on the 2il ot' December in my vinery, after being 
frozen, and they hung tight to the stem and re¬ 
turned their flavor well, and was better than any 
other grape when first ripe. 
And, now. Rural friends, although I am away 
here in Cold Canada, where many of our Ameri¬ 
can people think fruit will not grow, you may, if 
you please, toll such when you meet them, that 
they are very much mistaken j for I believe we 
are but little, if any behind any of our good 
neighbors in raising an abundance of fruit, and 
of the choicest lauds. W. W. Kitchen. 
Grimsby, C. W., December 16, 18612. 
Our correspondent has a very favorable loca¬ 
tion for fruit of all kinds, and we are glad that 
he is aware of the fact We have traveled over 
lyhooks deserve cultivation in every garden. Un 
the lawn, among or near the shrubbery, they 
make a most magnificent display. 
We are compelled, by lack of space, to defer a 
portion of our notes of the now and ini pro' ed 
flowers introduced during the last two or three 
’years, until the next number. 
more enterprising and intelligent neighbors. It 
may be profitable to call to mind some of the 
ACQUISITIONS OF THE PAST TWO SEASONS. 
The greatest acquisition of the past quarter of 
think, is the Double Zinnia. It 
HOW TO MAKE CRACKERS 
NEW FLOWERS 
a century, we 
parts of well repays us for all the trouble and expense of 
mv new obtaining new seeds. When first imported it 
ill origi- proved satisfactory, but there was but little 
eedsmen variety of color, and at least half produced rin- 
ent, and gle flowers. The past season, however, there 
ave their was a great improvement, particularly in seeds 
orld the of our own saving from the best flowers. More 
nL whose than three-fourths came perfectly double; indeed. 
Eds. Rural: — I have often thought I would 
like to contribute something to the Ladies or 
Housewives* department of your valuable paper, 
yet am so little used to handling a pen, that I 
have not heretofore found the courage to try; but 
in compliance with a special request from my 
cousin, in your lust, I will send my recipe for 
Crackers: 
In two quarts of flour rub three teaspoonsfuls 
of cream tartar, and half ;w much soda; then six 
ounces of melted butter. Wet with a pint of 
water, and add more flour if necessary to make a 
stiff dough, which pound well with the end of a 
rolling pin, or any convenient instrument. Roll 
in sheets one-fourth inch thick; prick and cut out. 
Bake in a quick oven ten or fifteen minutes. 
About Cats.—I wish through your columns 
to obtain some instruction about cats. When we 
moved to our present residence, last spring, the 
family that occupied it before us gave away their 
two cats, and wo brought our own with ns, which 
in about two months sickened and died; and 
since (hen we have had seven, of all sizes and de¬ 
scriptions, but not one have we been able to 
keep over lli roe weeks. They are taken with 
a slight cough, which is accompanied with vom¬ 
iting a colorless or yellow fluid covered with 
bubbles, and containing sometimes a few small, 
thread-like worms; their limbs seem to stillen, 
and if they live long enough they become mere 
skeletons—seeming to suffer much agony, as 
towards the last they moan most piteously. 
Most of our neighbors think they find poison 
which has been used for rats, but we cannot tell 
whether it is or not. If any one can tell us a 
remedy they will confer a great favor.— Mrs. R. 
Smith. 
FRUIT AND WINE IN CANADA 
I now live in Canada, on the 
Friend Rural 
south shore of Lake Ontario, Grimsby Station, 
twenty-seven miles west of Niagara Falls. I 
have lived here only four 
years. I formerly resided 
w in Iowa, and moved from 
there here. I often heard 
Mtatygfcs. people tell about Canada 
being a vast wilderness, 
only inhabited by Indians. 
' '■! Jr- \ and being too cold lor uny 
v white people to live in wiu- 
f, ter out of doors. So very 
*' ft' \ -" ld ,ll; " fmit w " nU1 not 
Jill' W ?'JhwfJi come to maturitv, and they 
/ i SLIH could novor think of ttytag 
miserable ex- 
gUfHfulturat iU o t e .$ 
FRUITS FOR UTTER CANADA 
Tns following is the list of fruits recommended by the 
Upper Canada Fruit Growers Association. This Associa¬ 
tion, being composed of the niO«t experienced fruit grow¬ 
ers of the country, will better answer the inquiries of a 
Correspondent, than anything we could say: 
A PPlata —For General \CUUtvalion — Baldwin, south of 
the (i~W R. and Lake Ontario; Duchess of Oldenburg; 
Earley Joe—as a dwarf for gardens; Early Harvest; Esopiw 
Spitzeuburg, Famcusc, or Snow Apple—especially in the 
colder parts; Eali Pippin: Golden Sweet, Craveonteiu; 
to drag out a 
isteuce where they could 
never expect to raise lruit 
and enjoy the luxuries of 
life as they hud been used 
to do at home in ft fruit 
country. We have lived 
here four winters and have 
not frozen to death yet. 
Three years last spring, 
1 planted Oil orchard. 1 
bought the trees of a Mr. 
Grey, agent for Messrs. 
Ellvvanger <fc Barry, 
Rochester. Mrs. Kitchen 
(my wife) asked me if I 
thought wc would live to 
get much good from those 
little trees. 1 said I could 
not tell how that would be. 
but I thought we would not 
all die with old age before 
gome of them would bear 
fruit I planted and some 
laughed. Our orchard is 
in the cornfield, and in the 
A NEW WAY TO COOK BEEF. 
When you get hold of a good thing, it is well 
to “ communicate.” Having learned this method 
of cooking beef within a few years, we find it so 
much the best way that no week elapses without 
a meal of beef steaming on our table. 
To steam beef, procure a cast iron pot of large 
dimensions, having at the bottom a shoulder, 
which is found in most largo iron pots, at the 
point where the diameter Is diminished to tit the 
hole in the stove. Across this hole you place 
some pieces of shingle; then fill up the pot to the 
shingles with water; add a few pieces of lemon 
peel or a little mace if you please; place the meat 
upon the shingles; cover up tight with a fitted 
tin cover; place over a hot fire and wait till done. 
You must lie careful to add water occasionally; 
for if it should all boil away, of course the gravy 
would be burned, and the flavor of the meat in¬ 
jured. When finished, the bottom of the pot con¬ 
tains a large quantity of most excellent gravy, 
which, of course, must be thickened and sea¬ 
soned. 
A rump of beef, or a shoulder, forms au excel¬ 
lent piece to operate on. Mutton is also fine. 
Try it.—Country Gentleman. 
Currants — For General Cultivation. —Black English, 
Black Naples, Cherry, Red Dutch, Victoria, White Dutch, 
White Gripe. For further Trial. —Ogden s Black Grape, 
Prince Albert, Red Russian. 
Strawberries — For General Cultivation. —Burr's New 
Pine, Jenny Lind, Wilson, for market. For further Trial. 
_Hooker, Monroe Scarlet, Trollope’s Victoria, Triomphe 
do Grand. 
Raspberries — For General Cultivation. —Franconia, 
White Antwerp, For further Trial .—Brinekle’s Orange, 
Bello do Kootenay, Fastolff, Knevett’s Giant. 
Graces — For General Cultivation , North of Lake Onta 
rio and Grand Trunk Railway—Clinton. For further Tn 
| ill. —Concord, Diana, Delaware, Hartford Prolific, Rebeoa. 
NEW DOUBLE ZINNIA. 
they were so very double as to give the appear¬ 
ance of two flowers, as shown in the engraving, 
though much more no later in the season, when 
the center became more expanded; and we have 
measured flowers full five inches from thu center 
to the edges of the lower petals. In color we 
obtained also a very good variety, embracing 
almost all shades of red, from rose and salmon 
color to a pretty, deep purple. This flower 
seems perfectly adapted to our climate, will 
endure heat or cold, and flourish in any good 
rich soil, frith only the amount of care that a 
farmer wov\ld give a hill of corn or potatoes, if 
the plants are started in a hot-bed or cold frame, 
SO as to get them early, they will commence 
flowering the latter pail, ot June, and continue 
increasing in size and beauty until frost. The 
same blossom will bo in fine condition for a 
month or more, and not show the least sign ot 
decay. Plants can be transplanted when young 
with more safety than cabbage. As the plants 
grow from two to three feet in height, they 
fine display in proper situations on the 
To Remove Resin Spots from Silk. —Many 
silk dresses receive stains from turpentine, being 
spilt upon them. These stains are due to the resin 
which is held in solution by turpentine,and which 
remains in the silk after the volatile or spirituous 
portion has evaporated. Alcohol applied to the 
stains with a clean sponge will remove the spots 
because alcohol dissolves the resin. The silk stains 
should be moistened with the alcohol first, and 
allowed to remain soaked for a few minutes. 
Fresh alcohol is then applied with the sponge, 
and with a slight rubbing motion, it is then 
wiped as dry as possible and afterwards permitted 
to dry perfectly in the open air. Alcohol also 
removes grease and oil spots from .silk and wool¬ 
en dresses, but oil generally leaves a yellow stain 
behind. A mixture of alcohol and the refined 
light, petroleum, called benzone, is excellent for 
cleaning light kid gloves, ribbons aud silks. It 
is applied with a clean sponge. Persons who 
apply theseJiqiiids and mixtures to cleaning silks, 
gloves Ac., must be careful to do.so in an apart¬ 
ment where there is neither lire nor lump burning, 
Scientific 
make a 
lawn. 
Bidens Atrosanouinea was announced last 
season as one of the finest additions to our flow¬ 
ering plants. It was discovered in Mexico by 
Roezi, and attracted a good deal of attention in 
Europe, colored plates being given in many of 
the foreign journals. It flowered with us last 
season. The appearance and habit of the plant 
are very much like the Dahlia, aud at first sight 
it would be considered a dwarf Dahlia. The 
leaves are very similar, and the flowers resemble 
a single dark dahlia. The plant is dwarfish in 
habit, growing only about a foot in height, even 
with the best of culture, branches very much, 
and flowers profusely. The flowers are borne on 
long, slender, wiry stems, from eighteen inches 
when fulling asleep, or OB a Journey, or how he has walk 
e«l among diem Sundays with his wife. Of all the do 
seenilants of Adam, none have so nearly succeeded in get¬ 
ting back into Paradise as the fruit grower.” 
orange crimson flowers. The plant grows from 
four to six inches in height, if. rotseus pallidus 
var.fi. alba. A new white variety of If. roseus 
pallidus , said to be quite constant. 
Portclacca grandiflora fl. pl. Tho an¬ 
nouncement of line double varieties of that uni¬ 
versal favorite, the portuiacca, will please as 
much as it will surprise. Eight different varie¬ 
ties, all equally double, and differing only in 
color, are, however, announced, and represented 
to be of the most brilliant colors, scarlet, crim¬ 
son, yellow, striped, Ac. From seed, at least 
two-thirds will come double, and the flowers are 
about three-fourths of an inch in diameter. Mr. 
Deegen, the raiser, names them Portuiacca 
Roses. We look forward to the time when we 
shall see these new Portulaccas with a good deal 
of interest. 
IIhodanthe Maculata. Every florist knows 
that beautiful little everlasting flower H. i/otn- 
glesii, obtained by Capt. Mangles from New 
South Wales. While it was all that could be 
desired for beauty, it was of very delicate habit 
and but illy adapted to out-door culture in this 
countiy. especially by those who give their flow¬ 
ers little care, and have not time or patience to 
study their habits. We have in II. ifaevdata, 
just introduced from Australia, a plant far more 
hardy and robust, growing about two feet in 
height, with flowerjieads about two inches. The 
ray scales are of a blight rosy purple, the disk 
yellow, surrounded by a conspicuous crimson 
ring. 
Ricinus 
Brooklyn Horticultural Society-Officers for ’63. 
—At the recent election, the following gentlemen were 
chosen officers for 1863: 
President —J W Ukgrauw. Vice Presidents— Smith J. 
Euitinau, D. P. Barnard, VV, R. Anthony, R. W. Ropes, 
Gordon L. Ford. Treasurer—J. W. Dcgrauw. Corrts- 
joynding Sec y —A. S. Fuller. Recording Sec'y —G. U. Vau 
WagcsMi. librarian —S. B. Brophy. Executive Com.. — 
C. B. Nichols, Geo. Hamlyn, Prof. Eaton. Finance Com. 
—Walter Park, D. P. Barnard, R. W. Ropes. Library 
Com. —A. S. Fuller, J.. Roberts, A. Robert.-'. G. II. Van 
VVageueu. Premium Com. —L. A Roberts, G. Gamgee. 
Com. on Plants —vv. Davidson, G. Hamlyn, E. II. Scott. 
C'/m. on Vegetables —A. Chamberlain, Van Brunt Wyckoff, 
Jt. Caliopy. Inspectors of Election —T, Cavanacli, M. Col 
lopy. 
seems to increase; for there was a great call for 
them this year, and thousands ot bushels were 
brought to Canada from New York, aud yet 
there could have been many more sold, and at 
high prices, if they were nice and sound. 
And now about grapes and wine, for I have 
at present eight hundred melons of beautiful, 
pure, and unadulterated wine of my own grow¬ 
ing, in my cellar; and as people begin to find 
out that they can get better wine of home make 
and at a lower price than they have formerly 
paid. $4 per gallon for, I find there is no trouble 
in getting rid of it I have about one thousand 
grape vines of different varieties. I planted 
them at the same time I planted the fruit trees, 
three years ago. I have not enough of Dela¬ 
wares, and I think of planting another thousand 
of them in the spring. I train my vines to a post 
and trim dose in the fall. I leave one branch, 
and that branch 1 lay down and lay the stake on 
it for winter. That is the only protection that 
they have, except what nature sends. 1 plant 
six feet apart each way. I raised from twenty 
vines this year, over ten bushels of beautiful 
grapes, 50 pounds to the bushel. 1 have only 
one hundred Catawbas, and I belive that is too 
many, for they are very late, but mine has by 
chance done well for two years, and now I be¬ 
lieve I will exchange them, and put in the Onta¬ 
rio, which is ubout twice as large as the Isabella, 
and about ten days earlier, with about the same 
flavor, and resembles it very much—ljoth the 
grape and vino—only it glows much stronger. 
For a history of the Ontario grape, consult Solo¬ 
mon Hill, Beamsville, C. W. I have no doubt 
but many thousand readers of the Rural have 
seen this beautiful grape at the Provincial exhi¬ 
bitions of Canada, and at the Rochester State 
Fair this year. I believe no grape will compare 
with the Delaware, but I wish they were the Bize 
of the. Ontario, they would be worth so much 
more; but still they are the best yet, where 
grapes are well known, but many would choose 
the Ontario, Concord, or Hartford Prolific before 
the Delaware. I found some of the Delawares 
under the penalty of an explosion, 
American. 
To Make Vinegar.— For the benefit of Mrs. 
Smith, (who inquired in a late number of the 
Rural.) and others. I send you my recipe for 
making vinegar. For 5 gallons take 4 gallons of 
pure rain water, 2 quarts whiskey and 2 quarts 
molasses. Stir well together; put it in a cask 
and set in a warm place, (like the chamber over 
the kitchen, near the stove pipe,) and you will 
have good viuegar iu a short time. If you have 
a little old vinegar to put with it on the start, it 
will turn the quicker for it. This recipe makes a 
vinegar tlmt will not die out, and is much supe¬ 
rior, both in strength and flavor, to any cider 
vinegar I ever tasted.—3. A. Gage, I Vampsville. 
Lord Bacon on Gardening.—“ God Almighty first 
planted a garden; and, indeed, it is tho purest of human 
pleasures; it is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of 
man, without which buildings and palaces are hut gross 
handiworks; and a nun shall ever see that, when ages 
grow to civil ty and elegancy, men come to build stately 
sooner than garden finely, as if gardening were the greater 
perfection. I do hold it, in the roval ordering of gardens, 
there ought to he gardens for all the months of the year, 
in which, severally, tilings of beauty may be then in 
season.” 
We are indebted to Mr. Folsom, of the Attica Atlas, 
for fine specimens of the English Nonsuch Apple. 
To Make Mutton Sausages.— Take one pound 
underdone muttou, one pint of oysters, a slice of 
fat pork, a slice of bread, or two crackers, and 
one beaten egg. Add the egg after the other in¬ 
gredients have been chopped fine, season with 
pepper, sage and sweet marjoram. If you have 
no pork, beef-suet will answer, with the addition 
of salt. Make into cakes, roll them iu flour, and 
fry a light brown—and you will have a dish, be¬ 
side which pork sausages are •• nowhere.'* 
sanguineus tki-color, with large 
fruit, dark green, spotted with brown. The 
more showy and ornamental varieties of the ‘jg xjR S 
castor oil plant are quite useful in forming beds 
of ornamental foliaged plants. 
Tagetes signala pumUct, of very compact habit, Xef 'h.LsJk 
forming a plant about eighteen inches in height 
and of the same diameter. Strongly recom- 
mended as one of the best of plants for groups 
I or beds, particularly on the lawn. 
U DOUBLE DW 
The above seem to lie the beat of the novelties 
_ff\ that we may hope to see during the coming sum- Hollyhocks.— Wh 
a mer. It is not to be supposed that everything the adornment of oar 
obtained from Europe as new and fine will prove of new flowers little le 
, -y satisfactory, yet with almost every season’s iin- ihe improvement of o 
ponations, we receive some rare floral treasures, Hollyhock, which a fe 
and those who do not keep their minds well or at least a tall, sen 
By informed of the progress of floriculture, and made to assume a ruoi 
w iheir gardens supplied with new things as they flowers have become 
appeal', will find themselves far behind their beautiful as the rose. 
To Prevent Sheep Gnawing Trees.— Having seen an 
inquiry in the Rural of Dec. 20tb, in regard to keeping 
sheep from gnawing apple trees, 1 will give you a sure and 
cheap remedy, viz;—Wash your trees with tar-water; or 
keep the sheep away from the trees, which would be 
cheaper yet.—C. U., Waterloo , At It 
■In looking over 
Osacb Orangs Hedges , 
some old papers tins morning, I found the RuraI, for 
J one 5th ’6S, in which were some directions for trimming 
hedges. From -aid article I discover that them were di¬ 
rections ill Uie preceding No. tor taking ewe of die hedge 
the first two years, and guess that It needed trimming the 
second year. ’ I have about eighty rods of Osage hedge, 
which will have bceu >- t out two years next spring, and 
has had no trimming, for the reason that when my plants 
weTe purchased, l *va* directed not to trim them until tin? 
kUrd year, and then cut them off even with the surface of 
the ground, and there would be no need of after trimming. 
Now. will Mr. Br.vopon, or some other Western man, 
o who know* whereof he affirm*, 1 ' tell me if the direc¬ 
tion* I have received will moke a hedge f If not what 
shall I do with my plants t— P, K. I,., Champaign Co ,IU , 
Dec., 1862. 
A Stuffed Beefsteak. —Prepare a dressing 
of bread scalded soft and mixed with plenty of 
butler and a little-pepper and salt. Lay it upon 
one side of a round of steak, cover with the other, 
and baste it down with needle and thread. Salt 
and pepper the other side of the steak and place 
in a dripping pan with half an iuch of water. 
When baked brown ou one side, turn and bake 
iho other. 
