DEC. 45 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
3S5 
can do no harm, and in most cases will do good. 
If there is indigestion, charcoal, salt, etc., are 
good. By the way, charcoal will cure almost all 
the slight sicknesses which hogs have. Powder 
it and put in their swill. With educated pbysi- 
cians hygiene and diet are taking the place, in a 
great measure, of large quantities of disagreea¬ 
ble drugs. ° 
Having told farmers what they do that is 
wrong, m my next I will try to explain and teach 
them how to do that which is right; and if they 
will but attend, I thiuk I can so instruct them 
that they, at any rate, can treat the more simple 
diseases of domestic animals quite skillfull v. 
'O 
WHAT MEAT SHALL WE EAT. 
by cob. f. d. ccnns. 
The American people are gradually increasing 
the consumption of mutton. Thirty years ago but 
few fat sheep went to the markets. Now more 
than a million are required annually to supply 
the demands of New l'ork city alone. The groat 
staple meat food of the cities is beef, while in 
the country districts it is tbe flesh of swiue. 
Farmers cannot keep whole carcasses of beef on 
band, and if preserved in salt, as they do their 
pork, it soon gets bard and unpalatable. A oar- 
oass of mutton being so much smaller, oven in 
hot weather, a considerable portion of it can be 
used fresh, and the balance pickled in salt. Mut¬ 
ton will keep longer in & fresh state than any 
other meat, and when corned it is excellent food. 
It is equally nutritious with beef and far more 
wholesome than pig-meat in any form. For 
persons of sedentary habits, and at all afflicted 
with weak digestion, it is far healthier than beef 
or pork. Many people who cannot digest either 
of the latter without distress, can eat a full 
meat of mutton and experience no unpleasant¬ 
ness whatever, it Is the cleanest and purest 
meat food m the whole animal kingdom, as a 
sheep will starve before it will cat anything dirty 
or tainted. Mu I ton wastes loss in the pot or oven 
than beef. Tho bones are lighter and finer in 
proportion to tho amount of meat in well fed 
sheep, and this, alone, is an important item to 
those who lmvo to buy. The less shrinkage in 
cooking is a considerable percentage in favor of 
mntton. The great reason why more meitoti i. 
not eaten is because of its poor quality which is 
the result of no general system practiced t a the 
production of this important staple. During 
o late war the price of wool ran up * 0 high 
and the demand was so urgent that the country 
was stimulated to the Increasing of tho Hocks 
without regard to their kind or character. Mut¬ 
ton became a secondary consideration or rather 
was not taken into the account at all. With the 
elo^e of the war, and the inevitable monetary re¬ 
action, there came a cra*h In the price of wool and 
the sheep, bred for heavy doeces, were sacrificed. 
Breeding sheep for their fleece should be con- 
, to the great areas west of the Mississippi 
and remote from market. So long as more than 
wxty million dollars’ worth of wool and woolen 
ldbrios are yearly imported to supplement our 
deficiencies, growing sheep in those immense 
regions will pay. 
There there is an opening for thousands to en¬ 
gage in a permanent and profitable occupation 
where are millions of acres specially adapted to 
s.eep Last of the Mississippi, sheep should be 
Lied for mutton with wool as a secondary ob¬ 
ject. A sheep’s fleece will generally pay for its 
keeping, leaving the growth of body for the 
profit. With this basis and markets everywhere, 
n the exercise of skill and judgment in breed¬ 
ing he sheep, the husbandman may turn to 
profitable acconnt a portion, at least, of bis 
cnqis, and replenish bis fields with the richest 
fiiannml e oments. There must be a demand 
fc *° . lambs at,d “atton. To create this, there 
should be a universal improvement in tbe char¬ 
acter of the sheep sent to the shambles. Mutton 
and? ,jred ~^«ep adapted to the soil 
and suited to the climate where they are raised. 
Ifiieker-weated carcasses are required. 
I he heavy English sheep possess these quali- 
Ues, but they are not adapted to all of our lands 
aud cold, changeable weather, and then, some of 
them mature too slowly. We ought to have Amer- 
can breeds made by crossing either the Downs 
or the larger breeds upon tbe native stock—and 
then selecting and saving the ewe lambs 
Inch cam* the nearest to tho standard the 
uarkets establish. By continuing a system of 
ossing and selecting, breeds of sheep may be 
>i med which, while they are exactly suited to tbe 
Peculiar ^cumstances of soil and climate, may 
* be molded in form aud quality to meet the 
quaements of consumers. A well-directed 
jnd energetic effort in this direction will stimu- 
etfihT/T; 6d3ed COUSUajptiou - for ^ is a well- 
eetublnffled law m trade that supply and demand 
? th&r ’ aUd il id e(pial| y t™e that 
J od articles also increase the demand. 
Si- H- .oven, 
made by judicious crossing, and experiments 
have been tried in this country sufficiently to es¬ 
tablish the fact that fine mutton sheep more 
hardy and early to mature can be bred here 
with equal success. 
iliitfprfr. 
SOME GRAPES. 
BY S. B. PECK, 
It has been said that 11 there is no account- 
*-> ” —iviuvu. k'UlBO X bn ttUYUUll 
many nativo varieties have been named and in¬ 
troduced, and several scientific men have spent 
fortunes in the way of time, in hybridizing, in 
order to unite iu one variety the desirable qual¬ 
ities of two. Otliers havo raised au almost, in¬ 
finite number of seedlings, hoping and trusting 
that nature would, in one case in a thousand, be¬ 
stow upon their efforts an improvement upon 
the variety plauted. These efforts havo not 
been devoid of eminent success, and now tho 
list of cultivated varieties almost equals that of 
the apple. The Concord is now " tho grape 
for the million,’’ mainly because the million 
have tasted few of the newer varieties. 
The Clinton was introduced a few years previ- 
OINTE SEASON’S GROWTH O K 
•ng for tastes," a saying that is doubtless true in | 
the maiu, but certainly not without exceptions. ’ 
A taste for tobacco, opium, alcohol and other 
stimulaute and narcotics, is said to bo acquired 
by habit. But what induces the habit ? for it ia 
universally admitted that a relish for these arti¬ 
cles is not natural. The hahil of using them 
cun only be accounted for on the supposition that 
because of their use being so general, Here must 
be some good or satisfaction in them : and the 
habit once formed leads to a want and a relish. 
The Concord Grape has been said to be “ the 
grape for the million,” until this expression has 
become common property, and the inexperienced 
man who puts out grape vines wants the Con¬ 
cord, because (be says) “ that is the best grape, 
the grape for the million,’’ but my friend says 
“ because he does not know of a better one.” 
It is not my intention or desire to belittle this 
very popular fruit. It has many desirable qual¬ 
ities, but to the amateur of experience, its flavor 
is not one of them, nor does ita wine-making 
qualities recommend it to the vintner. It is in 
perfection only for a very few days, when at 
FAULOWNIA 1MPF.BIAL18. 
oua to tbe Concord, and when only two other 
varieties, the Isabella and Catawba, ‘were known 
outside of professed grape growers, us cultivat¬ 
ed varieties. Tueae. as then treated, seldom 
ripened m the Northern States, but the Clinton 
was sure to color, and (hough intensely *onr, 
when first colored and supposed by the inexperi¬ 
enced to bo ripe, its early coloring, as well as its 
hardiness and productiveness, gave it a brief 
popularity till the Concord with ita diluted acid 
and larger size, and the Delaware with ita 
sweetness, became vastly more popular with the 
laity, and the Clinton with them became tho 
emblem of acidity—and why ? Tow of the old 
varieties contain as much per cent, of sugar it 
is ita large proportion of acid, and its small 
size that are mainly objected to, and that de¬ 
stroy its popularity as a market table grape. 
It has been abused by offering it in market be¬ 
fore it is ripe, and a prejudice has Has been 
formed by those who do not understand ita 
qualities. Ita hardiness, productiveness, its 
richness in the amount of juice, its adhesive¬ 
ness if I may be allowed to borrow a phrase— 
and its keeping qualities, aro not allowed to off¬ 
set its very few faults. But it stands much 
higher among professional grapo growers to¬ 
day. than with those who only put out a few 
varieties for homo uso. 
Children have been employed by dealers in 
sugar and molasses to test their qualities, under 
the idea that their tastes, especially for sweets 
are more acute thnu those of grown persons. A 
dfidi of each kind, Clintons, Concord* and lonas 
fresh from the vines, was presented to tho 
pupils of a private school for small children 
and they were asked which they preferred The 
result was ; thirteen preferred the Cl ntous, ,md 
three each the lonas and Concords, these nine¬ 
teen being all there were present. Of coarse 
these Clintons as well as the other kinds were 
ripe. v 
After testing a few varieties of grapos for a 
number of years, I conclude that the two most 
desirable qualities for homo use are; first a 
reasonable probability 0 f their becoming per¬ 
fectly ripe and able to remain on (bo vines 
some ten or fifteen days thereafter before frost- 
and second, a quality that will allow them to be 
kept in the house some months, exposed to tho 
air, without sensible loss of flavor, and if they 
improve iu tho latter respect, so much the hot¬ 
ter. I have now, (Nov. 25,) twolvo varieties 
spread out on racks uiudo of hair inch Mats 
and among them are Clintons, lonas, Dianas 
and Concords; and five varieties of Roger’s Ily. 
bnds. Of course they aro all shriveled, but 
with two exceptions, the Conomd and Diana I 
do not see that their flavor is impaired, and with 
some, especially the Clinton, I consider it im¬ 
proved. I have invited several of rny friends 
to examine and taste the whole list, and „ 0 one 
yet has condemned the Clinton ; bat many es¬ 
pecially those who did not know it by name 
fiavospolmn highly of its “rich, spicy flavor.” 
While i aiu writing, there stand before mo 
Dianas, Concords, lonas and Clintons, of wLich 
I offer to my visitor—a little graud-son-first 
the Concord, which bo says *• tastes rotten" 
ne xt the Diana, of which ho says “ what a touch 
• > ', kln ’ j. doiJ ’ t ‘j 150 ie ’ ” he »i*de no objection ! to 
the Clintons, but preferred the lonas. 
I do not by any moans claim that the Clinton 
is tho best of the 25 varieties that I have tested 
the past season, several of them are single vinos 
hearing tho first time, but Hat it has sorno qual¬ 
ities that havo beon generally overlooked or not 
appreciated. It wants special tmtAent, plenty 
of room, and long canes. Birds, bees, and wasps 
hko it, and tho thripa—vino hoppers—thiuk it 
bettor even than the Delaware, which reminds 
m<> of my kinsman H. T. Brooks, of Fear! 
reek, who says of the Jarvoi of tho codling 
moth’’ they aro first-rate Judges of fruit, and 
ought to bo on tho fruit committees.’’ I oneo 
picked 107 pound of grapes from one Clinton 
vmo, and this season 75 bunches from an ei-ht 
foot brunch cane of last year’s growth, which I 
bad thrown over tho tops of two trellises Of 
t he parentage of Oils grape there seems to bo 
some doubt. Strong and some others date it 
rum Hamilton, N. Y., represent it “ not shoul¬ 
dered. Mead, Fobi.er and most others, date 
it from near Rochester, aud describe it <• usually 
shouldered. ’ Mine are from tho latter place 
and generally shouldered. 
^loriutlfiinil. 
PAULOWNIA IMPERIALS, 
CONFINED TO A SINGLE STEM, 
Horticultural journals, scarcely more than 
fashion journals, can afford to ignore fashion. It 
is Idle for us to tell oar readers that they aro 
shamefully neglecting (as indeed they are) the 
good old hardy herbaceous plant-,. We gain 
nothing in their estimation, if wo tell them, over 
aud over again, that only a demoralized taste can 
see more to admire in what are called orna¬ 
mental-leaved plants thau in those which are 
cultivated mostly, or in part, for their flowers. 
\\ bile w } shai 1 be glad when the reigu of orna¬ 
mental leaves shall have ended, let us call atten¬ 
tion to cur sketch of Panlownia tuiperiaUu as pre¬ 
senting, at least, a subject with which to vary 
the monotony of foliage beds and borders. 
Tho specimen from which our portrait was 
t&keu was plauted iu tho Rural Grounds iu He 
sluing of last year. It made a growth of eight 
foot daring last summer, which was cut back 
nearly to the ground. This spring the Hturun 
budded out May 24. All but one bud —tbe 
strongest were rubbed off. Juno 1st this bud 
had made a growth of one foot. Afterwards to 
ascertain its rate of growth, it was measured 
Aug. 5, and again Ang. 12. During His week it 
grew precisely thirteen inches. Sept. 23, the 
stem had attained the hight of fourteen feet, 
when, as froBt was every day expected, it was 
not again measured. Tho stem, one foot from 
the ground, was eight and a half inches iu cir¬ 
cumference. Tho leaves, nine inehes apart, are 
lea 
