— 
7 WINE GLASS METHOD OF TRAINING PEAR 
TREES. 
Hovey’h Magazine of Horticulture for 
February, 1S65, contains a highly interesting 
article from Capt. W. R. Austin of Dorchester, 
Mass., on his system of training pear trees in 
the form of ft wine glass or goblet. 
Wc have heard Capt. Austin’s trees spoken of 
frequently by those who have seen them, as 
models of beauty and productiveness, and we 
therefore take pleasure in placing before our 
fruit growing readers, in his own words, the 
Captain’s mode of treatment. 
After discussing at some length the compar¬ 
ative merits of the “ Pyramid ” and 44 Wine 
Glass,” he says: 
“I take good thrifty dwarf trees, (not bark- 
bound and stunted, either imported or native,) 
say two years from the bud, and having pre¬ 
pared the ground by trenching, say two spades 
deep, and making the soil light and fine, I set 
out the young trees in April, in straight rows, 
eight feet apart, and the rows say twelve or fif¬ 
teen feet apart, or, you may set a single row on 
borders near a walk; the soil all helDg loose 
and light, only a small hole need he opened, 
sufficient to contain easily the roots, (which 
in the imported tree are usnally small, and we 
rely upon new, fine roots making out from the 
stem.) 
A tree should not be set like a post, in a small 
hole, with the ground hard all around it; and 
here let me say, if your ground bas not been 
trenched, or made mellow by cultivation, the 
next best thing is to open a very large hole, four 
or even six feet in diameter, and return the soil 
to it broken up loose, that is, fill up the hole 
with the same soil, or any other better , especially 
close round the stem, to encourage young roots 
to start out. 
The trees should be set deep enough to have 
the juncture where the pear joins the quince 
twd inches below the surface, and this will tend 
to keep out borers, (some recommend deeper 
planting, to induce a growth of pear root, oAoee 
the qniuce roots; this, in my grounds, with 
trees so near together, I consider a misfortune. 
If lam going to have pear root, let me know it in 
the first place, that I may give ample room, and 
be prepared to wait for a big tree;) the trees 
being set out, and the ground leveled otT, I cut 
off the top, or head it back, cutting out the cen¬ 
ter leader, if any, and prepare the tree for a low 
start when it bey ins to grow; it is important to 
mulch the first summer, and apply a top-dressing 
of good compost manure every fall or winter, to 
be forked in in the sprlBg when the soil is turned 
over. Manure should never be put directly 
among the roots; after the roots are nicely 
spread out, and covered over with a fine soil, 
then'a layer of manure, of most auy kind, (com¬ 
post, stable or barn-yard, preferred,) may be put 
on, and the hole filled up and leveled olf even, 
that the first rains may soak down and carry the 
juices to the roots. 
Of course, no weeds or grass must be allowed 
to grow near the trees, though carrots or veget¬ 
ables may be cultivated with good effect, to 
keep the ground mellow, and until the trees 
become large; the first summer the growth is 
usually small, but the second spring, (a year 
from planting,) they are prepared to 6tart vigor¬ 
ously, and must now be headed back, or cut in, 
and the tree formed during this second summer 
into the way you desire it to go. A certain num¬ 
ber of leaders (say 10 or 12) may bo allowed to 
grow, starting the lower ones about IS inches 
from the ground, and leaving the stem clean 
below that, — nothing but theso leaders are 
allowed to grow, taking care to have no particu¬ 
lar center cue to enjoy all the sap, but all equally 
divided; all side-shoots and spray kept Oil by 
nipping or cutting off, with very light shears, 
leaving always three or four leaves at the base of 
the twig, for foliage. These leaders, having all 
the sap, grow fast, and must be topped or cut olf 
when too long, say about 10th of July, or sooner 
if necessary, to give a check and concentrate the 
energies of the tree, and stock it np; this may 
have to be repeated more than once, hut if top¬ 
ped too early, tlie tendency is to throw out more 
side shoots and increase your labor, but alter 
about the 10th, or middle of July, the growth 
becomes sluggish during the hot weather, and if 
in the fall they start to growing again, the same 
process must be continued, and thus all the 
pruning is done during the growing season. 
This being done each year, the tree is constantly 
in shape; no saw is ever required to saw off large 
limbs and waste its energies, and no gap lost in 
superfluous growth. The wood being exposed 
to sun and air ripens off well, and predisposes to 
the production of fruit spurs and buds, and thus 
early bearing is secured, while tho tree has 
concentrated vitality to support and nourish its 
fruit. 
Wc have heard much said about 41 pinching 
aud doubtless if the young shoots can be taken 
in time, they may be nipped off with the thumb 
and fore-tiuger, but 1 have usually preferred to 
wait for a greater number to appear before com¬ 
mencing, and then use u very small, light pair 
of pruning shears that make a drawing stroke, 
or even scissors are more expeditions than a 
knife; tho work is imperative and urgent from 
about the middle of May to 10th of July, and 
many millions of these side shoots I cut off 
w yearly, enough I presume, to dampen the 
"ft art * or of any but a full believer and enthu- 
f siast, but the tree once Into full bearing, tho labor 
v 4 nmch dimished, and the head property formed, 
J it is not so hard to keep it so. I have said 10 or 
leaders; this, of course, Is not arbitrary, and 
may be less or more, so long as the principle Is 
r maintained, and a low open habit secured; if 
sV the tree U near a walk, or you have not room for 
r® a rou,ld to P) you may give a flat form like a fan 
f. lind almost have a trained tree without 
OL_ 
tying; in this case a less number of leaders 
would he needed. In the sketch presented, there 
are more leaders than my best models have, but 
which conld not he photographed for want of a 
background. 
For whatever of success I have had in pear 
growing, I am indebted enttrtly to my mode of 
pruning, undnotto ‘‘ generous culture;" mysoil 
is light and thin, with gravelly, coarse sand for 
subsoil. I have never manured high, or forced 
my trees, and after 15 and 20 years’ growth they 
do not average more than 10 to 12 feet in height; 
every fall, late, after the leaf has dropped and 
the sap is down, or any pleasant weather in win¬ 
ter or spring, any time before the sap begins to 
run, I go over all my trees to adjast and cut back 
my leaders to within three to six Inches of last 
year’s starting point, and this is all the growth 
allowed in height each year, while the main stem 
and leaders become gradually stouter. 
As I have said before, there are some varieties 
(as the Urbaniste, and those making much fine 
wood,) not adapted to this system, while the 
Duehesee d’Angonleme, Gloat Morceau, Benrre 
Langeller, and many others, cannot bo s\cccess- 
j’iUty imiica iu auy oilier wuy, (tin tne tree rms 
great age,) though it may flower full each year; 
so, also, there are some kinds, like the Benrre 
Dlel, Dix and St. Michael, inclined to crack, that 
require a closer head, more shade and foliage to 
protect the fruit from the direct rays of the sun, 
which hardens the skin, and the first heavy rain, 
after a drought, is sure to crack tho pears, as 
they cannot expand fast enough, and quite pos¬ 
sible they would crack iu some soil any way. 
I have often been asked, how to prune, and 
what to do w ith trees which have been left to 
themselves for live or ten years without a twig 
out; this is like calling in the doctor after the 
disease is seated aud cure impossible. If you 
undertake to cut off aud head back such trees, 
(If vigorous) wherever yon cut off, innumerable 
shoots will put out, tilling the whole top with 
sprouts, like young suckers, and nuking a per¬ 
fect thick hedge. It would be better in such a 
case of neglected trees, to lift them, and loose 
some of the roots, or root prune, before attempt¬ 
ing to reduce tho top, and after all it would only 
be an abortion; to have a perfect form and all 
the advantages of the system, the ground work 
must bo laid from the beginning, aud continued 
up with never-ceasing vigilance and industry. 
“As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined.” 
GARDEN TOOLS. 
There are two implements that are too little 
appreciated, or too little known. Reference is 
made to the spading fork and garden trowel. 
The fork works enough easier than tho spade, 
so that a stout boy will accomplish nearly as 
much, iu the same time, by its use, as a nun cau 
with a spade. No one, after having giveu it a 
thorough trial, will be w illing to dispense with 
it. A man who bas not sufficient use of his feet, 
or legs, to force a spado into tho earth, can 
drive in the fork with the hands alone. It is 
one of tho best hand implements for digging 
potatoes. 
Greening is just the thing, as it naturally grows 
low. In traveling through the country you 
will often 3ee orchards where people have made 
the grand mistake of grafting in Swaars, Vando- 
vere, or some other variety that makes a straight, 
upward growth of seven or eight feet without 
throwing out a limb, which, together with the 
old stock, will, in many eases, make thirty to 
forty feet to the lower limb ; and when you come 
to pick the apples, If you are so fortunate as to 
have any left by the wind, unless you are a care¬ 
ful hand or a sailor, you will be in danger of 
breaking your neck. i. x. l. 
Palmyra, N. Y. 
BLOOD FOR PEAR TREES. 
Having read the articles in the Rural on the 
blight of pear trees, I thought I would give you 
au experiment of one, who, while livimr, was a 
constant reader of your valuable paper. Years 
ago, when pear trees were a rarity, my father, 
Mr. C. n. Wither, had two large trees which 
were very much affected with .the blight. He 
cut out the branches affectcd^Lig up the earth 
around them, and turned th.e^^.<fffi the beeves 
atul hogs on the roots, when he butchered in the 
fall. Iu spring the trees came out in full 
bloom, never showingany signs of blight, ripen¬ 
ing their fruit the same as ever. Since then our 
trees have received the benefit of this rich fertl 
lizer, and we have an abundance of this delicious 
fruit. E. M. Wither. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. 
DWARF AND STANDARD PEARS. 
Eds. Rural New Yorker,— Iu the Rural 
of the 2Sth January, you ask readers having pos¬ 
itive facts to answer the following question by 
44 Northern New Yorker:’’ 4 Will dwarf pear 
trees be better able to endure the rigors of a se¬ 
vere climate than the same varieties of stan¬ 
dard?” 
My experience is this : I lost last winter, by 
freezing, several hundred fine, healthy looking 
standard pear trees, two and three years old 
from bufi, mostly Burtletts, wiile dwarfs of the 
same ago, varieties, eultivatio i and exposure, in 
adjoining nursery rows, received no injury. 
Bath, N. Y. Higuland. 
HAND GLASS. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker:— A cheaper hand 
glass than the one noticed in a late number of 
the Rural, is made by takiig strips of board 
three inches wide, run the match plane, that 
makes the groove, near one edge, saw to such 
lengths as when nailed together in the form of 
a paralellograin, it will just admit a paue of 
glass to slide in the grooves. One end should 
be lowered to admit the glass to slide over it. 
When not in use the glass can he taken out and 
put away. By their use the plants may be easily 
ventilated by sliding the glass, more or less, ac¬ 
cording to the temperature. The glass should 
be at least S by 10 inches; larger would be bet¬ 
ter. S. IV. Arnold. 
very much injure young trees by gnawing the 
bark on the trunks.” 
List of Extra. Hardy Apples for Wisconsin .— 
The Wisconsin Horticultural Society, recom¬ 
mended the following for general cultivation 
in that State, as extra hardy:—Red Astraehan, 
William’s Favorite, Duchess of Oldenburg, St. 
Lawrence, Fall Wine Sap, Fameuse, Tallman 
Sweet, Perry Russet, Willow Twig, Pomme 
Grise, Red Romanite. 
Greasing Apple Trees to prevent Babbits from 
Barking them , is said by a correspondent of the 
Tribune , to have killed nearly the whole of an 
orchard. He cautions against using any greasy 
stuff at all for the purpose, hut recommends 
using fresh cow manure, making a paint of it, 
by mixing with water or milk, and putting on 
with a brush. 
govtirulturalgotcis anti Queries, 
Naples Hort. Society.—O fficers for 1865 : Brest.— 
A. P. Lyon. Vice Brest.—L. G. Thrall. Treas-J. B. 
Johnson. Sec'y—S. H. Sutton. 
Drying Fruit.—W e have a half dozen inquiries as 
to the best mode of drying fruit by artificial means. 
If any of our readers have processes by which peaches 
and apples may be quickly and well dried, they will 
confer a favor upon many of onr readers by giving it. 
A friend of ours who has a green-house, dries his fruit 
in it, in lees than half the time ordinarily required. 
-- 
Flower Seeds to Give Away.— Mrs. V. P. Whit- 
beck, East Groveiand, Livingston Co., N. Y., is trying 
a very dangerous experiment when she writes the 
Rural as follows: — “I have Chinese Pink, Sweet 
Williams, Petunias, White Foxglove, African Mari¬ 
golds, orange and straw-color, double, very large, 
White Columbine, Coriopsts, brown and yellow, Por- 
tnlaccas. Asters, alt colors. Pansies, Tulips, seed of .ill 
colors. Candytuft, Poppys, silk, all shades. Morning 
Glories, red, white and blue. I have a few seeds of 
the Baltimore Belle and Boursault Roses, splendid 
climbers, and also some Honeysuckle, monthly red 
and variegated, and last but not least, the musk vine 
with its scarlet berries. If some of your many readers 
will send their address, plain and correct, I will send 
some of the seeds-postage pre-paid.” 
ItortiniUnral |Uvmisme»t$, 
bushel. 
March ‘IS, 1S65. 
B. CATES, 
Xavariao, X. Y, 
pOXCOKD VINEri GROWN from SINGLE 
vu hm.-we oiler % juantiev of the ainive.ii a dis¬ 
count of 30 per cent, from onr Catalogue price. Also, a 
few oi other sorts at Catalogue rates. Scad for Cata¬ 
logue. RYDER <c CO.. Sing Sing, X. Y. 
pIIEAP APPLE TREES.— Good Apple Trees $ 
V 100; smaller size, So lft). I will send to anv 
dress on receipt ot price. Address 
TBS-lt A. M. WILLIAMS, Box 80, Syracuse, X. Y. 
R 
LSSELL’S AND BUFFALO SEED- 
. _' LING STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
Russell's SO for SI; 100 lor f'l; lOto l or *13, duplicates *10. 
Bofialo, fl per dozen, $5 per hundred. 
IONA GRAPE VINES. 
No. l. one yeir old, fc!,50 each, *25 per dozen. 
TUff-fit J. ICEECH, Waterloo, N. Y. 
* vv...vy*v> cmHtmiu V HUU» CtaUUimi t * WWW 
aud Iu»rsL*cii<=»tiitit trees. Aldo, 15,010 vines — De 
aware. Concord, Clinton. Catawba, tsabella rod other 
Also, KWjXO Strawberry Plants. Russell's Prolific an 
Great AUAtin »utl ottwr coocl ktm'.s. Cherry Currant 
others; 10,000 Pear Seedlings. The above w'l be sol 
Cheap for cash. JAYNE * I'' ATM AN. 
i9S-2t Benton, Yates Co., X. Y 
fJ.OODRICH 5s !*<H*illiu 2 Potatoes, by Mail, 
VT pre-pain tor 25 cts. ;• n>. Garnet, Cuzco and Piniceye 
Bjwtfcoat, * bbl. 53.50. Circulars free * ' 
iWMt P. SUTTON, Ransom. Luzern Co., Pa. 
rOLLECTION OF FLOWER SEEDS 
1 IB ”2- HvTA.IX,. 
Within the oast seven vears our collections of Flower 
Seeds by mail, have found their way into every part of 
the Untied States,and also to the Cauadas. They contain 
no variety of doubtful merit, but only those best adapted 
for general cultivation, including many varieties o? re¬ 
cent introduc: ion that have proved valuable acquisitions, 
.and as such they are recommended :■> extensive cultiva¬ 
tors of flowers, as well as to those who are unarnuainted 
with the most desirable varetits. Each variety will bo 
labeled with :ail directlona for its cultivation. They will 
be forwardod. post-paid, to anv address In the Union 
No. I- C untaltts T* only varieties of choice Annuals (LOO 
3—Twenty varieties ot choice Biennials and Pe¬ 
rennials...,,.,... 
3— Ten extra fine varieties of rare Annuals and 
Perennials. 
4— Five choice varieties from { 'im lowers, of 
Truffaut's French Asters, German, Carna¬ 
tion am! i'leotee Pinks. English Pansies, 
Verbenas and Hollyhocks, each of which is 
Add at UVell!y-lire cents rtiielv. 1 00 
Any person remitting ftt all!'receive the 
above four collections free ot postage. 
5— Fltty varieties, (including Cnl lection No. l.) 
Annuals, Biennials and Perennials,. 
0—One hundred varieties. Annuals, Biennials 
and Perennials, tncluuluji uixny of the best 
in cultivation.. 
7—Contains Fifteen choice varieties of green¬ 
house seeds ...fl^OQ 
Persons desiring to make their own selections from the 
general list, will be entitled to a discount proportionate 
to the quantity ordered. For list of which see our illus¬ 
trated Annual Catalogue, which will be sent to all annli- 
can;* luclosliig 15 cents. a> r.ress 
IVC-Jt. McELWAlN BROS., Springfield, Mass. 
1,00 
1,00 
,50 
5,00 
/ III A NIIV. It I? A PLANTS,— 1 Circulars givinglufoi 
V ' rnatiou ou the Culture oi the Cranberry sent to ai 
•/.'cants inclosing staruj. V—, a Arvo a .if plant 
tor sale, P. i>. CHILSOX, Bellingham, Mass. 
MIE Til UK CAPE COD CR A SHERRY-For 
- Spring Planting, for Upland and GardenUnlturo.and 
Swan ps. I tuler my method of Cultivation the yield 
TV 
st psm | HR__ 
last season on upland was over 400 bushels per acre.' Ex¬ 
plicit directions for culthalioh, with pricey of plants 
with Nursery aud Seed Catalogue complete, will ho sent 
n al prepaid by mail. 
B. M. WAIM>N, Old Colony Nurseries, rivm.v.th. Mass. 
There is nothing that equals tho garden trowel 
for transplanting. By its use, all kinds of small 
plants are easily transplanted, with very little 
disturbance of the roots. With a garden trowel, 
we transplant our strawberries, and they scarce¬ 
ly feel the removal, and continue to grow right 
along. A little mass of dirt accompanies the 
plant, and the little rootlets are not violently 
wrenched, and torn assuuder. Commend us to 
the garden trowel, when small plants are to be 
taken up, or replanted. L. L. Fairchild. 
THE BEST APPLE FOR MARKET. 
I saw in the Rural some time ago, a call for 
votes on the best apple for market. For Wayne 
and Monroe counties, where I have tried them 
along with some twenty-live other varieties, 1 
should say first, Baldwin, and second, R. I. 
Greening. If I were to set young trees I should 
set Baldwins. If I were to graft old trees I 
should putiu Greenings. 
Iu grafting over old trees, it is always desira¬ 
ble to get as low a head as possible, aud a R. I. 
GLEANINGS FROM LETTERS AND PAPERS. 
Chi n ks for Wisconsin .— T he Wisconsin Hor¬ 
ticultural Society recommends the tollowing list 
for that State:—Early May, Donna Maria, Eug- 
lish Red or Pie Cherry, aud Early Richmond 
worked on Morello. 
Grafting the Cherry.—A correspondent of the 
Boston Cultivator says the cherry should be 
grafted as early its tho weather W.U permit, to 
insure success. He usually grafts it the latter 
part of March or first of April. 
Ashes about Apjde Trees .— A. T, Naples, N. 
Y., asks if it is safe to use md aehed ashes 
around the roots of young apple trees. Yes, it 
is safe, and an excellent application both to 
young and old orchards. 
Sheep in the Orchard .—A eorresptudent writes: 
44 In two numbers of the Rural i: lias been re¬ 
commended to use an orchard tor pasturing 
sheep, after a few years cultivat lot. According 
to my experience and observation, sheep will 
1 7IK1ISH SEEDS OF ALL KINDS-Bv 
. mall, prepaid: abo tho .V«m Mi-uu-^rrLx, Gratae 
Curran (>. Ax. Fr.ee Descriptive List will be - at to anv 
KWrtMS. It. M. WATSON. 1 
TOD-SI Old Colony Nurseries, Plymouth, Mass. 
B 
RILL Sc 
kumbrle, 
SEED MERCHANTS, 
tr* Growers, Importers, and Dealers In genuine Garden. 
Field and I lower Seeds. Abo Trees, Vines, Shrubs, 
Plants, &<j., Jfcc., 
153 Btmad Street, 
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY. 
JOHN B.KUM8RLR, Seedsman, 
(Successor to the late Geo. C. Thorburn.) 
FRANCIS BRILL, Seed Grower and Nurseryman, 
N. B.— Seeds by mail, postage paid, on receipt of price, 
Catalogues gratis, by addressing :ia above. 
KA i u kA standard and Dwart Pear Trees for 
• fr'.v ft rtf gate. Also a targe aud complete assort¬ 
ment of Nursery stock. Address 
7S’-St E. MOODY A SONS, Lockport, N. Y. 
R 
I SSELLS Prolilic STRAWBERRY. 
Strong plants, price fill per thousand. 3L50 per hundred. 
Aud sent by mall, fifty plants, for cue dollar; cash ac¬ 
companying orders, Address JOSHUA T. DRUKL, Age, 
Rod Jacket Vineyard, Waterloo, Seneca Co., N. Y’. 
SIA|) AAA CRANBERRY PLANTS 
f)V* V M ‘UU forsalu by GEO. A. BATE 
Scad for Circular. 
Bellingham Mass. 
ORDER. m 
- 1 ^ 
Is it not the case that many otherwise good J 
housekeepers waste both time and strength by 
not having a regular plan of doing work. Some 
for instance wash any day in the week that seems 
most convenient, and Saturday night often over¬ 
takes the smooching iron in its travels over the 
weekly wash. Soap-making comes any time of 1 
year that the supply fails, and every thing else 
accordingly. The consequence is that their 
houses and their minds are always in confusion, 
and if they wish to leave home for pleasure or 
business, they have a disagreeable sense of leav¬ 
ing something undone. Surely it is far easier, 
as well as more pleasant, to have the ever recur- 
ing tasks of the week performed on regular 
days. Some have a way of leaving everything 
wherever they nse it last. Business will often 
be suspended to have a hunt for shears, or some 
other article, * 4 A place for every thing and 
every thing in its place," is a grand old maxim 
and if lived up to, would be a fine part of the 
education of children. It is no small acquire¬ 
ment for a boy to hang up his coat and cap every 
time he takes them off, buc when once learned, 
it is a habit that will benefit him all his life. 
Mothers are often too crowded with cares to at¬ 
tend to these minor matters, but it would be a 
fine thing if they could. Patty Prindle. 
Evergreen Cottage, Wal. Co., Wis., 1965. 
BRINKERHOFF CHTJRN. 
John Foster, Hudson, Ohio, writes, ns “it 
come up to tho scratch every time. In my opin¬ 
ion it has three advantages over ail other churns 
that I have seen:—!. The beaters run equally 
from the four sides— the top and bottom being 
two—of the churn, stirring all the cream at the 
same time equally alike. 2. By a half motion 
of the crank it will wash itself down during the 
process of churning, in a moment, and also give 
the final washing down when done churning. 3. 
It is better ventilated, an important item in 
making nice yellow butter, in my opinion.” 
Mrs. E. M. McMellan, Eddytown, N. Y., 
writes she has tested it a year, fairly and tho¬ 
roughly, and finds it all it was represented to 
be. “It will bring the batter in less than one- 
third the time required by the dash churn, the 
butter can be worked in it entirely free from 
milk by washing in two waters, and it requires 
no more working than to thoroughly mix the 
salt. The butter is superior in quality to any 
I ever made with the dash chum, when tho¬ 
roughly worked.” 
TO MAKE NEAT’S-FOOT OIL. 
A correspondent of a contemporary writes 
what is done with beeves’ legs In his family:— 
The hooffs are chopped off, and the other por¬ 
tions are cracked and boiled thoroughly. From 
the surface of this boiled mass, about one pint 
of pure neatsfoot oil is skimmed, which is un¬ 
surpassed by any other oleaginous matter for 
harness, shoes, Ac. After the oil is taken off, 
the water is strained to take from it any fatty 
particles that may remain, and then it is boiled 
again, until upon trying, it is found it will set- 
tte into a stiff jelly. It is then poured into flat- 
bottomed dishes, and when cold, cut into suit¬ 
able sized pieces. It hardens in a few days, 
and then you will have a very fine article of 
glue, free from impurities of every kind, suffi¬ 
cient for family nse for a twelvemonth. By 
taking a portion of this glutinous substance be¬ 
fore it becomes too thick, ancl brushing it over 
pieces of silk, you have just as much court- 
plaster as you desire, inodorous, tenacious, and 
entirely free from those poisonous qualities 
which cause (as much of the article sold by 
apothecaries does) inflammation, when applied 
to scratches, cuts and sores. 
"w --•—*- 
Yeast that will Start itself.— Seeing an 
inquiry for a recipe for making yeast that will 
start itself, I send yon mother’s:—Boil two 
ounces of the best hops in four quarts of wa¬ 
ter, for half an hour; strain it,'and let the liquor 
cool down to new milk warmth. Then put in 
a small handful of salt, and half a pound of 
sugar; beat up one pound of the best Hour with 
some of the liquor, and mix all well together. 
The third day add three pounds of potatoes, 
boiled aud mashed, and let it stand until the 
next clay. Then strain, and it is ready for use. 
It must be stirred freqeutly while it is making, 
and kept near the tire. Before using, stir well. 
It will keep two or three months in a cool 
place.—R., Livonia , JS r . T. 
Restoring Hair.— I would tell Addie Wake- 
man if she would “ restore her hair,” rain water 
or quire soft water, used several times a dav, is 
preferable to 44 lac sulphur, sugar of lead, rose 
water,” or “soap” of any kind. I would as 
soon think of putting “sugar of lead” in my 
food as to think of putting it ou my hair. It is 
not a more virulent poison, however, than many 
other articles used in modern cookery. In¬ 
stances of fainting and even death, sometimes 
occur by the use of poisonous drugs on the hair. 
“ Caution is the parent (f safety,'* — A Subscriber. 
to Addis Wvkeman’s inquiry in your paper, a 
few weeks since, in regard to restoring the hair 
turned grey by sickness, I would reply that the 
following recipe has been tried and found to be 
good. To preserve hair from lulling off and 
turning gray;—oz. of sugar lead; X ^ of lac 
sulphur; 1 oz. of glycerine. The above should 
be cut with alcohol, then add oue quarts of rain 
water. Saturate the hair two or three times a 
day.— Mrs. S. E. Coplin. 
