f 
©ovtiniUuvnl 
reply, which the author calls “crude.*’ and which 
it will do no harm to allow the fruit-growers of 
the State to criticise. The division is made thus: 
“1. Mag. Limestone. 2. Drift on Limestone 
3. Drift on coal measures. 4. Loess. 5. Sub- 
carboniferous soils of the extreme southern por¬ 
tions of the Slate, predicated on the millstone 
grit and mountain limestone. 
'•The general area may be divided as follows: 
“ No. 1 is restricted to the north-west corner of 
the State, where the drift is entirely wanting— 
as in the vicinity of Galena, or is spread so 
thinly and unevenly over the limestone as not 
to impart any decided character to the soil. 
“ No. 2 includes the remainder of the area 
north of the coal fields. 
“No. 3 comprises a large portion of the coal 
fields. 
“ No. 4 especially characterizes the western 
and southern borders of the coal fields, includ¬ 
ing the bluffs of the great rivers, and also the 
central portions of the State. 
“ No. 5 embraces the region south of the coal 
fields, extending to the Onio river. 
“Arranging them according to their value for 
fruit growing, I should place them in the follow¬ 
ing order:—4. 5, 1, 2, 3. 
“ In doing this, however, I take into considera¬ 
tion the climatic conditions ot the region, as 
well as the productive character of the soil. 
For example, No. 1 is probably fully equal to 
No. 5 in its adaptation to the growth of fruit; 
but the more favorable zone occupied by No. 5 
requires me to give that preference over No. 1; 
though, leaving out of sight the question of cli¬ 
mate, I should have little choice between Nos. 1, 
2 and 5. 
“ The region indicated as lying between the 
Alton and Terre Haute RIl. and the 38th paral¬ 
lel, undoubtedly belongs to No. 4; and the dif¬ 
ference between the soil of that region and the 
river bluffs, results from the fact that, the loess in 
the one case is underlaid by the coal measures, 
and the other by sub-carboniferous limestones.” 
Dwarf Plums on the Prairies.— On the 
prairie at Tolona, Champaign Co., I saw dwarl 
plums loaded with fruit—saw no signs of curcu- 
lio. Dr. Charge, on whose ground I saw them, 
told me that his experience had given him ten 
times the confidence in the Dwarf Plum there, 
that he had in Dwarf Pears. And it was appa¬ 
rent, he had an abiding confidence in the latter. 
Other Sorts of Fruit Growing! Here,— 
Hard-shelled almonds, nectarines, apricots, Span¬ 
ish chestnuts, the olive and quince, 
THE CANDYTUFT. 
The Candytufts are among the most useful of 
the Annual flowers. They grow from the pret¬ 
tiest bed in our garden, but in a week or two 
will be past their prime, and during September, 
when the Zinnias and Asters and Phloxes are 
gay, the Candytufts will be rather unsightly. 
This is the only objection to the Candytuft, but 
during July and August, nothing can be more 
brilliant. For cutting for bouquets few flowers 
are superior, and when the flowers are kept well 
cut. and no weeds art' allowed to form, the beds 
will last much longer. 
A TRIP TO CANADA 
CAKES, COOKIES, &c, 
Taking advantage of a little leisure last week' 
we made a brief trip to the dominions of that 
excellent woman, whom we all admire as an 
honor to her sex and human nature, Queen 
Victoria. It was a very warm, yet beautiful 
evening, when we found ourselves on hoard the 
steamer Ontario, enjoying a delightful lake 
breeze, and a glorious sunset, such as we had not 
seen since, years-a-back, we made a reconnois- 
sanee of the domains of Old Neptune. 
In the early morning we arrived at Toronto, 
and after an excellent breakfast at the “Queens” 
for which we had an unusually good appetite, 
spent a few hours in visiting some of the desir¬ 
able places in and around the city. With only a 
few hours, however, at our disposal, where we 
could have spent as many days with both pleas¬ 
ure and profit, an attempt at description would 
result in nothing satisfactory. We will only 
observe, that there are few cities of its size where 
the higher branches of horticulture are pursued 
with such devotion, and at such an outlay of 
wealth and skill. 
Taking the cars on the Grand Trunk Road we 
were soon in the village of Weston, and Bram- 
ford, and made a stop at. a station with the 
classic name of Norval. This was the Mecca of 
our pilgrimage—our only design being to accept 
a long-standing and pressingiuvitation to spend a 
day with an old resident of Rochester, away from 
the cares of business, and take a look at rural life 
in Canada. At the station we found a stage 
waiting to convey us to the village, about a mile 
distant, in a valley through which runs a pretty 
river called the Credit— a pleasant name for a 
traveler, whose cash is running low. Arriving 
at our destination we essayed to pay the stage 
fare, but the proprietor refused to receive our 
money. Thinking he might lack faith in the 
stability of our Government, and the value of 
green-backs, and imagine that we had no other 
fund3, we assured him that we had provided 
ourselves with the current, funds of the realm. 
But he still persisted in the refusal. We found 
ourselves often treated in the same singular 
manner, and as no offence was probably intended, 
we determined to bear it with as much compo 
sure and even good nature as possible. A good 
traveler must be a good philosopher, so we sum¬ 
moned all the philosophy we could command to 
our assistance on snob occasions. 
In this section ot ( auada we spent severa 
days, and are much indebted to James Johnston, 
Esq , Col. Mitchell, Dr. MtxcuKi.i., and others, 
for the most unremitting attentions, which 
made our visit not only exceedingly pleasant, 
but gave us an opportunity to see and learn 
much in a very short t me. Nowhere is there a 
better chance for the fruit-grower than in the 
neighborhood of the large cities and villages of 
Upper Canada, as in almost all new countries 
fruit-culture has been neglected, and the demand 
is now far ahead of the supply. As a natural 
consequence good fruit always brings a highly 
remunerating price. 
Messrs. Editors:— I saw in a late 1 
inquiry about “bow to make tip-top 
cake,’ and I will send a recipe for om 
think answers to that description: 
Take one pint of buttermilk; half 
sweet milk; a tittle sour cream 
salt.. Do not make a i 
the meal has been ?tin 
spoonful of soda and beat 
about an hour. 
bns. Rural New-Yorker : — Last year a 
pear tree, at least twelve feet high, in the lot. I 
occupy, was stricken with the blight—the top of 
the tree and the main stem was to all appearance 
'lead. Talking with E. May on the subject, I 
was induced to try his method. I merely used 
the knife freely, did not use the soap,' This 
spring the dead part was sawed off. It, now has 
a healthy appearance and has quite a show of 
pears. I am of the opinion that if his plan is 
adopted and followed up, as soon as the disease 
commences, that; this terrible scourge which 
threatens to destroy this valuable fruit, may be 
headed off. The tree can be seen by calling at 
70 East avenue. 
Rochester, N. Y., August, 1863. 
a pint of 
one egg; a little 
very stiff batter, and after 
• red in. pulverize a tea- 
—t in thoroughly. Bake 
If you add to this two table- 
spoonfuls of molasses, it will make the cake very 
much better, / think. This quantity is sufficient 
for one Johnny-cake; baked in a common pie- 
tin. * 
I have a recipe for common cake which is very 
good—also one for cookies, which I will send: 
Common Cake.—O ne cupof sugar; two-thirds 
cup of butter; two eggs; two tablespoonfuls 
sour milk; half teaspoonful soda. Flavor with 
nutmeg, or anything you please. 
Cookies.—O ne cup of sugar; half cup butter; 
half cup sweet milk; one egg; one teaspoonful 
soda; two of cream tartar. Roll thin, and bake 
( * u,ck - A Wisconsin Girl. 
F.AI1I.Y Peas.—W hich is the earliest variety of peas for 
market purposes ‘t— So bbOkihkr, Willink. 
Prince Albert ami Early Kent are the best early market 
peas we know of. 
Preparing Rennet.— I answer the inquiries 
ot C. B. Chapman, of California, in Rural of 
July is, relative to preparing rennet, as follows: 
The rule is applicable to green or dry rennet 
though I think the better way is to salt them 
down in a stone jar assoon as saved. 1 generally 
use them prepared iu this way, but it sometimes 
happens that 1 have not enough: in this case I 
get, dried rennets, which are equally ns good. 
You need have no fear* of your cheese ferment¬ 
ing nr raising when the rennets are used green, 
if you will till them with salt (being careful to 
preserve the curd with them.) before soaking for 
use. I have been necessitated to use them in 
this way, and am never troubled with cheese 
raising,—a difficulty wholly attributable to lack 
of* salt,— Mrs. Allen Gould, Ikmloclc lake , 
Isabki.la and Cmnton (Ikai'kh,— I saw an advertise 
inert m a Roehoter paper last fall for Isabella and Clin 
ton grapes, but have forgotten who advertised. I have 
one tourt.li ol an acre In bearing t his season, and intend to 
dispose ot some ot the fruit Would you he hind enough 
to indicate in the Rubai, some one or more who arc in the 
busiuess ?- L. M Wilson, Elba, ,V. Y 
There ure usually plenty of buyers in this city both for 
shipping and wine making, but we cannot give the names 
of those who will engage in the business this season. 
Every year we watch the opening of the Can¬ 
dytufts with a good deal of interest, because for¬ 
eign seed dealers persist in advertising a variety 
of bright colors, such as soar let, but we have 
never yet had a flower approach this color. We 
have, however, very flue velvety purple, nearly 
approaching to crimson, a fine lilac, differing a 
good deal iu shade, the Normandy being pink¬ 
ish, and several varieties of white, differing in 
habit. One sort is sweet-scented, though not 
highly so. 
§£<micultuval 
Thai* for Bugs — A,Sure Thing. — As “A 
Bachelor is seeking information on the “bug 
question ” through the Rural, we give him the 
following item which we find going the rounds 
of the papers : 
“ Take a board, say a foot wide and four feet 
long, puncture it with many holes with a small 
bit, put it inside of the headboard and next to 
the pillows. If there is a bug about the bed he 
will find the way to the holes in the board soon. 
Take it out every morning, hold ic over Hie (ire 
or water, and give it a few raps with a hammer, 
then put. it in place and repeat. This is catching 
the insex in a hurry and upon philosophical 
principles—the best antidote we have yet heard 
wore grow¬ 
ing on Dr. C.’s grounds, and hardy. Quinces 
were very productive—ditto nectarines, apricots 
and almpnds. There were figs growing in the 
grapery. 
The Early Montmorency Cherry was 
growing on the same grounds under the name of 
Early May or Early Richmond. It. came hither 
under the latter name, from an Eastern firm. 
And thus had iny friend, L»r. C., been mislead as 
to the real character of the Early Richmond: 
and he had mislead others. The influence of a 
single error in such matters cannot be estimated. 
And too great care cannot be exercised in the 
nomenclature of fruit. 
The Missouri Flowering Currant, so ex¬ 
tensively tulked of by the Illinois State Horti¬ 
cultural Society, at, its last meeting, is growing 
here, and is bearing abundantly. It is called 
sweet, sprouts from the root, all over the garden. 
Dr. C. says. “Once in the garden, it can’t be got 
rid of” 
Cbemont’s Perpetual.— In my own garden, 
and all other places where I have seen this 
Strawberry this season, it retains its title to a 
good name as a beautiful, strong growing, pro¬ 
ductive and fine flavored fruit. So far as I have 
had opportunity to observe, it stands higher and 
promises better than Trioinphe de Gaud in the 
West. 
KrNwoot) .Seedling. —I had another opportu¬ 
nity to see this fruit, and taste it this season. It 
is late—later than any other strawberry with 
which I am acquainted, extremely productive, a 
beautiful fruit, very fragrant, and is produced on 
the strongest growing, hardiest vines 1 ever saw. 
But it is soft and sour. If it were not soft, I am 
satisfied its size and beauty would win for it a 
good name in the markets; fur few people know 
that there is any difference in the flavor of straw¬ 
berries. Some people, of respectable age, have 
been astonished to discover the fact, the past 
season, within my knowledge. 
Grass Edgings. —I do not remember to have 
seen anything in anybody’s flower garden—not 
even weeds—that looks so bad as grass edgings 
about flower borders. Not one time in one hun¬ 
dred are they kept trimmed neatly; and if they 
THE PEAR BLIGHT. 
Eds. Rural New;-Yorker :—In your issue of 
the 11th of July, I find a partial description 
of an elaborate paper read before the Illinois 
Natural History Society by its President, B. D. 
Walsh, Esq., with some extracts therefrom, de¬ 
signed to show that certain insects therein 
described, cause what we call Pear-blight. Will 
you please permit an humble Individual to pre¬ 
sent, through the Rural New-Yorker, a very 
different theory, with the reasons for it, together 
with a complete remedy. The cause of Pear- 
blight is the heat of the sun’s rays upon the trunk 
and branches of the tree, thickening or coagu¬ 
lating the albumen of the sap in its descent, in 
the bark, thereby obstructing or dogging the 
circulation of the sap, leaving it to putrify. If the 
tree be young, with the outside bark tender, the 
first sign of injury that appears is the shrinking 
in of the bark and adhering closely to t.he wood, 
which may lie easily seen by examining the 
trunk of the tree. These shrunken spots of bark 
which appear, from the size of a silver half-dollar 
to that of a flfty-cent shin plaster, and such spots 
oil the lower part of the large branches, generally 
enclosing a small twig, which will be found 
dead, require an operation to be performed in the 
following manner.:—Take a sharp knife andshave 
off the outside bark, which will be found black as 
ink, until you come to a light color, but it is not 
necessary to remove every vestige of the black. 
Then with the knife Flit the bark perpendicularly 
from a little above to a little below the shrunken 
spots. If the trunk or branch be large several 
slits may he made. A little soft soap rubbed on 
after the operation is useful. 
I have never seen a branch of a pear tree with 
its leaves turn black with the blight, unless upon 
examination of the trunk or large branches I 
found the outside bark rotten to a considerable 
extent, from which the putrid sap was probably 
taken up and thrown into circulation before a 
permanent separation between the living and the 
dead is established. 
Making Jelly for Soldiers.— Allow Tme, 
through your excellent paper, to remind all who 
have a supply of currants, or raspberries, to use 
a portion of them for making jelly, jam, wine, 
shrub or vinegar for the use and comfort of our 
sick and wounded soldiers, to whom these arti¬ 
cles aro very useful and acceptable. By doing 
so, much good can be accomplished at small 
expense—good for those who are giving their 
time, their labors, and, if need be. their lives, that, 
our country may live.—A Subscriber^ Canan¬ 
daigua, N. F. 
Fruit-growers in Western 
New York pro t by this fact, and almost every 
season largo quantities are shipped from our lake 
ports. In Toronto and some of the larger cities 
there are very skillful gardeners, but their pro¬ 
ducts command u price far beyond the reach of 
the masses. An effort is being made by many to 
meet the wants of the people, and we observed 
soipe fine young orchards of pears and other 
fruits that in a few years will yield their golden 
harvest Mr. Johnston has about three thou¬ 
sand pear trees, vigorous and healthy, many of 
them beariug, and large quantities of the small 
fruits. We also observed many smaller planta¬ 
tions in the same neighborhood. In all our 
Fkvit in Caufoknia.— H. B. Eastman, of California, 
writes to the Horticulturist, of his experience in growing 
fruit in that State. After speaking of grapes which were 
not permitted to bear fruit, on account of the smallness 
of Hie plants, Mr E. say*:—"Of other fruits the past, 
summer was one of great abundance, every thin* that was 
large enough to hold up an apple, pear, or peach was 
loaded to the ground. Hut the. Bartlett Pear ‘out did’ 
even Itself in early hearing and excellence Wo had some 
twenty trees that heat anything I have read of in books 
I must tell .you about them In the spring of i860 we 
planted pear seed, they got large enough to bud tn Sep¬ 
tember; the next summer, 1861, they made ft fine growth, 
from five to six feet, and as we wanted to have pears 
growing on a certain piece of ground, we took them from 
the nursery and planted them at one year front bud, and 
last summer they bore from one to four pears each, and 
1 tell you they were beauties. I gold this year twenty-five 
dollars worth from one tree four years from the bud, on a 
hawthorn stock; I sold them, three for half a dollar You 
will think that a big price; hut the 'boys’ think, when 
they can get three Bartlett pears for the same money that 
it costs for ‘two drinks of lightnin’ whiskey,’ that they 
Raspberry Shrub —Take four quarts of red 
raspberries, put them into an earthen or stone 
jar, add one pint of good, sharp vinegar, and let 
it stand twenty.four or forty-eight hours, then 
press the juice through a cloth. To each pint of 
juice, add a pound of sugar, heat it, and skim. 
VVheu cold, bottle it A tableapoonful or two 
put in a tumbler of cold water, is considered 
equal or superior to lemonade, and good either 
for sick or well people.—M. 
To Broil Mutton Chops. —Mutton-chops 
should not he broiled on too fierce a fire, other¬ 
wise the fat will cause the lire to flare, and the 
chops will be smoked arid blackened. Pepper 
them the same as beefsteaks; but unlike those, 
mutton chops require constant turning. They 
should not be overdone. When they are done 
enough, lay them in a hot dish and sprinkle them 
with salt; they require no butter, the chops being 
sufficiently fat 
Law auaixht Wbkds. —la Denmark the farmers are 
bound by law to destroy the corn-marigold; and in France 
a fanner may sue bis neighbor who neglects to eradicate 
the thistle* upon his land at the proper season in Aus¬ 
tralia a similar regulation lias been imposed hy legislative 
authority, with, it is 'aid, the most, beneficial results. In 
Canada, we believe, enactments have been Issued against, 
allowing thistles to ripen on the road sides and exposed 
situations, both front the legislature and township corpo¬ 
rations; and it is passing strange that such important, and 
beneficial regulations, on the proper observance of which 
both private and public wealth is so closely dependant, 
should in many districts become practically inoperative. 
It is high time that some firm stand should he taken, not 
only against thistles, but pigeou weed, and the whole 
tribe of pests of this nature, forming, as they do, Insuper¬ 
able barriers to Agricultural progress, and consequently 
to the increase of wealth and national prosperity.— Cana¬ 
dian Agriculturist. 
And after finding such rot¬ 
ten spots of bark and shaving off the black por¬ 
tions and slitting as before directed, I have never 
failed of effecting a cure, 
When the bark i3 found dried hard, and form¬ 
ing an unyielding band around, or partly around 
the tree, by simply slitting it and softening with 
soft soap, if life be not entirely gone it will 
recover. And when by an effort of nature the tree 
recovers itself, the bark will invariably be round 
cracked, as if a wedge were thrust through the 
wood and bark, thus showing what is needed to 
relieve it It is very rare, if ever, that we find a 
pear tree that does not bear upon its body unmis¬ 
takable signs of such spontaneous recovery. 
After applying the preceding remedy and the 
tree recovers, bear in mind that it is liable to a 
new attack, therefore it should be thoroughly 
examined several times during the season, for 
eternal vigilance is the price of healthy pear 
trees. 
Now, Messrs. Editors, iu conclusion allow me to 
remark, that if others find my remedy as effectual 
as I have found it. for the pear-blight, then it fol¬ 
lows that whatever other mischief the iosectg 
before referred to may do the pear tree, they do 
not cause the blight, for this remedy in no way 
interferes with them or their doings, but the tree 
recovers in spile of the bugs. 
As long ago as the commencement of the Mex¬ 
ican war the writer of this caused to be published 
in the Rochester Daily Advertiser <1 Republican 
an account of his successful experiments in 
now to “Head” Mosquitoes. — A lady in¬ 
forms us that the annoyance of this pestiferous 
little insect, may be effectually prevented by a 
very simple process. Close the room and burn a 
teaspoonful of brown sugar on some live coals, 
or even shavings, and the insecls become paraliz- 
ed at once. If this simple operation is effective, 
it is worth a year’s subscription to those who are 
now first advised of the fact. 
HORTICULTURAL ITEMS. 
Wilson’3 Albany in the West.—B ut very 
few really good samples of this variety of straw¬ 
berry have been in this market, in some locali¬ 
ties, the first picking was of fair size. But I 
aave not seen a good, large Wilson—maximum 
measurement—this season- And I have beard 
ffie question asked, frequently, “ Is the Wilson’s 
Albany degenerating?” I do not think it is; 
but the almost uniform failure in size, so far rb 
my observation goes, cannot be charged to the 
drouth in all cases. Culture has something to 
do with it. And the practice of letting the Wil¬ 
son vines run rampant is, in my opinion, a wrong 
one. 
The Fecit Regions of Illinois. —Your 
waders are aware, if they have read the Trans¬ 
actions of the Ohio Pomologieal Society, that 
.t ^ tate was geologically divided by that So¬ 
ciety at its last meeting. A fruit grower in this 
-fate, on seeing the Ohio division, wrote to a 
prominent geologist in this State, asking for a 
similar division. The following is the aifit r»f‘ o 
FtOftAj. Pavkmknts. —Tliere is a very beautiful fashion 
of floral decoration, and chiefly, I think, in Italy—origi¬ 
nating, ( suppose, In the gorgeous-colored mosaics and the 
prevalence of glowipg colors of that sunny land. 
They form on great Occasions there a sort of floral pave¬ 
ment, marking out distinctly the pattern on the ground, 
and then filling it in with a perfect mass of many-colored 
petals. Rose-leaves, white and red, Camellias and Violets, 
Lilacs, Syringas, red Poppies, blue Corn flowers and Car¬ 
nations all contributing their gay and scented petals._ 
London Cottage Gardener. 
A Good Recife for Vinegar.— Take forty 
gallons rain water, one gallon molasses, aodfour 
pounds acetic acid, ft will be fit fur use in a few 
days. Acetic acid costs twenty-five ceufs per 
pound. This is the recipe by which most of the 
cider vfnegar is made, which is sold in the coun¬ 
try stores .—Scientific Artisan, 
duction. No animal but the deer can be forced 
to eat it. Now, if it can be rendered an edible 
material, it may become an important article to 
the community someday or other, as it is well 
known that whole districts in France subsist on 
the fruit of the common chesnut Mr. Flandin, 
an agriculturist of some note in England, says 
that the DUt of the Horse Chesnut, dried and 
freed from the shells, if ground and mixed with 
one or two per cent of carbonate of soda, or one 
pound of soda to the hundred, and then washed 
fill white, is fit food for man or animals. The 
Balt removes all the bitter principle from the 
To Broh. Ham.— Cut the ham about the third 
of au inch thick, and broil it very quickly over 
a brisk fire; lay it on a hot dish, pepper it, and 
put on it a little butter. 
Cchrant Wo km .— j. h Robinson, of Rochester, says 
by sifting coal ashes ou his currant bushes when the dew 
is on, and repeating it often, he has prevented the ravages 
of the currant worm. He thinks tins simple remedy 
should be made public. 
To Broil Pork Chops.— These should not be 
cut quite so thick as mutton chops, and require 
more dressing; turn them frequently, and make 
them a nice light brown. 
Insects. —Hunt for and kill all you can find. Do not 
wait for any patent remedy, nor thii k the time wasted 
spent in this work. Vigilance is the price we have to pay 
for all our choice fruits and flowers. 
