4 
AU8. 28 
THE BU&AL MEW-VOEKER. 
agreeable filth people consume in their bread* 
cakes, pies, and puddings; and, moreover, 
what risks are ruu, and what mischief results 
from this cause. Certainly, as a rule, we are 
not sufficiently careful in regard to the cleanli¬ 
ness Of our food or of our drink. 
Many years ago the filth in which men lived 
was appalling, and[the consequences were fear¬ 
ful. Plagues, pests, and epid mic diseases of 
many kinds, some now happily unknown ex¬ 
cept historically, ravaged whole countries aud 
continents, destroying victims by thousands* 
and we now know that the cause ot these de- 
structive diseases was simply filth. Butfilth stil 1 
claims its victims, and now since it is known 
that the most virulent diseases which infect 
the human race originate from parasitic organ¬ 
isms that euter the blood from without, it is 
of the utmost importance to use only pure, 
cleau food — water being included in this 
term. 
Now the truth about this matter is, that do¬ 
mestic vermin foul our staple food to an ex¬ 
tent that would be alarming, were it widely 
known. This truth first dawued upon me 
when in a flour mill iu St. Louie, at the time 
when St. Louis flour was considered the best in 
the country. There the hoppers which fed the 
stones were filled with wheat of which cer¬ 
tainly one or two per cent, was the excrette of 
rats and mice. A similar thlug occurred iu a 
mill in a large town near Philadelphia, and I 
I have seen the same occurrence in a very large 
flour mill iu Brooklyn. Iu my own mill, the 
great majority of grists bronght in by farmers 
were so fouled, and some were so badly mixed 
with this filth that I refused to receive them 
on the ground that the portion taken for toll 
would he too much depreciated in value to pay 
for the work. It is impossible to screen out 
the whole of this foul matter, and this must 
be obvious when it is considered that the inter¬ 
stices of the screens through which a grain of 
plump wheat will pass, will permit anything 
else of the same shape and size or of less size 
to pass through them. 
It is well known that these vermin are in¬ 
fested with the worst parasites; and that these 
go from them into other animals, as cats, dogs, 
and pigs, and from these into sheep and oxen, 
and from these into human beings. It is thus 
that trichina: and tape-worms are carried from 
these filthy creatures into our food animals. 
The excreta? of animals infested with para¬ 
sites ure charged with the eggs of these crea¬ 
tures, aud it is in this way that most parasitic 
diseases are communicated from one animal, 
or class of animals, to another. It may be 
very well believed that the universal presence 
! of mice and rats in barns, granaries, elevators 
and mills is a most serious danger to public 
health, aud that we take into our stomachs, 
and thence into our blood, iu many unsuspect¬ 
ed cases, the germs of virulent diseases. That 
these are not more frequent is not so much 
due to the circumstance that the causes are not 
present, but that it is only when these causes 
affect such systems as are enfeebled or debili¬ 
tated by some previous circumstances that 
they produce their usually fatal results. 
Leaving, however, out of the question all 
sanitary considerations, it is enough to con¬ 
sider it iu regard to the mere cleanliness of our 
staple food. This is a sufficiently disagreeable 
view to take of it, and one which, when seri¬ 
ously entertained, should have the effect of 
causing a war of extermination against these 
vermin, pestiferous in every souse of the term, 
for truly they are not ouly pests in themselves, 
but they carry pests wherever they go, and 
reveling in filth, they befoul [everything they 
come in contact with. It is within the truth 
to declare that 90 barns, granaries and corn- 
cribs out of every 100, are infested with these 
vermiu; and that the grain taken from them 
can be detected by any moderately sensitive 
nostril, even if it is not fouled conspicuously to 
the sight. The bolts of the mills may gather 
some of the filth, but it is only the coarse mat¬ 
ter that is thus stopped in transit to our stom¬ 
achs. Alas! the moralist may say, “ How hard 
it is to be godly !" the sanitarian may say, with 
equal truth, “ How difficult it is to be clean !” 
artinillural. 
SIZE OF THE GREGG RASPBERRY. THE 
SNYDER BLACKBERRY. 
IiEAPKus will recall our cut of the Gregg 
raspberry as it was sent to us by a friend. 
During the past season the Gregg has fruited 
at the Rural Grounds, and we were obliged 
to admit that our engraving represented the 
fruit as smaller than it usually grows under 
fairly favorable conditions. A few weeks ago 
.Mr. Roe brought specimens to the office, of 
which our illustration shows the average size. 
Rural: “ It does not grow so large with us.” 
Mr. Roe: “ Nor does it with me. These are 
exceptionally large berries growlug upon 
shoots of the present season. Ou an average 
the fruit i6 but little larger than that of Mam¬ 
moth Cluster, aud I doubt if it will yield more 
in a season.” 
In the course of the day Mr. P. B. Mead 
‘ ailed, “ Ah!" he exclaimed, ** those are the 
largest Greggs I have seen." Later, Mr. 
Kingsbury, of the Indiana Farmer called. 
“ Those ate the largest Greggs I have seen,” 
he said. 
Still later. Dr. Ilexamer called, “ What is 
it?" he asked. “ Gregg,” we replied. “ Ah, 
indeed, I have never before seen them so 
large.” 
THE GREGG RA9F8EBRY.—FROM LIFE.—FIG. 273. 
Reader, the illustration of an unusually large 
Gregg is before yon. Compare this with our 
first illustration, page 165. Yon may rely upon 
it the average size of the Gregg raspberry lies 
just about midway between. 
Mr. Roe bronght with him a branch of the 
Snyder Blackberry which was heavily laden 
with berries. The Snyder is very hardy, from 
all accounts, as well as prolific, but we do not 
see any reason why anybody should give up 
the Kittatiuny in its favor. The berries are 
much smaller and we cannot agree with 
those who pronounce them of superior quality 
—that is, sweeter, for sweetness in the black¬ 
berry is the most that constitutes quality. 
-- 
The Windsor Chief Strawberry. 
Mr. Lovett, in speaking of Windsor Chief 
Strawberry (p. 503), indulges in the remark 
that it “is still Champion—nothing more and 
nothing less.” If he means that Ike two are 
entirely similar, I Lave ouly to question the 
fitness of the language employed. If, how¬ 
ever, he means that they arc not only similar, 
but identical— or. in other words, that the 
alleged parent is really doing duty as off¬ 
spring—I cannot avoid a feeling that he ought 
to sustain such charge by some fact or facts 
beyond the circumstance of even entire simi¬ 
larity. The apparent reproduction of a variety, 
in both plant and frnit, is certainly an exceed¬ 
ingly rare circumstance, still I see no warrant 
for assuming its impossibility. My motive for 
this reference to the matter lies in the fact 
that it seems to me important that the nomen¬ 
clature of pomology should be guarded with 
great jealousy, and hence, if the Windsor 
Chief is in fact a reproduction, and in no 
Bense an improvement, the true course would 
be to eradicate the plant from our grounds 
and the name from our lists- -not to treat it as 
a synonym. T. T. L. 
-- 
RTJRALISMS, 
I am a connoisseur in salads, and place the 
tomato among the best of them. The Acme is 
the best of all tomatoes for this purpose. It 
may be cut into either thick slices or cubes, 
and should bo put into a colander to drain. 
The dressing should be a little stiff and 
creamy. A plain dressing may be made of 
mustard, oil, salt, aud a very little vinegar; 
but this cannot be made creamy. There are 
comparatively few who know what a delicious 
dish a tomato salad is, and I expect to be 
thaukod for telling the others. 
The larger kinds of peaches are now (Aug. 
13) beginning to arrive iu New York in great 
quantities. Prices, however, are somewhat 
high for the better kinds ; but they will soon 
be cheaper, and there promises to be enough 
for all. I never heard of a ripe peach hurting 
anybody. It was the first thiug Dr. Tanner 
ate at the close of his wonderful fast, and 
started him off flesh-making at the rate of five 
and a half pounds a day. Eastern peach 
trains, made up of about thirty cars each, now 
leave New York two or three times a day. and 
even Maine is thus abundantly supplied. When 
I was a boy peaches were so plentiful in West¬ 
chester county that the pigs were turned into 
the orchards to eat them; not little Amsdens 
or Alexanders, but great, luscious peaches 
nearly as large as Newtown Pippins. The 
trees were then raised from pits, and lived to a 
healthy old age, free from the yellows. I 
think the best peaches or the healthiest trees 
are now raised in that way at the West. 
For a window-box for Summer use there is 
nothing, to my mind, that equals the single 
petunia. Window-boxes, I am glad to see, are 
becoming quite common in our large cities, 
and are a pleasing relief to brick walls 
aud cobble-stones. Ia some of the finest 
streets the boxes are of Minton tile and other 
expensive ware, while in other streets I find 
wooden boxes, tin boxes, firkins, tomato cans, 
and what not; but the single petunia, whether 
on Fifth Aveune or the Bowery, lu Minton tile 
or tomato cans, is the queen of window-box 
flowers. The Germans 6eem to take great 
pride in adorning their windows with flowers, 
snd sometimes have boxes extending the 
whole front of the house. Others train morn¬ 
ing-glories from the second story to the eaves. 
They look charming. Petunias aud morning- 
glories alone would give a charm to the very 
humblest of homes. 
I see that some of the daily papers are 
again planting the Eucalyptus globulus in and 
around New York city, not, perhaps, being 
satisfied with former efforts. Tree planting 
is healthy exercise, and if planting the Euca¬ 
lyptus amuses them, why, let them go on; but 
when they have succeeded iu making one sur¬ 
vive our Winters, will they please let the 
public know it? Iu the meantime I would 
suggest, in a fraternal spirit, that they occa¬ 
sionally read some of our horticultural papers. 
It will do them uu harm, and may do them 
some good. 
When the potato beetle first appeared here, 
the question arose whether there were two 
broods in one season, which was speedily 
settled in f Ivor of two. The question is now 
as to three. I must go on the record for 
three. They are now (August 13th) laying 
eggs for the third time. I have given up to 
them a couple of plants for the purpose of 
studying rbeir habits and experimenting with 
the various kinds of “cures," taking good care 
to limit the number of beetles. It is astound¬ 
ing to think what their numbers wonid be if 
means were not taken to kill them. 
[There has been no time the present season 
when we could not find eggs upon our potato 
vines.— Eds.] * 
-- - 
WINTER GARDENING. 
Select a sunny situation convenient to the 
kitchen, and lay off a square of 120 feet. Haul 
on to this 10 loads of manure, leaf mold and 
sand, which turn under with a big plow, and 
pick off the stones. Surround this with a 
fence. Set stout posts six feet long, at inter¬ 
vals of sevxn feet. To these nail, with spikes, 
rails 4x2 inches thick and 15 feet long, the 
ends meeting on every other post, oue at the 
top, the other one foot from the bottom where 
a plank one foot wide and one inch thick is 
nailed to an offset on the post, to make it level 
with the paling whose lower end touches it. 
The strips for palings are 16 feet long, four 
inches wide aud £ inch thick. Saw each m 
halves straight across; saw these halves iu two, 
slanting three inches. Thus from oue strip 
you get four palings with one end straight, the 
other sharp, aud no waste but the sawdust. 
First nail on two palingB (one temporarily) 
whose equal bight is ascertained by sighting, 
14 feet apart, or the length of a strip of plank 
too stiff to sag which must be tacked, as a 
guide, to the tops of the two palings ; then by 
a plumb and line, fill up this space with pai- 
iugs two inches apart, and even with the guide 
plank at the top, also touching the base plank 
at the bottom and so on. The gate must be 
made upon the same plan, and hung to large 
square posts at the middle of the front line of 
fence. From this gate a walk four feet wide di¬ 
vides the garden in halves. Another, the same 
width, crosses it at right angles in the center. 
Cut off a border three feet wide, against the 
fence, by a walk the same width, running en¬ 
tirely around the. gardeu. Subdivide the two 
front quarters by paths crossing each other at 
right angles. This will make eight beds 26 
feet square, and two original quarters, in the 
rear, 52 feet square, aud a long border sepa¬ 
rated by permanent walks. Defne the walks, 
by narrow plank kept in place by pegs, till a 
set of border plants is obtained —perennial 
flowers or pot-herbs. At the end of the main 
walk, against the fence facing south, make a 
pit or hot-bed for forcing early plants. 
A summer-house of octagon shape may cover 
the intersection of the main walks. Set a post on 
eieh side of the lour walks radiating from the 
center, at such distance from the center that 
every side of the octagon will be equal. Lat¬ 
tice the four sides, cutting the corners of the 
beds, leaving those over the walks open. 
Finish with a steep roof and spire. Against 
each latticed side plant a grape-viue. If Isa¬ 
bella, train inside; if Delaware, Concord or 
Clinton, train outside. On the inside of the 
lattice, have four boxes, four feet long and 
high enough for seats, with lids and locks, for 
Btoring garden requisites. 
Between the fence posts set dwarf fruit trees ; 
between these currant, raspberry or gooseberry 
bushes, and one row of strawberry plants in 
the border, entirely aiound the garden, save 
where the hot-bed and asparagus bed have 
been reserved. 
Plant your onions now. 8pade up and 
level one of the smaller beds. Lay it off 
with a heavy rake having teeth one foot 
apart, by dragging it across the bed, setting 
the first tooth io the last row each time it is 
moved. Check it; then drop a large and a 
small onion alternately at the intersection 
of the rows; plant them, and cover with 
leaves or litter from the hen-house, with 
enough sweepiugs or ashes thrown ou to pre- 
veut the trash from blowing off. Treat the 
strawberry border the same way, and your 
win ter gardening is done. In the early Spring 
you will give your onions a top-dressing of 
ashes mixed iu the hen-house. Get your pea- 
sticks and tools ready for Spring. u. l. s. 
gasman. 
FIRE ESCAPE IN THE COW STABLES, 
In Europe where a large number of cows are 
often stabled in oue building—sometimes seve¬ 
ral hnndred—it is not au unfrequent occurrence 
to hear that nearly all these poor creatures 
have perished in case of fire, mainly because 
in the way they are ordinarily fastened they 
cannot be let loose rapidly enough. We now 
and then hear of similar incidents in dairy dis¬ 
tricts of this country, aud, indeed, as the coun¬ 
try grows older they are becoming more and 
more frequent. 
The accompanying illustration which we re¬ 
produce from a Danish paper, represents an 
ingenious, though simple, device by which a 
whole row of cattle can be loosened in a mo¬ 
ment and driven out should au outbreak of 
fire require it. 
The cattle are supposed to be tied by chains 
or leather straps, which are fastened near the 
foot-piece running along the front of the stalls. 
For every-day use the chains are opened by 
the ordinary method of unhooking them, but 
the device is so planued that in an emergency 
the chains are unhooked at their fastenings 
and remain arouud the necks of the animals. 
It consists of a movable iron bar of any con¬ 
venient length, laid longitudinally at the head 
of the stalls. At the center ot each stall this 
bar has a bolt fastened, which works into a 
forked eye, securing a Jiuk of the chain and 
thus fastening it- When the bar is moved 
back in the direction, C, by the lever at the 
end. which turns around the point. P, all 
the bolts pass out of the forks and the animals 
are at liberty. The arraugement is shown 
more in detail at A and B; A being a view of 
the bolt from above, and B a side view of the 
fastening; a, a, show the fork, b, the bolt, 
c, c, the bar aud d, a link of the chain. 
This arrangement is not expensive, and it 
strikes us as being very desirable ftud practi¬ 
cal in barns where twenty or more head of 
cattle are fastened. Some such precaution 
seems more particularly to be needed in barns 
built of wood, for in these when filled with 
hay and straw fire spreads with great rapidity. 
