I;unj fjuslmnbrg. 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M., EDITOR, 
Of I.tm.r Fai.i.r, Herkimer Codwty, New York. 
CONDENSING MILK. 
I notick your remark* made at St. AJbana In 
regard to con dents! off milk at Elgin. III. I wish 
to 'make inquiry a u to the cost of the works 
and ils prospect*should others be built. Cheese 
factories are thoordurof the day tn many places. 
Efforts are being made to start one near us. but 
have recently heard of the works at Elgin, arid, 
later, your remarks. Am quite desirous to 
know more In detail. You would confer a favor 
in answer to the above.—-G. V. Cook, ISrwlUfVtUC, 
Addition count//. Vermont. 
Will you |dense inform me us nearly as you 
can what the chief items are in an apparatus for 
condensing ptllk, anti what would be the ex¬ 
pense for 800 cows? la there a oondenPlnif fac¬ 
tory near New York? N, 11. Pear8ai.l, Morris, 
Olscyo Co„ .V. F. 
Can you givo me further information in re¬ 
gard to the manner of condensing milk ns wit- 
nessed by you in Elgin, 1J1. ? If more reimtnera- 
ttve than dairying, and 1 can gain sufficient in¬ 
formation on the subject, I should like lo enter 
into business. IIohatio Bascom, Greenville, 
Mercer C’o., t’a. 
There nrc t wo or three processes for con¬ 
densing milk, hut the most successful, vve 
think, is that invented by Mr. Gail Borden. 
In the Rural of March 27th, 1889. we 
gave a long article describing the condensing 
factory at Elgin, III., which is under the 
management of Mr. Caleb 0. Church. Mr. 
Borden, we believe, is one of the largest 
stockholders in this establishment, and the 
working of the factory is upon the plan of 
his invention. The apparatus and fixtures 
are here arranged for condensing other ar¬ 
ticles of food, and a considerable business 
has been done from time to time in con¬ 
densing meats. The buildings are also ar¬ 
ranged for the manufacture of cheese, and 
at certain seasons of the year more or less 
cheese is made. We did not. learn the cost 
of fixtures and appliances at this establish¬ 
ment, hut have recently been informed that 
the cost, for a good sized establishment would 
not be far from four thousand dollars. Tills 
may be too high an estimate, but we pre¬ 
sume Mr. Church would lie able to give the 
exact figures if applied to by those desiring 
information. 
We are unable at present to give any pos¬ 
itive information as to the demand and sup¬ 
ply of condensed milk in the markets. 
Probably the demand, at present, is com¬ 
paratively limited, from the fact that the 
great mass of people in towns and cities 
have little or no knowledge of It. Could 
people once become educated in the use of 
this article, we are convinced an extensive 
we became convinced that lor pure, Clean, Tl Wayne factory— Albro & Boa—six miles east: 
healthy milk, the condensed article is vastly Cheese omac. n»*.170,788 
superior to the fresh milk usually sold in Received, guts. 49,710 
cities, and for most purposes is to be pre- luade ’ 'byc/mor* dwtwct:. ^ 
ferred. The time must come, we think, Mr. t. k. Waite or Sycamore, in,, reported from 
when a large trade will be done in this Etrti- commenced making cheese April 28 , 1802 . 
de, and could our cities be relieved from the Cl08ed Tnftkln * cljeese ° c *t & Lb8 . Mllkfor 
frauds of watering, or otherwise adulterating Mliy Lt i!b'a)c k ' 
milk by substituting the condensed article, . 
not only the health but the pockets of con- srr/.m 
sumers would be benefited. The factories October. 122,777 
could be held responsible for a poor or bad Aimu our cheese win* tna 
article, and with their brands upon the cans wSei^aiotJ^utmosp 
there would be less liability of consumers kenosha 
being cheated and deceived as to the article Mr. N. Richtmayerof Ker 
r 1 .1 1 Commenced May 6,1809. 
of milk supplied, than under the usual sys¬ 
tem of milk peddling. May... bS 
We are aware that some of the early fac- ju" y e I”;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;”; 1 
lories for condensing milk have not proved . 2< 
successful. This has doubtless resulted from October....’I!'”””!!."!*! 25 
the imperfect process adopted, want of care — 
and attention to handling the milk, or other n©. of ib». cured cheese," 
causes which may have put an inferior arti- | m^eived forcalves!!™!!^.*! 
cle in market. Like all new things, the Received for butter", 565 ib* 
manufacturer must learn by experience how Total ainrnnit received., 
to produce ft good article, and the consumer Shipped to chlciwo. gals... 
also must be made acquainted with its w»m-«teht mites south 
gillpped to Chicago, gals.... 
merits. Freight paid. issO. 
For a detailed statement of the condensing m tVk’prod uc^fgiUs. 
process, and the handling of the milk in its 5he |Sta7v2fue^niiVitat i 3 
various stages, we must refer our readers to value butter at 20 c. per 
our article in the Rural of March 27,1869. Total . 
To what extent the business may be increased co?rect r iicooum! s There at 
at this time, we are unable to slate. A few &?'bMpSttyetwWttlthe 
years ago there was a condensing factory at Jg****!^ tXSSSSi be 
Middletown, Orange Co., N. Y. Whether it »» someUme# aecnr?, to 
, . „ , hrotn examination nt bool 
is in operation now we are not informed. offered for tb« purpose. w< 
ingicntc Information. 
Lt*. Milk. 
Cheese. ltt.C. Cbee 
.. 130.3JC 
12,417 
9.68 
.. 201,302 
20,608 
9.79 
.. ,812,250 
30,000 
10.37 
. 272,193 
25,807 
10.73 
.. 203,843 
21.077 
9.44 
. 122,777 
12,805 
9.68 
30.51 
-Auk list. 272.198 25,307 10.73 
Septeuiber......... 208,848 21,077 9.44 
October. 122,777 12,805 9.58 
General average. . 10.&1 
All of our cheese wan made on the “Cheddar sys¬ 
tem.' - The curd passed through the curd mill, and 
wilt exposed to the utmosphere before being put to 
press. 
KENOSHA DISTRICT. 
-Mr. N. Richtmayer of Kenosha reported as follows: 
Commenced May 0, 1809. 
Green 
Cows. Gallons. Cheese,lbs. 
May... 22 1,049 i.949 
June. 25 2,461 2.0B 
July. 26 2,456 2,492 
August. 20 2,191 2,191 
September. 26 1,929 2.036 
October. 26 1,277 1,064 
November 23 . 25 701 904 
WESTERN DAIRYING. 
The progress of dairying in comparatively 
new sections bus been more rapid t han many 
imagine. Those engaged in this branch of 
industry in the old districts will be interest¬ 
ed in the subjoined statistics, embodied in 
the report presented at the recent meeting of 
the Northwestern Dairymens’ Association, 
by Mr. Kincaid, editor of the Elgin (111.) 
Watchman. We should have been glad to 
have seen a similar report from other districts 
of the Northwest. The figures were obtained 
from the proprietors of factories and railroad 
agents, and are, therefore, not of a specu¬ 
lative character. Mr. Kincaid prefaces his 
statistics by the following remarks: 
The business of dairying in this section of 
the Union increases from year to year in a 
wonderful manner. It is hut a few years 
since the idea that our land would not furn¬ 
ish proper food for dairy stock has been dis¬ 
proved, and each season shows the wisdom 
No. of lbs. cured cheese, 12,010, besides what was 
consumed (a 1 lie family, brought...$1,810 05 
Race 1 ved for calves....... 63 00 
Received for butler, 585 lbs. 188 51 
Total amount received.$2,051 66 
Cllutoavllli- three miles south : 
Shipped to Chicago, gals. 98,138 
Freight paid, *1,902.76. 
Wayne -eight utiles south : 
Shipped to Chicago, gals. 44,000 
Freight paid. $880. 
Total* fur 1869: 
Mill produced,gals..,,.,....... 2,938,29!) 
Cheese made, lbs. . 1 , 301 ,owi 
Total value of milk at 13c. per gallon.... $371,879 35 
Value butter at 25c. per pound. 60,000 00 
Total . . .$481,879 85 
Tl utter.-or this nrtlcle It Is more difficult to get a 
correc t ucoouht. There tire but few dealers who 
make It much of 8 specialty. Thu production of but¬ 
ter has not yet received the exclusive attention of n 
large class of farmers. It is mostly made when 
the market or factories become glutted with milk, 
as sometimes occurs, to work off the surplus. 
From examination of book* of merchants, klndlv 
offered for the purpose, we ascertained that there 
has boon bought In Elgin at least 200,000 pounds. This 
looks well. 
Valued at 35 corns per pound, this alone amounts 
to $50,(XJO. 
la comparison with former year* the product has 
vastly increased. 
In rsiv; the product was 767,112 gallons, and 384,000 
pound* of cheese made. 
In l©rUio product was 1.231.613 gallons, and 040,580 
pounds of cheese were made. 
Iil 1808 the product was 1,830,0,19 gallons, and of 
cheese made, 857,483. 
The Chair called for reports from other districts, 
but none re*|>onded. 
iffrsfiffitn. 
business would be demanded in its mamifae- of our agriculturists in persistently adhering 
.. . .... at,.*:*. a.4 ....... ... ...1 . » t 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
Corns on Horses’ Feet. 
A Racine, Wis., blacksmith cured very 
deep-seated corns on a mare in Ibis way: 
“Icommenced with a vigorous paring; in 
fact I pared ilium all that I could without 
cutting thtou^iuifj the quielc. I then fitted 
Lhc shoes altogether upon the concave style, 
and in such a manner that they did not bear 
on or crowd the affected part of the foot, 
ture; for the convenience of having good 
milk, pul up in cans, and which may lie 
kept for long periods without deterioration, 
must be a strong inducement in favor of its 
use among those who find it difficult to ob¬ 
tain a decent article of fresh milk from the 
milk dealer. 
In the Borden process the fresh milk as 
it comes from the cow is reduced to one- 
quarter of its original volume by taking out 
seventy-five per cent, of its water. A cer¬ 
tain proportion of white granulated sugar 
is added during the process, and when thus 
properly prepared and sealed up in cans, is 
said to keep without deterioration for years. 
As only a few establishments at the pres¬ 
ent time are engaged in the business of con¬ 
densing milk, the profits must be large. The 
Elgin Company were selling their packages 
by wholesale at twenty-nine cents per pound. 
Two quarts of fresh milk, as drawn from the 
cow and weighing four pounds, when elimi¬ 
nated of seventy five per cent, of its water, will 
to their belief in its future ami certain value an(l in six or seven shoeing the last vestige 
as a sure road to competence and wealth, of corns had entirely disappeared, and she is 
Iu the lace of frauds (such as changing the now able to trot, her mile in four minutes. 
In amis ot cheese in C hicago markets,) dia- " If a man has a horse with a bad corn in 
couragement, sneers, and unjust discrimma- , . r , . a , ,, , , 
tion, they have persevered, unlit now Illinois his foot, 1 find it an excellent plan to tlun 
butter and cheese are recognized as staple the heel of the shoe down on the inside, al- 
artides This result is peculiarly gratifying most as thin as a knife blade; then weld a 
to all who are interested in the development steel cork crossways of the shoe, say two 
°* if '; 1 ,!!!',,1 ,1 , , , r * inches from the heel. By this means you 
11 is now admitted that the tract, of country , • , . . - 
embracing the northern portions of Cook, ^ ro ' v *^ ie ^ eariu S completely ofl the corn, 
Du Page, Kane, McHenry, Boone, and Win- and the corn grows out with the foot. Only 
uebago Counties is equal to any similarly keep the shoes from bearing on the corns, 
sized tract in the Union for the purpose of and shoe regularly at not, too long intervals, 
dairying, lhe high rolling ground, abun- a nd the corn must get well ” 
dant springs and water courses, climate, ^ 
arability of soil and accessibility to market 
combine to make especial advantages for the 
dairyman. 
As yet this section may not be as produc¬ 
tive as older countries, for doubtless cultiva¬ 
tion is not carried to as high a grade, but the 
capabilities are here, and each year our 
agriculturists are improving in their manner 
of cultivation, and the good effects are already 
being seen. 
Without, undue partiality, we may claim 
that the country within a radius of* twelve 
make a pound of the condensed article, which that the country within a radius of twelve 
would be at the rate of fourteen and a-balf miles around Elgin is the center of this great 
cents per quart for the fresh milk. The cost of mid constantly increasing traffic. We esti- 
mn.mifuotnrincr. we should snv can smreelv mute, from good data, that within this l'adilis 
manufacturing, we should say, can scarcely ‘''“WH-om gooa oaiu,inat witiiin tins radius experience? 
b e more than four and a-half cents ner ou irt * ho ^ stockunmbere 7,000cows; averag- An Aiiin* Mare. 
uV.° Uih ,ve cel per Mia '’ "*»« *.*• » 
quai l as the value ot the milk as drawn from the value ot land, buildings, and other ac- mare that refuses to eat giain ot any kind at 
the cow. cessoriea to the business, and the capital times. Her hair is bright, she seems well 
The condensing business is not without " 1 l hc millions, generally, but has 110 appetite. Place hay 
difficulties. The greatest attention must be 1 01 U COmU ‘ y sett,ed but llUk * more and oats bar. she eatn the bnv in nref- 
paid to having a clcau, pure article of milk. 
itreetliuu for Yuiui* Mares. 
A correspondent in Vermont asks horse¬ 
men to give iu the Rural the results of their 
experience in breeding to old and young 
mares. He asks, “ how old a mare should 
be before she begins to breed, and whether 
it will not pay better to breed to first-class 
young mares than to old ones.” Alter a 
mare baa ceased to grow it is safe to breed 
to her; and, other things being equal, we 
should rather have a colt from a young mare 
than an old one. What say horsemen of 
experience ? 
An Ailiutc Mare. 
<l A Rural Reader” writes us he has a 
mare that refuses to eat grain of any kind at 
than thirty years, shows well. 
The proper conduct, of the business requires 
..1 . ...1 ._ _ - i 
The milk must lie drawn from tile cow with close and constant labor; care in handling 
an extra degree of cleanliness. Then it must st,, ck ; knowledge in selection, and thorough 
be immediately divested of its animal heat, ^"Aem iu management. Dairymen urelearn- 
, , . . ’ ing flic value ot kindness and good feed, 
or cooled to 60. It may then be canned T fie farms have from twelve to sixty cows 
and taken to the factory, where it is to be each, and as a rule, of cattle that are a credit 
closely scrutinized and tested by an expert, and a source of profit, 
and if found in good order, it may be used Wt{ nuw present, figures compiled from 
for the purpose of condensing. But it then r W 0r }*' Points of receipt and 
, , . ... shipment, which will give a lair idea of the 
has to go through various strainers to free it i„ 18 j nC8g . 
from any chance particles of dust, hair, or ei.oin district. 
the like, which it may happen to contain, ouy or eibIu, ahipuodto cnioago, gallons. 214,979 
,, . , ... . , FruiRlitpuitl. $4,299.68. 
Everything about the- vats and apparatus K<:i-eiv«*d ui coaunnsing fac&ory, paiiona. 358,875 
. lw , j.i. , . Of this 63,in gallons were made into choose, the 
must m. kept absolutely clean ftiid sweety i.riIhuco bein^ coudeuse’d. 
since success in the manufacture depends wwt'oit 
upon having a good-flavored, pure article, KeeM!%u«.‘ V Co ;. ! . 340.000 
The rules in regard to the delivery of milk «Upp<hi ciiieugo". guis. atuwo 
at Elgin are very Strict. The most, rigid -VII Lurkm’atiiotory-llve miles west of Elgin: 
care is exacted ot patrons as to cleanliness Cheese wtuie. ihs. . 237,810 
and purity of the milk delivered, and when stunned^ 501,100 
milk does not come in perfect order, the pat- * Aigon qinn-fwei vein lies north: 
ron is not only obliged to take it home again, ryeffiit loni , E “ is . 172,OUO 
but a repetition of the offense excludes him sfiwSSlS&ffiffSf 270,752 
from the future delivery of milk at the es- Frc-a-bi paio, $.-..445.48. 
, , * Huntley—twelveuffles west: 
tablishment. Shiivea to Chicago, guls. 32,064 
,, , .. . Freight paid. $801.00. 
I rom our observation ot the manner in goui.ia iLiininonirsfaetory-four miles east: 
which things are managed at the factory, chei-irmaSe!*ios 111; 29 c;ooo 
and oats before her, she eats the hay in pref- 
| erence to the oats; looks gaunt; hide loose 
enough; seems weak; has passed some pin- 
worms. He physiced her with aloes, and 
asks if they will kill worms. Asks some one 
who has had experience to tell him what 
to do. 
Warts 011 Horses. 
John F. Morton of Ohio asks a cure for 
warts on horses. Here is a recipe which has 
appeared in the Rural before:—In a pint of 
wafer dissolve three teaspoonfuls of blue 
vitriol; put in a bottle, which keep well 
corked. Apply twice a day with a feather 
or camel’s hair brush. 
Treatment for Thrush. 
G. S., Chenango, Pa., says the following 
is the best treatment for thrush:—"Wash 
the parts well with soap and water; then 
apply powdered sulphate of copper to the 
parts and fill up all the cavities with cotton 
packed in so as to keep out all dirt. This 
should be repeated in & few days, if neces¬ 
sary.” 
-♦-♦-*- 
A Lame llurso,— I have a fine young hors© 
that has been lame for a year; the lrogs ol his 
fore feet apnea red to decay or rot, and then they 
grow partly in, and rot again. Will some of 
your numerous readers tell me the cause and 
remedy 
POISONS—L 
Popular Information in Regard to Poisons 
and their Antidotes. 
As a general rule nothing is more to be 
reprehended than the meddling of uninform¬ 
ed persons with medical matter. When a 
person who has had no medical education is 
asked for his advice in regard to the ailments 
of others the best prescription that he can 
give is—“Take advice.” But although this 
Is the general rule there are a few marked 
exceptions. If no surgeon is near we ought 
not to refuse to tie up a wounded limb merely 
because we have not studied surgery, and 
when a patient has swallowed a virulent 
poison death may ensue before the aid of a 
physican can be procured. Of course in 
such a case a little knowledge may prove 
not dangerous but useful. We therefore 
propose to give a little general information 
in regard to the more common poisons,— 
their character and effects, and the proper 
antidotes to be used when they have been 
taken into the system. 
There is no well-marked class of substan¬ 
ces which can be called poisons. Some ar¬ 
ticles of food become poisonous in slightly 
increased doses, and some of the most viru¬ 
lent poisons aru used as medicines. Com¬ 
mon salt has caused death iu several in¬ 
stances, and so lias saltpeter—a substance 
which is frequently used in the curing of 
meat, and is generally regarded as innocuous 
in small quantities. Arsenic is frequently 
used in medicine, and so is prussic acid; 
even strychnine is used medicinally in doses 
of one-twelfth of a grain and less, although it 
is one of the most active poisons known, 
causing death in a very few seconds or 
minutes. We do not propose, therefore, to 
adhere very strictly to any special classifi¬ 
cation, but will take up such substances as 
are most liable to produce accidental diffi¬ 
culty ; before doing so, however, it may be 
well to call the attention of our readers to 
the fact that every long chemical word does 
not necessarily denote a poison. Carbonate 
of lime is simply chalk, which is a very 
harmless substance, and neither is it the 
case that we can deduce the character of a 
compound from the nature of its elements. 
Lean meat contains all the elements of pruB- 
sic acid, and ©xalic acid can be prepared 
from sugar. Oxalic acid is a deadly poison, 
and so is oxalate of potash, but oxalate of 
lime is quite inert. The facts in regard to 
each individual substance and its compounds 
must be learned by experience, either on tiie 
part of ourselves or others. A chemist of 
extensive knowledge may he able to guess 
pretty closely what the character of some 
combinations will be, but he will be often 
mistaken. 
A most marked instance of the errors into 
which writers for the press who have un¬ 
limited confidence in their powers of gen¬ 
eralization, are liable to fall, occurs in the 
case of oxalic acid. This substance is a 
deadly poison, and, as we just remarked, its 
combinations with the alkalies are deadly 
poisons loo. Taylor, the great authority 
on poison, says of oxalate of potash :—“ This 
salt is poisonous, destroying life almost as 
rapidly as oxalic acid itself.” And yet in 
most popular “ household ” books we are 
told that the proper antidote for acids in 
general is an alkali! Oxalic acid forms a 
very dangerous exception to this rule. 
In all cases where poisons have been 
swallowed, the proper course is first to neu¬ 
tralize the deleterious agent and then to pro¬ 
cure its rejection by means either of the 
stomach-pump or an emetic. The stomach- 
pump is of course the best rfnd most expedi¬ 
tious agent. It requires but a few moments 
to insert it and remove the contents of the 
stomach; fresh supplies of water and the 
proper antidotes can then be poured into the 
organ, so that in a few minutes the last traces 
of the poison can be removed. But as the 
stomach-pump is to be found in the posses¬ 
sion of physicians only, reliance must in 
genera] be placed upon emetics, of which 
the best is, unquestionably, mustard — au 
article which is to be found in almost every 
household. It is generally conceded by 
physicians that mustard is the mildest, most 
rapid and most efficient emetic known. Its 
preparation and administration requires, 
however, a few precautions, which we will 
here indicate. 
Mustard owes its pungency to an essential 
oil which does not exist ready formed in the 
seed, but is produced rapidly after the flour 
of mustard has been mixed with water. In 
preparing and administering a dose of mus¬ 
tard, therefore, no time should be allowed to 
elapse between the mixing of the mustard 
with water and its being swallowed. During 
every second that so elapses the pungent 
essential oil is generated, and the disagreea¬ 
bleness of the dose is increased. Take 
about a plump dessertspoonful of genuine 
flour of mustard, (if it be mixed with wheat 
flour or turmeric, more will be needed,) and 
mix it rapidly iu a cup with Avuler to the 
consistency of thin gruel, and let this be 
swallowed without delay or hesitation. Iu 
a very few seconds the contents of the stom¬ 
ach will be ejected. Before the emetic ac¬ 
tion has entirely ceased, a little lukewarm 
water, or still better, warm milk, should be 
forced down. This will be thrown off im¬ 
mediately, and will serve to rinse out the 
stomach and remove the last traces of clele- 
terous matter. 
By the time the operation of the emetic 
has ceased a physician will probably be in 
attendance, and to his care the patient should 
be at once confided. 
loricnltnrr. 
WOMEN FLORISTS. 
Ralsains and Coxcombs. 
As the seasou for flowers draws near, the 
question naturally arises wlmt varieties shall 
I select? What flourished best with me last 
3 r ear? How could I improve on the experi¬ 
ence I gained from daily observation through 
the summer? I will give some of mv expe¬ 
rience, and hope my Rural sisters will add 
theirs. 
There has been mention made in the Ru¬ 
ral of some tall balsams, but as none grew 
to tbe height of mine, 1 will state that on 
the 5th of September one measured four feet 
two inches, trimmed to five brunches, with 
very double flowers, the whole length in¬ 
cluding branches. The variety was camelia- 
flowered, French mixed colors. (See Vick’s 
Catalogue, page 15.) I will state two or 
three things in relation to my mode of culti¬ 
vation. 
The soil being a black loam, baking very 
easily after a rain, especially if followed by 
high wind, I use freely of sand with ben ma¬ 
nure, which had been mixed nicely with 
coarse sand. With care as to transplanting, 
and taking advantage of a lowering sky, I 
moved some even after they had commenced 
to flower and were two feet high; but they 
did not flower so late as those which were 
transplanted while small. 
I had one stalk that was worthy of men¬ 
tion. It grew beautifully and budded, but 
not perfect buds; in place of flowers, every 
bud produced throe tiny green leaves, and at 
the end of the season t here was 011 the top of 
the stalk a close cluster of green leaves not 
unlike coxcomb just before the flower comes 
out. 
With cdosia, (coxcomb,) I succeeded ad¬ 
mirably; one, in size and beauty, would 
compare lavorably with those shown by 
Vick at the Slate Fair of ’08, held in Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y. There are very many flowers 
that amply repay the grower for "bouquets 
and tabic ornamentation, that may be classed 
among old-fashioned things, if anything Our 
Father made could thus be styled.— Mrs. 
Martha Ques&ol, Central Illinois. 
Mauuaciiient of Callus, Arc. 
In your issue of February 19, “ A Lady 
Reader” says she would like to ask some of 
your readers the cause of the leaves of the 
Cailft lily decaying as soon as they mature 
or arrive at perfection, and lhe remedy; 
also, which is preferable for the general 
growth of plants iu winter, the cellar or sit¬ 
ting-room. I have had experience the past 
ten years, and made lilies a specialty, and 
will give your inquirer t he benefit thereof. 
In selecting a new offshoot of the Calla, 
always select one growing farthest from the 
center of the mniu bulb; for I find they 
grow more readily to a perfect stalk and 
blossom much sooner and last longer. The 
earth to be used should be meadow muck, 
or mini, taken from the bottom of any creek, 
and well baked until it can easily bc'ptilver- 
ized and sifted; then add one-fourth sharp 
white sand (such as may be found washed 
upon the bank of a brook j) give them a good- 
sized pot and plenty of water, and you have 
no further trouble. 1 bave now one in my 
window, with eight large leaves and two buds 
just opening, which stands four and a-balf 
feet high, the leaves of which measure eight 
and a-half inches broad by nineteen inches 
long; and it has been in bloom continually 
for the last seven mont hs, some of the leaves 
being three months old, and fresh, and bright 
now. 
I always keep them, during the cold sea- 
sou, in my kitchen, where I have a large 
bow window fronting the South, and in 
summer I set them in the open air, keeping 
down the offshoots, never letting more than 
two stalks grow in the same pot, 
I 11 keeping other plants, such as Gera¬ 
niums, Petunias, Heliotropes, Verbenas, &c., 
I never put them in the cellar, however 
light, as they are liable to mildew, and the 
leaves full off. I 11 keeping Geraniums (of 
which I have sixteen varieties,) I always 
start my cuttings iu June, in the pot in 
which they are to remain during the winter, 
and as soon as well started, J pinch off the’ 
tops, and do not let them bloom until No¬ 
vember; then place them in my window, 
and I have a good flower garden all winter. 
Petunias can be raised but from the seed. 
I have now seven varieties of double Petu¬ 
nias, which I raised from seed obtained last 
spring, which bloomed well all ilirough tbe 
summer. In tbe fall I look up the roots, 
cutting away all the old stalks near the 
ground, setting them in pots filled with rich 
loam, mixed with sharp sand—equal parts— 
and to-day they are in full bloom.—A. T. R 
South Jtoyaiton , Mums., Feb. 21,1870. 
