THE RURAL HEW 
Col. Wilder was confessedly the victor in the 
discussion, and that he was simply defending 
his own practice, which so far as I am aware 
he has not even yet changed; although he still 
continues to l>e an extensive practitioner in 
this direction. I will admit that a dwarf, 
planted as specified, may do very well as a 
shrub, in the garden, where a large tree 
would be out of place; but, T cannot do away 
with the conviction that, fororcliard planting 
with an eye to profit, it would prove an utter 
failure. 
Poutolcrrjical 
FIRE BLIGHT-FROZEN SAP. 
A. A. SENSEti. 
Fire-blight, as it is usually styled, is much 
more general on the pear trees of the Hudson 
River Valley this year than it has been for 
many years past, and the only remedy 
known, which is at best but partial, has not 
been applied as thoroughly as it should have 
been. Doubtless it seems a great sacrifice to 
the orchardist to have to lop off and cut 
away bearing branches, which last year were 
so thrifty and even the past Spring were so 
promising, but. it. will be found that as a gen¬ 
eral rule the more thorough the pruning the 
more certain the cure. Cutting far below the 
outward appearance of disease is necessary, 
because the poisonous ferment will mingle 
more or less with the healthy rising fluids. 
Much of t lie blight could be checked by Spring 
pruning or rather heading in the branches be¬ 
fore the bursting ol' the buds. This, however, 
would only be necessary where it is suspected 
that the poisonous fluid remains in the tree. 
I cannot agree with those who assert that 
the true cause of fire blight is found in fungus 
growth mul infusoria. The usual course of 
fungi is to attack old and weakened wood, 
while in this pear blight the most vigorous 
young growth is the first, to give tokens of the 
disease. And against the theory stands the 
fact that no other wood of fruit or forest tree 
exhibits similar symptoms. Can fungus lie 
so limited? 
If is stated that fire-blight can lie propa¬ 
gated by inocu'ation and this fact is given to 
prove the fungus theory. It would prove 
any other. 1 think, quite as well. The yellows 
in peach trees can also be extended in the 
same manner. Neither will the more active 
animal economy resist inoculation. The ex¬ 
istence of infusoria in fermenting water or de¬ 
caying vegetable inatfer is too well known to 
enter into the discussion as a muse of blight. 
The remedies are not different from those 
which can lie applied in frozen sap blight: 
and I am prepared by my observations the 
present season to affirm that the difference be¬ 
tween the two forms (if blight is only de- 
pemlent upon variations of the seasons. In 
other words, tb ^frozen sap, or more truly the 
fermenting sweet water, which would have 
become true sap under favoring circumstances, 
has only attained a different position iu the 
tree economy from that which is exhibited in 
fire-blight. When the leaves fall capillary at¬ 
traction becomes feeble, if it floes not cease 
entirely. The rising fluid falls short of the 
intention of nature and docs not become 
aerated, because the leaves have fallen—in 
short, is not healthy, inspissated sap at all. It 
remains in the small branches which are most 
exposed to early frosts, freezing and thawing 
alternately. 
Fire-blight, is first observed in the small 
branches; frozen-sap blight in blackened dead 
patches on the large limbs and body of the 
tree. However much they may agree or in 
wliatever they may differ, the results point the 
pear grower to some rules which must be ob¬ 
served to attain success. 
Where there is liability to. standing water 
on the Subsoil or hard-pun t he orchard must 
bo thoroughly underdrained. The early 
Spring and Summer growth is all that should 
l>e looked for or required of the pear tree. 
Late Summer or early Full plowing is inju¬ 
rious. Even if it does not produce Fall 
growth the sap of the tree is excited to the in¬ 
jury of the buds and often to the production 
of blight. It should be remembered, too, 
that fertilizers readily assimilated are to be 
cautiously used on the j*ear tree. 
By closely watching the seasons the keen 
observer may sometimes employ such meas¬ 
ures as will evade both blights. Let it lie re¬ 
membered that “ eternal vigilance is the price" 
of good pears. 
-- 
Fruit Trees For Lawn Plants. 
Horticola puts a question on p. 088 wliich no 
one could answer better than himself. But as 
he invites others to reply to it l will say that 
what rather unfits fruit trees for lawn plant¬ 
ing is that, like other creatures, when they be¬ 
come producers of progeny, they lose much 
of the grace and attraction which once 
made them so “ pleasant, to the eye.” The 
weight of fruit spoils the figure of the tree 
often beyond restoration, yet one cannot re¬ 
solve to remove a tree that yields so much, 
doing its best so well, even when it has become 
an eye-sore in front, a broken-branehod wreck 
an tong t he neat, trim plants of ornament. 
Cherries, of some sorts, where they endure the 
seasons well, and Siberian Crabs, and the 
large leafed, large-fruited variety of mul¬ 
berry keep their form and luxuriance well, 
their fruit being small—and removed i i July 
and A ugust they have time to recuperate by a 
second growth. The mulberry—one tree is 
enough—is especially adapted to lawn plant¬ 
ing, the only objection being that the daily 
visits of the children through its long period 
of bearing make that portion of the grass 
look sorely beaten. A grape bower Is a com¬ 
mon and highly rcoommendable feature of a 
lawn, and any of the fruits are admissible 
when the lawn is large and gradually merges 
into a. sort of informal fruit yard or orchard, 
which can be divided off by an almost imper¬ 
ceptible wire fence so as to conserve the ap¬ 
pearance of roominess and freedom, w. g.w. 
tin- Women. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS RAY CLARK. 
THE CZARINA ON EDUCATION. 
Although the late czarina regarded strict 
religious training as the most important ele¬ 
ment in the education of youth, over which 
she exercised in her adopted country a sur¬ 
veillance as energetic as it was benevolent, 
yet remarks a contemporary, she never hes- 
istatwl to express her disapprobation of the 
narrow-minded bigotry only too prevalent in 
Russian schools, which tended towards de¬ 
veloping fanatical faith in church dogmas 
and traditions at the expense of human sym¬ 
pathies ii nd affections. Some years ago her 
majesty was inspecting the Smultioje insti¬ 
tute for Girls, then under the direction of 
Madame Leontieff, a pious dame of the old 
orthodox pattern, whose educational views 
vere more like those of a medieval abbess 
than of a nineteenth century lady-principal. 
During the examination of the pupils the em¬ 
press, singling out one of the elder girls, 
vskcil her, “What is love?” to which unex¬ 
pected question the lady, blushing deeply, re¬ 
turned uo answer. Madame Leontieff stopped 
forward, and craved permission to inform 
her majesty “that in her school no instruc¬ 
tion ns imparted to the pupils on this par¬ 
ticular subject, and that in ail probability 
the girl did not even understand the meaning 
of the word her majesty had deigned to pro¬ 
nounce.” “ That is much to lie regretted,” re¬ 
plied the empress, “ for woman’s life is 
naught but love— first of ali, love for her pu- 
ents; then love for her husband; and lastly, 
love for her children. If these iris have ac¬ 
quired no just comprehension of love, they 
have been very liadly prepared for the duties 
of life. ” Having thus expressed herself, the 
empress left the institute in manifest dis¬ 
pleasure; and a few days later Madame 
Leontieff received her dismissal from the Im¬ 
perial Ministry of Education and Public 
Worship.—Young Ladies Journal. 
-- 
THAT THRICE TOLD STORY AGAIN. 
A. E. S., must be the wickedest of mem In 
a late Rural he pities the “ poor husband 
who comes in from his own work and is set 
doing his wife’s.” i have seen enough of the 
daily life of the farmer’s wife to assure the 
wise anil large-hearted A. E. S. that, ho need 
not waste his tender compassion on the hus¬ 
band. Likely the wife doesn’t call on him, 
and more likely he’d refuse if she did, or 
do it unwillingly. 
in general there is no animal so selfish and 
forgetful of his mate as the farmer in aver¬ 
age circumstances. Every day she labors be¬ 
yond her strength. Early and late and all 
day on her feet. That Ls what ails American 
mothers—too much on the feet! 
Farmers are apt to be untender and un¬ 
couth. 
Women are subject to ailments that are 
trying and a husband should bo kind and 
thoughtful and thus enable his wife to endure 
gracefully her trials. Let- him fail to be con¬ 
siderate and he never has her whole heart 
again. . Mrs. Maria Jenkins. 
CORRESPONDENTS’ CORNER. 
“ A Constant Reader” who made request 
for information regarding the covering of 
slate frames, will please note the following: 
To cover slate frames take a piece of flan¬ 
nel long enough to go completely round the 
slate and twice as wide us the frame. Sew 
the ends together, slip it on the frame and 
sew a plait in each corner ; then put a little 
mucilage or glue on the frame under the flan¬ 
nel and place a weight on it till it is dry. 
The cover and frame will then adhere. 
Moss Dale. 
Domestic Cconomij 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE 
CONCERNING THE TABLE. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
Neither the best, nor the poorest domestic 
I ever had in my employ, succeeded in set¬ 
ting the table properly; at the liest, there were 
always some essential things lacking- dishes 
for fruit, plates for salad, not enough cups or 
glosses—always something that would neces¬ 
sitate an additional demand. And is this not 
often true among mistresses, as well as maids, 
among farmers’ daughters, even, who may 
regard themselves as being really quick and 
bright ? How many of you set, the table so 
well that when the family is seated around it 
for a meal, nothing is lacking ? There are 
many, 1 well know, who fail to do this, and 
for the help of such, let me suggest that you 
make out a list of things to be done in setting 
a table, hang it up in the dining room and 
read it three times a day. The list, may 
be arranged something like this: 
1. Lay the cloth neatly, with the central 
fold in the middle of the table, and place the 
caster exactly in the center, if caster is re¬ 
quired. 
2. Spoons, large and small, 
8. Knives, forks and napkins in place. 
4. A goblet at each place. 
5. Mats for the vegetable dishes and coffee¬ 
pot. 
(5. Salt and pepper boxes. 
7. Butter knife and butter plates. 
■S. Sauce dishes, cups, saucers and sugar 
bowl. 
!*. If there is to lie soup, place the soup 
la Uo an l so tp pi it <a at the place of the 
hostess or mistress, who is to serve. 1’ut a 
table, or dessert-spoon at each place, alongside 
the knife. 
10, Where the meat platter is to be set, 
spread a large napkin, with the diagonal 
points on the central line of the table cloth. 
The object of this is to protect the cloth from 
the soiling that often comes from carving the 
meat. It. may be removed for dessert. Put 
dinner plates in a pile at the host’s place. Be¬ 
tween the plates and the platter mat lay the 
carving set, and a spoon. 
11. Dessert. On a side table, or on the din¬ 
ing-tabic if there be room, arrange what is re¬ 
quired for the dessert; plates, knives, forks 
or spoons, and finger bowls, where there are 
children about the table, and during fruit sea¬ 
son especially, finger bowls are such a conven¬ 
ience, us to seem a necessity. They are far 
preferable to fruit napkins and in the long run 
much less expensive in labor and money. A 
child is very readily taught to clean its fingers 
and mouth with the aid of a finger bowl, and 
napkin, or eating apron, and the habit once 
formed Is invaluable. Very fair napkins for 
every-day use are made of glass toweling 
which cost 12}. 2 cents a yard. Another ad¬ 
junct of the table, or dining-room, is tooth 
picks. How much they save the teeth from de¬ 
cay, and consequently save in dentist’s bills, 
each one can judge for himself. They cost from 
10 cents a box, up. Those of maple are strong, 
and cost 1,S cents. The best are of orange 
wood—a box is supposed to hold about 2,500. 
Boys who are expert with the jackknife, can 
use that, implement to very good advan¬ 
tage when the whittling fever is on, in the 
manufacture of tooth picks. There is con¬ 
siderably more profit in it than in settirg a 
whole evening and whittling indefinitely over 
the floor, or the kitchen stove. 
The caster is by no means so generally an 
omnipresent object, on the table as formerly, 
A low plate, or dish of flowers, takes its place 
oftentimes. All floral decorations for the table 
are low; at least., things that obstruct the view 
across the table, are dispensed with. 
Many untrained children long retain the 
habit of pushing the food on the fork, spoon, 
or knife with the fingers. They will very 
quickly take to a “ pusher” for such purpose. 
Cut from the side of a half slice of bread a 
strip an inch wide, for the “ pusher,” and the 
little ones will think it great fun to use it in 
pushing their food on their fork, or spoon. 
Of course ill families where there is much 
work and few hands to do it, it is simply im¬ 
possible to always have the table properly 
ordered, and many times there is not money 
to spare to furnish it as one would like. But 
it is always well to keep the table, and the 
habits of the table, up to the best mark feasi¬ 
ble. Frugality should never be dispensed with. 
A crowded table, is, 1 think, very unpleasant 
—I would have room enough, if I could only 
afford a long, plain deal table, with only a 
muslin cover. I would rather do without the 
cover, than lie crowded. 
By the way, all persons who possess a fine 
cherry table should prize it. An old cherry 
table that has been well cared for, is as valu¬ 
able as mahogany, and the older it becomes, 
the more valuable it is. Where the wood is 
very fine, well polished and free from spots, 
the most elegant dinner may he served upon 
it. without a cloth. Handsome mats should be 
provided for the hot dishes. 
One thing should never be allowed at table 
—the habit of putting potato skins, chicken 
bones, etc., on the cloth beside the plate. If 
the dinner plate is not large enough to hold 
this refuse, a small plate set between every 
two plates, will serve the purpose. It is much 
easier to wash dishes than to wash and iron 
table cloths well. Train the children to the 
most tidy habits possible at table, to regard 
the soiling of the cloth as an offence to be 
sorry and ashamed of—to keep the knife and 
fork on the plate and off the cloth. A well 
ordered table, at which cheerful ameuities 
prevail, is .worth more to the growing up 
family than the finest parlor that can be had. 
-- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
HICKORY-NUT MACAROONS. 
Take the meats and pound fine, add any 
spice you please, make frosting as for cake, 
and stir thick with the meats and spice. Flour 
the hands and make the mixture into balls the 
size of hickory-nuts. Place on buttered tins 
(allow room to spread) anil bake in a quick 
oven. 
STEWED CELERY. 
Scrape and cut celery into inch lengths, 
cook tender, drain, pepper and salt, dish and 
pour over a cup of drawn butter in which has 
been stirred the juice of half a lemon. K. L. 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
WAX FOR FLOORS. 
Will you give recipe for a wax for polishing 
an oak floor, and oblige, Mrs E. D. 
Ans. —Take six pounds of yellow wax and 
cut into small pieces; then stir into a hot so¬ 
lution of three pounds good peni'lash and rain 
water. (Water enough to dissolve the pearl- 
ash). Keep the mixture well stirred. After 
the wax is dissolved and effervescence ceases, 
stir in three pounds of dry, yellow ochre 
Turn into tin and let harden. A pound of this 
mixture dissolved in four or five pints of hull¬ 
ing water is sufficient for the floor of a me¬ 
dium-sized room. Apply while hot to the floor 
with a paint brush. Stir the mixture fre¬ 
quently. If put on at night it. will be dry by 
morning. Now polish with a large Boor brush. 
This last requires much patience and hard 
rubbing. Finally go over the floor with a 
coarse woolen cloth. 
CLEANING GRANITE TEA-POTS. 
How shall 1 clean a granite tea-pot that has 
become brown on the inside : 
Mrs, Baumgartner. 
Ans. —We clean our Britamiia and earthen 
ware tea-pot as follow?: till with a hot solu¬ 
tion of washing-soda and water. J-iet stand 
for several hours. Then empty and rub thor¬ 
oughly with a woolen cloth and sapolio. If 
satisfactory wash and scald, if not, repeat the 
process. 
EGG OMELET. 
Please give recipe for the above. .T. E. s. 
Ans. —Allow two tablespoonfuls of sweet 
milk and a pinch of salt for each egg. Beat 
the yelks until thick and creamy, add the milk 
ami salt ami last the whites beaten to a stiff 
froth. Pour into a hot pan in which a piece 
of butter the size of a walnut has just been 
melted. The mixture should at once begiu to 
bubble. Slip under a broad-bladed knife fre¬ 
quently, to prevent burning. Cook three or 
four minutes and when the top begins to set, 
fold over, shake the pan to free the omelet and 
carefully turn over onto a hot platter. When 
a large omelet is needed it is best to divide the 
mixture and make two or three smaller ones, 
sending each to tiie table as soon as done. 
EVAPORATED FRUIT; YEAST-CAKE AND LEMON 
.TELLY. 
No. 1. Where can evaporated fruit be ob¬ 
tained also Vienna yeast-cake ? No. 2. 1 wi.-h 
to know how to make jelly with lemons and 
gelatine. S. M. Lachlan. 
Ans. —No. 1 Evaporated fruit may he ob¬ 
tained of Max field & Co., Iu and <V,i Park 
Place, N. Y., and Vienna Yeast cakes of 
Gaff, Fleishmann & Co., 153 Third Avenue 
N. Y. No. 2. The juice of tine and grated 
peel of two lemons, one (uiekage of Coxe's 
gelatine soaked in two coffee-cups of cold 
water, two toffee cups of granulated sugar, 
a pint and a half of nailing water. After the 
gelatine has soaked for two or three hours, 
add the lemon juice, peel and sugar, stir 
thoroughly, cover aud leave for an hour. 
Then pour in the boiling water and stir until 
sugar and gelatine are dissolved. Strain 
through a flannel l«ig. Pour into a wet mold 
or glass. It will jell in from five to six hours. 
Iu warm weather set on ice. 
