MOORE’S  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
THE  BLANCHAKD  CHUEN, 
I  yearn.  If,  then,  any  class  of  plants  is  benefited 
j  by  being  kept  thoroughly  drj'  when  at  rest,  it 
I  must  be  such  bulbous-rootod  plants  from  the 
I  hottest  regions  as  are  usually  grmvti  in  stove 
I  temperatures,  such  as  Caladimua,  Oesimras.  Ac.; 
yet  it  is  conchuHivoly  proved  that  more  ar  e  hist  by 
“diyrot  "than  by  excesHive  moisture.  Cycla¬ 
mens  used  at  one  time  to  be  dried  off  periodically; 
but,  thanks  to  a  betUT  knowledge  of  Unur  cul¬ 
ture,  they  ai'o  not  now  subjected  to  such  a  tiyuig 
and  weakening  ordeal.  'I'lie  consoquonco  is  that 
finer  [ilants  are  now  raised  tho  second  year’  from 
seed  than  we  used  to  have  after  several  year's’ 
gi'owth. 
Wo  can  add,  from  personal  observation,  that 
injury  to  garden  trees  from  excessive  cold  is 
more  frequent  during  our  American  winters, 
when  the  ground  is  excessively  dry,  than  when  it 
!  is  moist.  This  may  indicate  that  tiro  roots  of 
j  triM'H  absorb  some  moUtiU’c,  though  only  slowly 
j  diu'ing  winter',  and  thus  supply  tho  loss  by  evap¬ 
oration  troll)  the  Iruiik  and  branches;  or  it  rnav 
j  bo  only  a  rosnlt  of  tho  ico  in  the  soil,  forming  a 
DlKltfiiif  liifonuiitioii 
The  Dairy  is  one  of  the  Rurai,  new-Yorker’.s 
spcciaUticd.  Probably  no  other  joiuual  in  the 
country  has  done  more  than  it  to  disseminate 
accurate  knowledge  orr  Butter  and  Cheese  making. 
USE  OF  SALT  IN  PACKING  MEATS, 
LIFE  LENGTHENED, 
The  Jlassaehusetts  Ploughman  publishes  the 
following  interesting  arrd  valuable  facts  about 
the  rrsoH  of  salt  and  the  kinds  of  salt  to  u.-ie  in 
packing  meats.  The  meat-packer  does  not  aim 
at  a  mere  preserration  of  his  beef  and  pork — bis 
main  object  will  always  bo  to  secure  the  keeping 
of  his  meat  in  tho  most  palatable  condition,  and 
as  much  as  possible  of  its  natural  color.  4  Ildoride 
of  sodium,  or  what  means  hero  about  tho  Hame, 
a  good  commercial  salt,  answers  both  etrds 
satisfactorily,  if  properly  applied.  It  does  rrot 
necessarily  change  the  color  of  tho  meat,  nor 
does  it  affect  it-s  tenderness  boyoiul  r«!a.sonahl<! 
limits.  It  is  also  a  gixxl  antiseptic,  for  it 
prevents,  if  present  in  a  snfileient  quantity,  tho 
development  of  organisms  of  a  lower  order  which 
in  their  growth,  as  a  natural  consequence,  will 
hasten  tho  disintegration  of  tho  moat  mass,  and 
thus  its  final  putrefaction. 
Practice  recommends  thense  of  tho  coarse  and 
hard  qualities  of  salt  for  me.at  packing,  for  the 
following  reasons: — They  dissolve graduall.v,  and 
oonti'act  tho  meat  by  degrees  to  a  desirable 
compactness  ;  they  keep  tho  salt  pickle  within  a 
certain  moderate  eoncentration ;  they  cannot 
enter  mechaiilcRlly  into  the  moat,  and  llius  over¬ 
charge  it,  and  may  therefore  lie  applied  in  a 
sufficient  excess  so  as  to  eom]s::nsate  for  the 
losses  of  picldo  by  leakage,  etc.,  without  en¬ 
dangering  the  tenderness  and  the  flavor  too  pre¬ 
maturely. 
The  common  line  salt  answers  for  a  short 
period  of  keeping  vexy  well,  and  is  conscfjuently 
used  in  the  packing  of  meat  for  immediate  family 
consumption.  Fifty  to  fifty-six  pound,s  of  coarse 
salt  are  usually  taken  for  the  salting  down  of  one 
hari'C'l  of  meat ;  tho  bottom  and  top  of  the  harrel 
are  always  carefully  covered  with  a  layer  of 
coarse  salt.  The  coarse  quail ies  of  salt  which 
arc  used  iu  our  eounti’y  are  either  mannfai'turetl 
from  hriues  or  from  sea  water.  Tho  purer  the 
salt  tho  nicer  is  the  flavor  of  the  meat,  A  salt 
which  contains  large  quantities  of  foi'oigti  saline 
admixtures,  ixarticnlarly  of  chloriile  of  calcium 
and  of  chloride  of  inagnesinm,  impai'ts  a  pungiiiit 
and  disagreeable  taste,  and  uijures  also  tlie  culoi' 
of  the  meat. 
Du.  Hall,  in  his  excellent  Joiu'naJ  of  Health, 
gives  the  foUow’ing  seixsible  and  suggestive  I'ules 
under  the  above  hearling : 
1.  Cultivate  an  equable  temper;  many  have 
fallen  dead  in  a  tit  of  passion. 
2.  Eat  regularly,  not  over  thrice  a  day,  and 
nothing  between  mea.l,s. 
<t.  do  to  hod  at  I'ogular  hoiU'S.  Oct  np  as  soon 
as  yon  wake  of  youLsclf,  and  do  not  sleep  in  tho 
day-time  -at  least,  not  longer  than  ten  minutes 
before  noon. 
4,  Work  always  by  the  day,  and  not  by  tlie  job. 
^  5.  .Stop  working  hcfoi'c  j'on  ai'c  vei'y  much 
tired— before  you  are  ‘dugged  out." 
•J.  (Jultivatu  a  generous  and  accommodating 
tempei', 
7.  Noviw  ci’oas  a  briilgo  before  yon  come  to  it ; 
this  xvill  save  you  half  the  tronblo's  of  life. 
8.  Never  cat  when  you  arc  not  hungry,  nor 
di'ink  when  you  are  not  thirsty. 
9.  Let  your  appetite  always  come  uninvited. 
10.  Lool  off  in  a  i.ilaoe  ui'catlv  wiirnim.  fi.on 
The  Blanouauu  Chuux. 
Not  all  our  i-caders  are  pfasoually  interested  in 
tho  methods  of  making  Factory  C'hcesc,  hut  no 
farmer  who  koep.s  oven  a  single  cow  is  witliout  a 
chiu'ii,  anil  no  farmer  will  fail  to  got  one  of  ini- 
proveil  pattern.  After  I'xamiiiing  vaiious  kinds 
we  litivo  (lecideil  lo  offer  the  Bliiiichard  Dlmm  in 
the  JtuuAi.  Nkw-Voukeu  Pi'ernium  List,  as  in 
Homo  districts  it  may  bo  tho  article  which  our 
Agcnt-Fiionds  would  most  desh'e,  and  believing 
that  we  can  do  the  Dairv’  interest  no  greater 
favor  than  l>y  hringiiig  it  within  the  rc.aeh  of 
cvoiy  one  who  wishes  it.  The  Blauehard  (’hunx 
is  a  favorite  among  Dairymen,  has  taken  mmiei'- 
ous  fii'st  premiums  at  Fail's,  and  tlio.so  who 
soenve  one  as  a  li'einiiim  will  never  regret  their 
choice.  Duo  of  these  ehiirns,  costing  will  he 
sent  to  any  one  sending  a  snhsexibers  at 
or  12  Huhsci'ihers  at  42.15—0111'  lowest  club 
rates. 
§'ruiitifir  anb  blseful 
MOISTURE  FOR  PLANTS  AT  REST 
It  has  generally  been  snppo.sed  that  plant.s  do 
not  need  any  moisture  dining  tlieir  peiioils  iU> 
I'est,  as,  for  example,  trees  in  winter,  and  Imlhs 
after  their  short  .season  of  activity.  An  Eugli.sh 
writor,  Jilr.  J.  (Jiioow,  eonti'acts  this  idea  hi  the 
T.oiidon  Darden,  and  we  copy  a  portion  of  ld.s 
vei-y  lUiggestivo  article. 
Tliere  apfiears  to  bo  an  idea  that  plants  of  a 
docidnou.s  oi'  bulbous  character  do  not  require 
moistm'o  after  they  have,  shed  their  foliage,  Imt 
tJiat  is,  I  think,  a  mwlake,  fox'  that  seximis  Lnjn- 
ry  often  results  from  keeping  sucli  jilants,  when 
at  rest,  dry,  there  can  ho  little  doubt.  Tho  ef¬ 
fects  of  drouth  aro  not.  however,  so  immedi¬ 
ately  ohsex'vahle,  as,  when  tho  foliage  proclaims, 
by  dx'ooplng,  the  lack  of  moisture  at  the  root. 
In  considering  the  offocts  of  what  is  termed 
“drying  off"  on  various  subjects,  1  would  divide 
them  into  two  classes,  viz.,  those  with  bnlbons  or 
fleshy  roots,  and  those  with  fibrous  ones.  The 
latter  are  tlie  fix'st  to  suffer,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  they  havo  no  store-house,  so  to  speak,  on 
which  to  fall  back  to  maintain  tbeir  vitality  until 
a  supply  of  inoistui'C  exiables  tlio  roots  to  come 
Ui  their  aid.  The  effect  of  drouth  on  Peaches, 
Vuics,  and  smclx  fruits  as  are  eiiltivated  under 
glass,  either  in  insitle  borders  or  in  pots,  is  that 
the  buds  usually  either  drop  off  or  refuse  to 
swell,  a  circumstance  almost  uukiioxvu  in  tlie 
case  of  the  same  subjects  when  fully  e.xposed  to 
the  annual  rainfall. 
I  think  that  in  the  case  of  many  deciduous 
trees  and  shrubs  the  x'oot.s  are  aetive  for  some 
NEW  MODE  OF  WASHING, 
The  ill  effects  of  soda  on  linen  have  given  rise 
to  a  new  metliod  of  washing,  w'hich  has  been 
extensively  adopted  in  Germany,  ami  introduced 
into  Belgium.  The  oixeiation  consists  in  dis¬ 
solving  two  js>imd.s  of  soap  in  about  tliree 
gallons  of  water  as  hot  as  tho  hand  can  bear,  and 
adding  to  tliia  one  tablosixooiiful  of  turpentine 
and  thiee  of  liquid  aminonia ;  the  mixture  must 
then  bo  well  stirred,  and  the  linen  steeiiod  in  it 
for  two  or  throe  hours,  taking  care  to  cover  np 
tlie  vessel  containing  them  as  nearly  hermetioally 
as  possible.  Tho  clothes  are  afterward  washed 
out  and  rinsed  in  the  usual  way.  Tlie  soap  and 
water  may  bo  reliealed  and  used  a  second  time, 
but  in  that  case  half  a  tablospooxifnl  of  turpen- 
tiixo  and  a  tahlespoouful  of  ammoixia  must  bo 
added.  Tlie  process  is  said  to  cause  a  great 
economy  of  time,  labor  and  fuel.  Tho  linen 
scarcely  suffers  at  all,  as  there  is  little  necessity 
for  rubbing,  and  its  eloanluiess  aixd  color  aro  pex'- 
fect.  Tho  ammonia  and  turpentine,  although 
their  detersive  action  is  great,  have  no  Injiuious 
effect  upon  the  linen ;  and  while  the  foniier  evap¬ 
orates  immediately, tho  smell  of  the  latter  is  said  to 
disappear  entirely  duriixg  the  drying  of  the 
clothes. 
AN  EXCELLENT  IRRITATING 
PLASTER. 
I  have  tl'ied  this  plaster  and  know  it  to  bo 
good,  besides  it  is  verj'  highly  recommended  to 
me  by  a  friend  in  wlioxxi  I  have  great  confidence. 
Hho  considers  it  really  a  nc'ce.sBity  in  her  family 
Take  of  .Mandx'aUe  Itoot,  Blood  Root,  Indiaxx 
Iiirmp  axxd  I’iko  Root,  finely  pixlverhsed,  of  each 
a  half  pound.  Sift  it  llirougli  a  flue  sieve,  cover 
with  alcohol  and  let  it  stand  until  nearly  dry. 
Melt  four  pounds  of  strained  Burgundy  I’itcix, 
luld  a  half  pound  of  pure  Venice  Tmpentine] 
then  stir  in  the  powdered  x'oots.  Lncoi'iiorato 
the  whole  together ;  simmei'  until  foi'ined  into  a 
soft  plaster,  (,'aro  is  necessury  in  the  urenara- 
UTILIZATION  OF  COBWEBS. 
Cobwebs  have  been  applied  to  various  uses. 
The  delicate  cross-hairs  iix  tho  telescopes  of  sur¬ 
veying  instnxxixents  are  fine  webs  taken  from 
spiders,  a  Species  tliat  are  siiecially  seleetdl  for 
their  jiroductiou  of  an  excellent  quality  of  this 
material.  The  spider,  when  caught,  is  maxle  to 
spin  his  thread  by  tossing  Inm  fronx  hand  to 
haiul,  in  case  he  is  indisixosed  to  furnish  the 
article.  Tlie  end  is  attached  to  a  piece  of  xvii'o, 
which  is  doubled  info  two  parallel  lengtbs,  the 
distance  apart  exceexlhxg  a  little  the  dlamctex'  of 
the  instnimeut.  As  tJxe  spider  Ixaixgs  and  des¬ 
cends  fronx  tills,  tlie  web  is  wound  upon  It  by 
tnniiug  the  wire  around.  Tlxe  eoUs  are  then 
gunimwl  to  the  wire  and  kept  for  use  as  required. 
Alwmt  a  wmtux-y  ago,  Boa  of  Languedoc  succeed¬ 
ed  ill  making  a  pair  of  gloves  and  a  pair  of 
stockings  from  the  thread  of  the  spider.  They 
wex'o  very  strong  and  a  boantifixl  gray  coloi'. 
Other  attempts  of  tho  same  kind  have  Isien 
made  ;  but  Reaumur,  who  was  appointed  by  tho 
Rfiyal  Acxidemy  to  report  on  the  subject,  stated 
that  the  woh  of  tlie  spider  was  not  equal  to  tliat 
of  the  silkworm,  eitlier  iu  strength  or  luster. 
The  cocoons  of  the  latter  weigh  from  three  to 
four  gi'ains.  so  that  2,.30'Iwo)tus  produce  a  pound 
of  silk  ;  but  tlxe  bags  of  the  spider,  when  oleanixd, 
do  not  weigh  above  the  thii-d  i>art  of  a  gi-aln,  so 
that  a  single  silkwonn  can  aceomplish  the  work 
of  twelve  spiders.— .Ix/ienmxt  (li/rhpvedia. 
SELECTED  RECIPES 
Indian  Busk. — Two  light  cups  of  Indian  meal, 
one  enp  of  white  flour,  one  teaspoonful  of  salera- 
tus,  enough  sour  or  buttermilk  to  dissolve  one 
cup  sweet ;  stir  in  %  of  a  cup  of  molasses. 
Poor  Man's  Cuke.—Oao  cup  of  sugar,  one  cup 
of  milk,  one  tablcspoonfiil  of  butter,  oue  tea- 
spoonful  of  dry  cream  of  tartar,  one-half  a  toa- 
spoonful  of  soda  dissolved  in  the  milk,  one  egg, 
a  little  ciiiuamoxi,  and  flonr  to  make  it  as  stiff  as 
pound  cake. 
Ginger  Oako,—Ono  and  one-half  ixixmd.s  of 
floux',  threo-foixrths  of  butter,  one  pint  of  mo¬ 
lasses,  five  tablG.spooufuls  of  ginger ;  rnb  the 
butter  and  sugar  bjgetlier ;  then  roll  them  out 
very  thin  and  cut  Uxein  into  rounds,  place  them 
on  tin  sheets  and  bake  them  well,  and  they  win 
keep  good  a  year. 
Chocolate  Cakes. — One  pound  of  sugar,  one 
pound  of  flour,  one  pound  of  butter,  eight  eggs, 
two  tablespooufuls  of  brandy,  a  pinch  of  salt, 
chocolate  glazing.  Mix  tlxe  above  iiigredient.s 
weU  together  witli  a  wooden  spoon,  putting  the 
butter  (melted  before  the  fire)  iu  last.  Spx'ead  a 
baking  sheet  with  butter,  put  over  it  the  mixtm'e 
half  an  inch  tlxiek  and  bake  it.  Cut  the  cake  in¬ 
to  oblong  pieces,  and  glaze  them  thickly  with 
chocolate. 
THE  GRAPE  CURE 
dant  moLstnre,  both  at  the  root  and  iu  the  atmos¬ 
phere;  therefore,  1  ooncliule  that  much  more 
injury  is  likely  to  result  from  lack  than  from 
excess  of  moisture.  Many  bright  hoixes  of  suc¬ 
cess  in  fruit  cnJtm’o  are  blighted  at  this  season, 
although  tho  cause  is  not  always  apparent.  With 
bulbous  and  lleshy-rooted  plants,  tlieii'  iwculiar 
formation  enables  them  fix  resist  tlu*  effects  of 
drought,  for  a  lengthened  porioil  withouf  eiitix'ely 
losing  their  vitality ;  but,  nevertheleas,  the  ener¬ 
gy'  of  the  plant  is,  I  tliink  tliero  can  be  no  iloubt, 
greatly  lessened.  If  wo  compare  tho  growth  of 
oor  ordinary  spx-ing-flowering  bulbs,  that  are, 
after  blooming,  lifted  and  stored  on  dry  shelves 
with  those  left  undisturbed  in  the  soil,  we  shall 
not  require  farther  proof  as  to  which  system  Is 
Lest.  Tho  many  Ixetautiful  Lilies  nowin  cultiva¬ 
tion  ai'e  very  Inipatietit  of  tho  “  dx'ving  off  ’’  pro¬ 
cess;  while  the  beautiful  BeUadonua  Lily  can 
only  be  had  in  perfection  if  left  undisturbed  for 
It  hen  you  think  of  fniyi/ig  a  ha7'7iess  examiiio 
tbo  leatlier  of  the  hamo  strap  and  the  near  tuok 
of  tlie  throat  lahxh,  and  likewise  of  the  cmpjxtr. 
If  the.se  ends  are  of  a  slazy  stuff,  calculated  to 
squash  and  plague  you  while  ti-ylng  to  make 
thorn  enter  uioh'  loops,  don’t  buy.  The  man 
who  cut  the  harness  did  not  have  tlio  interest  of 
the  nurchascr  in  his  mind.  At  three  siqxarato 
and  distinct  scowls  for  each  buckling  the  harness 
would  be  dear  as  a  gift.  And  most  likely  faults 
and  oversights  run  through  the  entire  x  ig. 
