of them being larger than the 
others, spurred at the base, and folding over the 
interior of the corolla- the whole of which is white, 
tipped with yellow. The leaves are radical, i. e., 
growing from the root, and deeply divided, coming 
under the head of multifid, or many-cleft leaves 
Gainesville, 1801- Margaret Ellh 
The above has been mislaid or it would have ap¬ 
peared before. It describes the earliest of our spring 
Care for the Furs.— The question of interest to 
tbe ladies now is, bow to keep their furs from the 
invasion of the moth. The best way to preserve 
them from destruction, so far as we know, is to pack 
them in a box lined with brown holland, first sprink¬ 
ling them liberally .with black pepper. This is better 
even than camphor, for dealers iu furs are often vic¬ 
timized by entomological peats, though their goods 
be saturated with this powerful odor. Before pack¬ 
ing awayfurs, they should be well beaten, to dislodge 
any larvio that despite the most scrupulous core may 
be deposited in them. The superiority of pepper to 
camphor ns a preservative to furs, consists in the fact 
that while lame will incubate among camphor, there 
is something in the aroma of pepper which destroys 
them in embryo. 
Bkownkd Hash op Corned Beef.— Heat tbe hash 
in a kettle, and mix through it two tablespoonfuls of 
sweet butter, and seasoning to suit; add a spoonful 
of water ouly. Have two tablospOonfuls of melted 
butter boiling in tbe spider, turn it up and around, 
that the butter may touch the who la surlace oi the 
spider. Pnt in the bash, press it tightly, and keep 
it cooking gently without burning. Run a knife 
wilder it now and then, to see that it is not scorching. 
When browned, place a platter over the spider, an 
turn it out without breaking. It will need two per¬ 
sons to dish it; one to hold the platter firmly on the 
spider, and the other to turn it out. 
Starching Muslin Curtains. — Noticing an in¬ 
quiry in a late number of the Rural, for the best 
method of starching muslin curtains, I have taken 
the liberty to send the following:—Wash the curtains 
ft.mort'd,Uo»t C rc,»,v,la«d wUU j *»£ ”?*£?££££ 
n» «*-•”•. •» >• —»«•" ^lr!Kwr.H« «.«» dr,,.u.,h ,h,m. 
and H you have a good clean carpet in your house, 
spread them upon it; pin them smoothly all around, 
and let them dry. Curtains cleaned this way need 
no ironing, and look much better than In the usual 
way. I have tried it and know.-MAaoiK, Palmyra, 
N. V., 18(11-_ __ 
French Loaf Cake.— Three pounds of flour; 2 
pounds of butter; 2 pounds of sugar; 3 eggs; 3 nut¬ 
megs; 24 teaspoonfuls saleratus; 1 glass oi brandy; 
raisins. 
Democrat Cake.— One pound of sugar; 4 pound 
butter; 1 pofind flour; 4 pint sweet milk; 5 eggs; 1 
flowers, and the author would confer a favor on the I toaH j, oou ft,i cream tartar; 1 of soda. 
loverB of Nature’s beauties by continuing her descrip¬ 
tions. _ m , __. 
THE CURRANT WORM-AGAIN 
New York Cue Cake— Five cups of flour; 5 eggs; 
I cup of butter; 3 cups of sugar; 14 tcaspoouful 
saleratus; 1 cup sour cream; 1 nutmeg.— Anna Mo., 
Vernon, N. Y., 1801, 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker; -Noticing the univer¬ 
sal complaint of the destructive ravages of the 
Currant worm, in the columns of tbe Rural, and ns 
it is making great havoc among the currant and 
gooseberry bushes about here, I send you a remedy 
that has never failed, in a single instance, of exter¬ 
minating them. Take six poundR of whale oil soap, 
dissolve in six or eight gallons of soft water pour 
into a barrel and add water enough to make U gal¬ 
lons; then, in the moruingor evening take a watering 
pot and give the bushes a good thorough drenching. 
After you get through, take a small stick and give 
the bushes a smart rap, commencing with those 
watered first- Repeat this a day or two afterwards, 
and you will not be troubled with the Currant worm 
again, or until the fly that depositee the eggs hatches 
out another brood of worms, lt would be a certain 
preventive, however, to water them with the above 
compound once a week until the currants or goose¬ 
berries are ripe. I am afraid they will attack grape 
vines after a while. By the by, grape vines look very 
hard about here. Nearly all of those that were not 
laid down last full are killed to the ground,-the Isa¬ 
bellas having suffered the most,-Catawba Dmna 
Rebecca, and Anna less, while Delaware and Concord 
are not injured in the least,-not a bud but what has 
sprouted, reaches will not bo as plenty as people 
were led to believe by the way trees blossomed tins 
soring. Quite a number of those that blossomed the 
most this spring are nearly dead now, with scarcely 
a leaf on them. Wheat in the southern part of the 
county will not be more than half a crop the March 
frosts heaving it very badly. Grass wilt also be g i • 
Cherries, apples, and pears will yield good crops. 
Plums are very much stung by that little rascal, the 
curoulio. 
Waterloo, N. Y., 1861. 
To Clean Brogue Shawls.—T ake two tablespoon- 
fills each of honey, soft soap, and alcohol. Spread 
your shawl ou a sheet doubled several times, and, 
with a cloth or sponge, rub the part you wish to 
clean with the mixture, till it is thoroughly satu¬ 
rated; then rub with clear soft water iu the same 
manner till the shawl is of a dingy white; then rinse 
in two waters, dry and press, and ’twill look as good 
as new.— Jennie, Dewittville, N. Y., IhlI. 
A Certain Cuke for Colds.— A remedy never 
known to fail-.-Three cents worth of licorice; three 
cents worth of rock candy; three cents worth ot gum 
arable. Put them in a quart of water, simmer them 
till thoroughly dissolved; then 
worth of paregoric, and a like quantity of ni 
wine. Let it cool, and sip 
troublesome. It is pleasant, infallible, cheap, and 
good. Its cost is only fifteen cents. 
add three cents 
witimonial 
whenever the cough is 
Seneca. 
tjnquirU* mid Answers. 
A Dkstkcctivk I.ittk Ulack 1 i.Y. H. N. and •(• I- ' v IIITK 
being interested In the culture of liuwers and garden vege- 
To Prevent Kettles Crusting.-!).-. Osburn says 
that the crusty deposits which gather on the iroude 
of kettles used for boiling water, may be prevented 
by placing a common clay marble m each kettle. 
The deposits having a greater affinity for the marble 
than for the sides of the kettle, gather around the 
former and increase its bulk, while the latter are 
left as bright and clear as when uew. 
Hard Gingerbread.— One teaspoonful saleratus 
in six tablespoonfuls of boiling water; I cup oi 
molasscB; 1 tablespoonful of ginger; 6 tablespoon- 
fuls butter, alum the size of a chestnut, dissolved m 
a spoonful of water.—M., Otselic, A. Y., 1861. 
Cheap Soda Cake.— One egg; a piece of butter 
as large as an egg; 1 cup of sugar; 1 of sweet milk; 
2 of flour; 2 teaspoonfuls of cream tartar; I" 801 
Put in a square tin and bake 20 minutes.-A Domes¬ 
tic, Otselic, N. Y„ 18G1. 
tables, co in plain of a 
which they say “destroys every green thing. The sample 
of the fly said to be in«lQ»d by them, was missing, Conse- 
quontly we are unabU to Inform them what particular U 
lly» it is; but their inquiry U very proper, and though ouly 
4*4 respectively H and 13, we would cheerfully answer tie.r 
query. We can suppose a dozen kinds of'winged area are. 
of which it no doubt is,) that might be called a little 
Ith white wings,” and would advise them 
i, little black fly with white wings, 
(one 
black fly 
to 
ioclose some In a quill, in good condition, and send them, or 
any similar depredator they may meet with.—J. S. 
Ants are frequently troublesome pests in an apiary. 
To get rid of them, mix equal parts of potash and 
sugar, pulverising the whole in a mortar, feet the 
mixture, in shallow plates, in places winch the ants 
frequent. _^ - 
Cheap Sponge CAKB.-B.eak 2 eggs in * teacup; 
1 cup of white sugar; 1 
fill it up with sweet cream; 
teaspoonful cream tartar; half teaspoonful soda; a 
large cup of flour.-C. Pierce, OtseUc, A. 1. 
1801. 
