APRIL 21 
THE 
RURAL WEW-YOBK 
f 
251 
Killing liogs to feed some darkies, we had largely 
of bams to spare. When we took down our 
bams, we packed in largo boxes, with well 
leached asbcB, sif ted and dried. E von then there 
would be an occasional bam somewhat disfig¬ 
ured by the lye eating through the skin, so taking 
down was discontinued. The smoko-houso, two 
feet above earth, bad tlonr removed, and slats of 
three inches, one-half inch apart, put in place, 
for cool air to enter, and gables slatted in like 
manner; walls of hewed and dressed logs laid in 
lime mortar, ho the house was dark, save the 
light from floor and gables. The meat was hnng 
early and cured thoroughly boforo fly time. 
Smoke-house room nevor opened, except from 7 
to 8 in the morning, w hen the day's feed was 
taken out for white and black, and “ tbc rest of 
mankind." I had a sister, two years and three 
months my junior, both married same night, 
aud sho had some DO negroes to feed ; she pur¬ 
sued, in Alabama, the same coarse, r have had 
hauis throe and five years old. My sister, more 
careful and a better housekeeper, was seldom 
without three or four-year-old hams. A friend 
sent mo a six-year-old for a certain young Indy's 
wedding; he always smoked his meat, t will 
give any testimony, that as good hams as any 
made in the section where this sister and myself 
live, were made by us though no smoko was in 
the lionso for years, unless from a lamp or pine 
torch, when meat was salted down. I used host 
salt and sugar; with bams, coarse Liverpool with 
a little pulverized alum salt. I add both of ns 
have taken premiums. 
■-♦ ■» ♦- 
SELECTED RECIPES. 
Boiled Parsnips.— Pare carefully, and if largo 
cut lengthwiso in halves. Put them into boiliug 
salted water, and cook till tender. Serve them 
mashed, or plain, with melted butter. They are 
a good accompaniment to salt-fish and boiled 
pork. 
Fricasseed Parsnips,— Boil them in salted 
water, until they are tender. Then cut them 
into pieces two or three inches long, and stew 
them a few minutes in half a cup of milk, half a 
cap of good strong broth, a tablcspoonful of 
butter, aud popper and salt. Just bofore serv¬ 
ing, add one toaspoonful of corn starch made 
smooth in a little cold milk. 
Fried Parsnips.— Iiott the parsnips until ten¬ 
der, in salted water; when they are cool, slice 
them length wise; drodgo with flour and fry in 
hot lard, or better still in suet drippings. Drain 
off every drop of fat; pepper, and serve hot. 
Or they may bo dipped in a woll-beaten egg, 
then in fine cracker-crumbs and fried in hot fat. 
Servo with any kind of roast moat. 
Parsnip Fritters.—B oil tender, mash smooth 
and fine, picking out woody fibers. For two 
largo parsnips allow two eggs, one cup of sweet 
milk, one tablospooul'nl of batter, one teaspoou- 
ful of salt, three tablcspoonfiila of Horn’. Boat 
the eggs light, stir in the mashed parsnips, 
beating bard; then the butter and salt, next the 
milk, lastly the flour. Fry as fritters, in plenty 
of boiling fat. A nice dish for breakfast; or a 
good side dish for dinner. 
Graham Bie^crust. —Take thin, sweet cream, 
and prepare a dough as for crackers, roll out and 
make your pio as with a crust of grease and flue 
flour, and you will have an article that is very 
eatable and healthful. 
Cabbage with Cream.—Out half of a solid 
Lead of cabbage as lino as for slaw. Fut it in a 
sauce-pan over the fire, and add a teacup of 
boding water, cover close, aud lot it cook until 
tender; then pour off the water, and add half a 
pint of cream or sweet milk. When the milk 
boils, stir in a teaspoonful of flour made smooth 
in a little cold milk, salt, peppor, and a table¬ 
spoonful of butter. Lot it boil up, and serve at 
ouco. Cabbage prepared in this manner is a 
very good substitute for cauliflower. 
Oranges. —There are many ways of preparing 
them for delicious desserts, besides the most 
common ono of slicing with sugar. Even tliis 
way may bo varied by sprinkling in between the 
layers, grated or dessioated coooanut. In any 
stylo of preparation it is of great importance to 
prepare them a few hours before they are wanted. 
Orange fiulad. —Cut several oranges into 
slices, one-eighth of an inch thick ; remove the 
pits aud place the slices upon a flat glass dish, 
ono piece half covering the next, until the 
whole surface of the dish is covered. Sift pul¬ 
verized sugar over all, and pour over a glass of 
any good liquor, and in two hours it is ready to 
serve. Peach salad is made in the same way, 
but sherry wine is the only liquor suitable for 
peaches. 
Baking Powders for Biscuits.— Bicarbonate 
of soda, 1 pounds; cream of tartar, 8 pounds. 
These ingredients should ho thoroughly dried 
aud well mixed, and put up proof against damp¬ 
ness. L T se about three teaspoonfuls to each 
quart of flour, mix up with cold water or milk 
and put in the oven at once. 
Curried Eggs.—Boil six or eight fresh eggs 
quite hard, as for salad, and put them aside 
until cold. Mix well together from two to three 
ounces of good butter, aud from three to four 
deseerts-poonfuls of currie-powder ; shake them 
in a sauce-pan, over a clear, but moderato fire 
for some minutes, then throw in a couple of 
mild onions finely minced, and fry them gently 
until they are soft, pour to them by degrees 
from half to throo-quarters of a pint of good 
meat gravy, and stow them slowly until reduced 
to pulp; mix smoothly a small cup of sweet 
cream with two teaspoonfuls of rice flour, stir 
them into the eurrio, and simmer tho whole for 
a few minutes. Cut the eggs into half inch 
slices, heat them quite through in tho sauce 
without boiling them, and serve as hot hb 
possible. 
Breakfast Cakes .—Two well-beaten eggs; two 
cups of flour; ono table-spoon of sugar; one 
heaping tablo-spoonfnl of melted butter; ono 
heaping tea-spoonful of baking powder; mix 
thoroughly through the flour a little salt, bako 
iu gem-pans. Have the pans well heated before 
putting in the mixture. 
GRAPES AND WINES OF CALIFORNIA. 
The growing of grapes and making of wine 
may fairly he regarded as among tho most prom¬ 
ising of the groat industries of California. No 
country in the world is bettor suited for it. There 
is no disease or destructive Phylloxera to blast, 
as in Europe, tho hopes of tho vlneculturist, and 
nothing is to bo feared save tho frosts, which 
hut seldom do any material damage. In this 
article will bo found facts and figures showing a 
development of tho business quite remarkable. 
Early in tho history of tho State, even so far 
back as a century and a-half ago, tlio adaptabil¬ 
ity of the soil and climate of California to tho 
culture of the vine was known, and it was one of 
tho first labors that recommended itself to the 
Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. To every 
mission a vineyard was attached, where sufliciont 
wine for the use of its inmates, and fur that of 
those to whom were extended the rights of hos¬ 
pitality, was made. Some of those ancient vines 
remain to this day; and some, such as tho great 
grape vine of Santa Barbara County, exhibited at 
the Centennial, have been wouderH in their way. 
Tho variety of tho grape earliest planted, and 
from which wine of only the commonest kind was 
and is now made, was tho small black variety 
known as tho Mission grape. But tho importance 
of the matter becoming generally recognized, 
tho Legislature appointed a commission to visit 
Europe, and introduce tho best varieties of vines. 
Tliis commission brought back many thousand 
cuttings of tho best varieties, aud distributed 
them gratuitously throughout the State. The 
result has been in the highest degree felicitous, 
and now the wine grapoB grown in California, 
tho Riesling, Malvoisie, Zinfandol, Berger, etc., 
arc- among tho finest in the world. 
The State has at least 15,000,000 acros of land 
adapted to the growth of the vine, hut not 50,000 
acres of this vast area are as yet planted, Tho 
average number of vinos set out per aero, is 
about 000, which gives an average yield of 800 
gallons of wine and 120 of brandy, when iu full 
bearing. In 1859 tho wholo product did not ex¬ 
ceed 100,000 gallons, of which about one-third 
was exported. For a number of years, progress 
was spasmodic and uncertain. In 1869, just 
seven years ago, the first, real advance is chron¬ 
icled, when half a million gallons were made. Iu 
1872 tho product had increased so much that the 
exportation was 1,000,000 gallons. Tho pro¬ 
gressive advauco of the industry is shown by the 
fact that the number of gallons made in 1859 
was 100,000; 1869, 500,000; 1872, 3,000,000; 
1875, 7,000,000; 1876, 10,000,000. 
If tho present year bo a favorable ono for tho 
grape crop, a yield of eleven to twelve milli on 
gallons, worth $4,000,000, may be expected; and 
as the new vines planted daring tho past six or 
seven years come into bearing, the yield will in¬ 
crease quite rapidly—so rapidly, indeed, that tho 
wine makers will find it somewhat difficult to 
know what to do with it. 
The grape region of tho State includes throo 
distinct wino districts—the Southern or Los An¬ 
geles, making port and other sweet wines, togeth¬ 
er with some white wines ; the Coast Range, in¬ 
cluding Sonoma and Napa Counties, producing 
w hite aud red acid wines, hock, santerno, claret, 
etc., and the foot-hills of tho Sierra Nevada, 
making dry wines of excellent quality, sherry, 
madeira, tenonffe, etc. Indeed, all except the 
northeastern section of tho State will grow the 
wine grape, hut tho middle and southern sections 
are of coarse the moBt prolific, and it is there¬ 
fore in them that the greatest impetus has been 
given to the industry. The great wine growing 
counties are still those of the south, where it was 
first introduced. Los Angelos, (whose capital, 
Los Angeles, may itself be almost said to be em¬ 
bosomed in vineyards,) with a little assistance 
from San Bornardino, still leads the van. Tho pro¬ 
duction of tho several Counties for 1876, was: 
Los Angelos aud San Bornardino, 2,000,000 gal¬ 
lons; Sonoma, 1.300,000; Napa, 1,125,000; Sae- 
rameuto, Yolo, Solano. San Joaquin, Placer, Tuo¬ 
lumne, Santa Barbara, about 600,000 each ; other 
Counties. 1.500,000. 
California champagne is true champagne, and 
is made of excellent quality by about four mak¬ 
ers. About 20,000 cases yearly are sold in Sao 
Francisco and a considerable quantity shipped 
East, where it appears under European names. 
The wino makers are not all grape growers, 
neither aro tho latter all wine makers. Tlio ono 
depends on the other in many cases. Homo mak¬ 
ers who aro also growers, buy largely from other 
growers. One firm claims to mako half a million 
gallons yearly between Los Angeles and Sonoma. 
Tti Sacramento County a quarter of a million gal¬ 
lons nru made by one firm. In Sonoma and Napa 
six mako from 100,00(1 to 180,000 gallons a year, 
while nine mako over 50,000 gallons each a year. 
Tehama has an estate producing 160,000 gallons 
a year. One grower in San Joaquin makes 100,- 
000 gallons a year, aud thoro aro quite a large 
number who mako from 20,000 to 50,000 gallons 
a year. 
The averago exportation for the last six years 
has been about 1,000,000 of gallons—average 
value about 75 cents per gallon. Tho value of 
tho exports of 1859 was $35,582. This is truly a 
wonderful increase, and augurs well for tho fu¬ 
ture. Tho quantity used in tho State and on the 
coast was about 2,000,000 gallons. There was 
considerable used for brandy—about 2,500,000 
gallons. A large proportion of the annual prod¬ 
uct remains in the vaults and collars, to allow it 
to improve by age. 
ijiHiinuc Information. 
TREATMENT FOR AN ULCERATED TOOTH. 
Dr. Oeo. L. Parmeljze of Harvard University, 
writes to tho Journal of Chemistry, telling the 
cause of ulcerated teeth aud tho treatment 
therefor. If a longitudinal section bo made of 
a tooth, a cavity nearly corresponding in shape 
to tho external contour of tho tooth will bo 
found. This cavity is prolonged into tho root, 
or roots, if there bo moro than ono, and opens 
by a minute orifice at the extremity of each. This 
is called the pulp cavity or chamber, while those 
portions extending into tho roots are distin¬ 
guished by tho name of pulp canals. This palp 
cavity is occupied by a highly vascular and 
nervous tissue, tho dental pulp, which is contin¬ 
uous, through tho opening at tho end of tho 
root, with tho vessels aud nerves which supply 
tho tooth and adjacent parts. 
When from any cause the pulp of a tooth dies, 
what happens ? Tho pulp being dead, of course, 
decomposes ; and if allowed to remain iu the 
tooth, tho gases arising from this decomposition 
must find a moaiiH of exit. If a cavity of decay 
exists, freely open, the gases arising from tho 
dead pulp will escape through tho cavity, and no 
trouble results. But should tliis cavity ho closed, 
either by tho impaction of food, a filling, or any 
other cause, tho gases, finding no other vent, aro 
forced through tho minute orifice at tho end of 
tho root, where the vessels entered which supplied 
it with life, irritating tho root membra-HO of the 
tooth and the surrounding parts. This Irritation 
causes inflammation, and as this progresses pus 
is formed. 
The first, indication we havo of this vnrioty of 
toothache, is a slight soreness on shutting the 
teeth together, or on striking tho affected tooth. 
Boon the soreness increases, the tooth feels as if 
it was moro prominent than the others, and ono 
has a desire to ho continually feeling of it, to see 
how things aro progressing. Tho pain is dull, 
tinrobbing, and, owing to the parts being con¬ 
fined by hard, bony walls, severely intense, the 
wholo jaw sympathizing. 
As it is often necessary to destroy those pulps, 
what should be done to guard against toothache 
of this variety ? After the life of a pulp has 
been destroyed, by tho application of medicine 
to it, or uny other cause, it should bo hardened 
and withdrawn from its cavity—which is not a 
painful operation—the parts thoroughly disin¬ 
fected, and the cavity carefully filled. If teeth 
aro treated in this way, the chances of trouble 
are greatly lessened, and they may bo retained 
aB useful organs for many years and perhaps for 
a lifetime. What shall wo do if this trouble 
does ariso ? Consult a competent dentist, not 
one who has picked up a little knowledge of 
teeth, and is a mere extractor and pluggor of 
these organa, but one who lias been thoroughly 
and scientifically educated for his calling, and ho 
will know what to do. In case for any reason 
this is impossible, you may bo able to relieve 
yourself. 
In the first place do not delay in hope that the 
tooth may feel hotter, but attend to it at once. 
Remove if you can all foreign matter from the 
cavity, thoroughly washing it with topid water 
and got an opening into tho pulp chamber. 
This alono will often cure it. Faint tho gum 
freely all around the tooth with strong tinoturo 
of iodine, first drying off the moisture from tho 
gum. Hold ice-cold water or lumps of ice con¬ 
tinually in the mouth, but should you start on 
this cold water method of treatment you must 
keep it up for several hours, or it will be worso 
than useless. Hot foot-baths and saline cathar¬ 
tics. Lot tho tooth alone, do not keep fooling of 
it, thus keoping up tho irritation which you aro 
trying to allay. Remember that this form of 
treatment is not applicable to nn exposed living 
pulp, but only in cases where this organ is dead. 
Cold water, applied to an inflamed living pulp, 
would only increase your agony. 
Should you find that you cannot arrest tho in¬ 
flammation aftor a sufficient trial, you will have 
to take tho other course, and that is. to hasten 
suppuration by warm applications directly to the. 
part. For this purpose nothing is bettor than a 
split fig, roasted and laid on the gmu. Warm 
fluids hold in tho mouth will sometimes afford 
relief. But it is wiser to go at once to a compe¬ 
tent dentist, as serious trouble often arisos from 
this form of disoaso. Never, ou any considera¬ 
tion, apply poultices to tho outside of tho faco, 
for should tho abscess point aud break thore, a 
permanent and unsightly scar would bo tho re¬ 
sult. 
In closing I would say, that as “an ounce of 
prevention is worth a pound of cure,” it would 
bo much hotter to attend to your teeth in time, 
before the pulps boooruo exposed, and save your 
teeth and yourself all this pain and troublo. 
You will never find any artificial teeth that will 
bo tho source of as much comfort as your own 
natural organs properly taken caro of. 
— ■ ■ ♦-»+-.-. 
SENSIBLE TREATMENT OF SMALL-FOX. 
It is said that when small-pox began its 
ravages in San Francisco, early last Summer, tho 
incompetence of the Health Board was painfully 
manifest. Hospital tents wore introduced at 
Oakland with great success. The louts used 
wore each about 10 by 12 feet,, with floors about 
two foot above the beach. Patients were bathed 
from head to foot iu topid sea water and invigor¬ 
ated by natural tonics—ocean breeze and sun¬ 
shine. Nearly all tho patients reeoved. 
f onto logical, 
SUCKERS FROM DWARFPEAKS. 
I have sovoral dwarf pear trees, grafted on 
quince stocks, which aro throwing up sprouts 
from the roots, and some of them from close up 
to the stems. Now L want to know what I shall 
do In this matter, as tho qiiiuco suckers seem to 
cheek the growth of the pears, and several have 
died outright. It may lie that my pear trees 
havo the blight, and this Is what is lulling them. 
Will you please suggost tho treatment which 
these trees should receive,—J. 1). W., Bulcrsvilte, 
Miss. * 
It is no uncommon thing for dwarf pear troos 
to throw up suckers front the quince roots upon 
which the pear is worked, and if such suckers 
aro not kept in check tho tree, or at least the 
pear portion of it, will eventually die. We sup¬ 
posed everybody who cultivated dwarf pear trees 
know this fact, honeo wo should never have 
thought of referring to it, unless asked the ques¬ 
tion, as you havo done. 
Tho union between tho quince stock aud pear 
cion is at least an unnatural ono, and it is not 
strange that thoqmnco roots should, under such 
circumstances, bo constantly endeavoring to right 
itself by producing shoots and leaves of its own, 
as in tho instances you name. 
All suckers starting from the quinco roots 
should bo cut, away as soon as they appoar, else 
they will draw to themselves the elements re¬ 
quired to keep the pear wood healthy and vigor¬ 
ous. It may lie that your pear trees are planted 
so shallow that when tho ground is cultivated, 
tho plow or other implement used, cuts and 
wounds tho quince roots, thereby causing them 
to produce a greater number of suckers than 
they would if not disturbed. If tliis bo tho case, 
mulch the trees with leaves or some similar 
material, to keep down the weeds about tho 
Btems, and cease cultivating. But hoe off tho 
suckers whenever one shows Itself above tho 
surface of the ground, for they will soon suck 
the life out of your trees, if allowed to grow 
unchecked. 
--- 
MORE NEW PEACHES. 
H. M. Enole A Son, the well known Pennsyl¬ 
vania Nurserymen, arc offering their new Early 
Peaches, which they claim to bo oven earlier than 
the Amsdeu or Halo’s Early. Tho names of these 
new varieties are Downing’s, Saunders’ and Wil¬ 
der's, and in size, appearance and quality, they 
are said to resemble the Early York Rareripe and 
Hale’s Early, in the order named. 'The original 
trees have fruited three years, aud during the 
time the fruit has ripened ten to fifteen days in 
advance of Hale’s Eaily. 
