1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
583 
way preserves the grain of the fruit and 
with the De Soto plum makes a butter 
equal or superior to peach butter. If 
put in glass and canned, less cooking is 
required than if kept in open jars. 
Pt.um Preserves. —To each pound of 
plums, add a pound of sugar ; put the 
fruit into boiling water until the skins 
will slip ; peel and sprinkle sugar upon 
each layer of fruit in a bowl, allowing 
them to stand overnight ; then pour off 
the juice, bring quickly to a boil, skim 
and add the plums; cook very slowly 
till tender and clear, which will take 
about one-half hour; take them out 
carefully and put into a pan ; boil the 
syrup a few minutes longer till it thick¬ 
ens ; pour it over the fruit; seal or tie 
them up. 
Spiced Plums. —Make a syrup, allow¬ 
ing a pound of sugar and one pint of 
vinegar to each seven pounds of plums ; 
to this add a teaspoonful of allspice, one 
of cloves, two of cinnamon, and one-half 
ounce of ginger root, tying these spices 
into muslin, and cooking them in the 
syrup. When it boils, add the plums, 
bringing all to the boiling point, then 
simmer slowly for 15 minutes, and stand 
in a cool place ovei’night. Next drain 
the syrup from the plums, put the plums 
into stone or glass jars, and boil the 
syrup till quite thick, pour it over the 
fruit, and set away. 
Other Ways oe Usino "Native Plums. 
—The choicest varieties, peeled, and 
served fresh, are equal to the finest 
peaches. By simply covering the fresh 
plums with cold well water, they may 
be kept for three weeks or longer, and 
the water removes all the harshness from 
the skin and pit. They may be kept in 
good condition for use until Winter or 
the following .Spring by placing in a 
barrel or jar and pouring boiling water 
over them. 
A PUZZLE. 
Some of our college friends have given 
us the following puzzle: Given a rect¬ 
angular garden with three houses and 
three wells, in positions shown in Fig. 
273, it is desired to make three paths 
ABC 
that shall lead from the houses, A, B, C, to 
the corresponding wells, A’, B’, C\ with¬ 
out intersecting one another or crossing 
the boundary of the garden. Here is 
something for The It. N.-Y. juniors to 
exercise their wits upon. A second 
diagram, giving the explanation, will be 
published in two weeks’ time. 
DILL PICKLES. 
Dill pickles form one of the relishes 
sold by fancy grocers and delicatessen 
stores in the cities. They are a German 
relish, but have become very popular 
with Americans. The dill used to flavor 
them is an herb which may be bought at 
most drug-stores. No vinegar is used, 
acidity being given by the fermentation 
of the brine. The following is a tested 
recipe for these pickles : 
Place a layer of grape leaves (pre¬ 
viously washed) at the bottom of a stone 
crock ; upon these, a layer of washed 
cucumber pickles, placed side by side. 
Upon the cucumbers, lay dill and mixed 
whole spices, then another layer of 
grape leaves, continuing this process 
until the crock is almost full, leaving a 
layer of grape leaves on top. Fill the 
crock with brine strong enough to float 
an egg. Upon this place a plate (direct¬ 
ly upon the leaves). Wash off two stones 
large enough to hold the plate down, 
wrapping them in a clean cloth, and 
putting on top. Tie a cloth over the 
top of the crock, and upon this place a 
tin or board cover. To sour the pickles 
more quickly, place a few pieces of rye 
bread on the spices. Set the crock with 
the pickles in a warm place for three 
days, and then in a cool place. The 
pickles will be ready for use in two weeks. 
On the Wing. 
SOME FEATURES AT CORNELL. 
EXTENSION AND EDUCATIONAL WORK. 
[EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.] 
Noted at Cornell. —I saw a number 
of farm conveniences at Cornell. One 
useful article was a movable chicken 
run. It consisted of a board inclosure, 
probably about 6 x 12, feet formed of 
boards about 14 inches wide, set up to 
form a pen, roofed with chicken-wire 
netting. At one end, was a low shelter 
house for the chicks to retreat to if 
necessary. This inclosure gave ample 
room for young chicks, and could be 
moved about from place to place, on the 
sod, so as to change the run. At Cornell, 
it was shifted about by a meek-looking 
gray donkey. Another thing I noted 
was a convenient gate for the pasture 
lot, which is kept closed without any 
trouble, and which has the merits of sim¬ 
plicity and economy of construction. Its 
construction is simply a gap in the fence, 
probably four feet wide, protected by a 
V of fencing starting from one side. A 
hinged gate is fastened to the other side 
of the gap, extending toward the point 
of the V. 
The gate is pushed back and forth with¬ 
in the V. It is hinged to the fence, but 
has no fastening at the point of the V, 
there being just room enough for one to 
pass through by pushing the gate to one 
side, on the principle of a turnstile. V- 
shaped stiles without the gate are often 
noted in the fences of cattle pastures, 
but as a rule, their narrowness makes 
them inconvenient. 
Extension Work. —The Cornell Ex¬ 
periment Station is much interested 
in extending its work directly among 
farmers. Prof. Roberts says that the 
time has come when the help of the 
farmers themselves must be secured 
to obtain valuable investigations. Con¬ 
ditions are so varied that an in¬ 
vestigation should be conducted in the 
locality where help is needed to obtain 
any definite results. This extension 
work is encouraged by what is called the 
Nixon bill, under which appropriations 
are made for the promotion of agricul¬ 
tural and horticultural knowledge, by 
means of schools, lectures and demon¬ 
strations. A great many farmers were 
interested, last year, conducting experi¬ 
ments under the direction of station 
workers. Tillage experiments with corn, 
potatoes and sugar beets were outlined 
for their benefit, but the strongest in¬ 
terest was shown in the last-named crop. 
It would appear that the majority of the 
investigators were not so anxious to 
learn the effect of varying tillage upon 
this crop, as to see whether their usual 
system of tillage would produce a profit¬ 
able crop of beets rich in sugar content. 
In August of last year, members of the 
station staff visited a large number of 
these farmers, to note the condition of 
their plots, and to offer any needed ad¬ 
vice, visiting the experimenters again at 
the time of the harvest. At Cornell, 
special experiments are being made this 
year in sugar-beet culture, with the view 
of ascertaining whether the hand work 
required by this crop may be lessened in 
any way. 
Some Benefits of Extension Work.— 
I asked Prof. Roberts whether the trials 
were participated in by farmers who 
made a regular practice of such work, or 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup’’ for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adv. 
by those to whom such work was entirely 
new. 
“ The experimenters included both 
classes, and we feel that there is reason 
to be especially satisfied with those ex¬ 
perimenters to whom the work was en¬ 
tirely new. A great many of our pro¬ 
gressive farmers are in the habit of mak¬ 
ing experiments every year. But where 
the extension work arouses interest 
among those to whom such work is en¬ 
tirely new, the benefit cannot be meas¬ 
ured by the success or failure of an ex¬ 
periment plot. Even where the experi¬ 
ments made appeared to be a failure, 
they have gained much by the interest 
aroused.” 
Last year, fertilizer experiments were 
conducted in 45 counties, among 203 
farmers. This work appeared to excite 
strong interest, and few of the experi¬ 
ments could be considered total failures. 
The fertilizers necessary for a single 
series of experiments were supplied by 
the Station. 
Determining Soil Moisture. —I noticed 
a box-like arrangement standing above 
the sugar-beet plots on the experiment 
grounds, and was told that it was an 
electrical instrument for determining 
the moisture in the soil, under differing 
conditions of tillage. Mr. Miller, of the 
horticultural department, showed me 
the working of this instrument, which is 
wonderfully ingenious and, to a non- 
scientific observer, wonderfully complex. 
Wires extend from the instrument 
through the soil, the moisture being re¬ 
corded upon a dial in units of electric 
resistance. It is needless to say that 
this is not a farmer’s implement, but it 
is of great value in tillage experiments, 
because of its sensitive accuracy. 
The Horticultural Department.— 
I lorticultural studies at Cornell are being 
held to very practical lines, and as in the 
agricultural department, field experi¬ 
ments, especially in orchard work, are 
being conducted in a number of different 
places. At Ithaca, some very interesting 
work is going on in the management of 
orchard lands, studies in Japan plums, 
and practical work in combating insects 
and fungi. There are some interesting 
greenhouses, though the needs of botani¬ 
cal students and investigators give a 
different character from greenhouses 
managed purely for pleasure or profit. 
Here were conducted some successful ex¬ 
periments in forcing strawberries dur¬ 
ing the cold months. I asked Mr. Hunn 
why he forced his strawberries in pots, 
when they were so largely grown planted 
out on the benches by commercial grow¬ 
ers. His answer was conclusive ; bench- 
grown berries failed utterly under his 
conditions. Ithaca is afflicted with an 
undue proportion of dark and cloudy 
weather during the Winter, and many 
greenhouse conditions are affected by 
this. In pots, the strawberries are more 
fully under control than in the bench. 
Landscape Features at Cornell.— 
Prof. Bailey’s personality is strongly 
felt in all the work of the horticultural 
department, and this is evidenced out¬ 
side in some of the landscape gardening 
which owes its origin to his taste. The 
college grounds and surroundings are so 
beautiful naturally that they must be 
doubly inspiring to one interested in 
these features. There is but little arti¬ 
ficial gardening ; everything gives the 
impression of broad, free, natural ar¬ 
rangement. But then, the perfection of 
outdoor gardening is where “ the art 
Compel your dealer to get 
you Macbeth lamp-chimneys 
— you can. 
Does he want your chim¬ 
neys to break? 
Write Macbeth Pittsburgh Pa 
itself is Nature.” Last year, I read a 
station bulletin devoted to the arrange¬ 
ment of home grounds, in which the 
amateur gardener was advised to sling 
an iron kettle from a tripod arranged 
upon his lawn, this vessel being filled 
with flowering plants. It is only fair to 
state that this bulletin was not issued 
by Cornell. Whenever I hear of such an 
arrangement, the acme of bad taste, I 
feel that we ought to have a society for 
the prevention of cruelty to flowering 
plants. A natural border of shrubs and 
flowering plants, free from formality 
and eccentricity, always charms, and 
this makes so many old-fashioned farm 
gardens attractive. They are in har¬ 
mony with their surroundings. 
Educational Work Among t ii k 
Schools. —In addition to the experi¬ 
mental work among farmers, the agri¬ 
cultural faculty of Cornell is encourag¬ 
ing nature-study among children. It is 
felt that, by arousing an interest in the 
phenomena of nature among the young, 
we are providing a foundation for higher 
agriculture. Leaflets upon nature-study 
have been issued and distributed to 
school-teachers, giving instruction in 
many public schools, and fully 2,500 
young farmers are enrolled in a reading 
course, which is directed by the station. 
Later years will show us the value of 
this training. e. t. r. 
B. & B. 
We want to sell you your 
dry goods 
—not once, but all the time—and we are 
backing up our ambition with goods and 
prices that show we’re in earnest. We 
know it will take merit—advantage to 
your pocketbook—to win us the prefer¬ 
ence—and we expect to get it that way 
—want goods and prices to be evidence 
that we ought to get it—get it now—and 
all along—from your self-interest’s point 
of view. 
Isn’t that fair ?—let goods and. prices 
prove that we are making it pay you to 
buy here? Can you suggest a fairer 
test ? 
Write for samples of any wanted silks’ 
dress goods, wash goods—get our cata¬ 
logue of suits, skirts, and like goods. 
Get samples 50-inch Black Figured 
Mohairs, 85c. yard — dressy styles— 
choice lustrous quality made to sell for 
not less than 50c. a yard—useful goods 
and styles for skirts or gowns, for now 
or most any time o' year. 
Mail order department here to do 
nothing else but attend to mail order 
business. 
BOGGS & BUHL, 
Dept. C. Allegheny, Pa. 
WOOD OVAL AIR-TIGHT HEATING STOVE 
Spun liras* Urn. for burning wood, corn cobs, roois, 
chips, shavings.etc. The most per¬ 
iled stove of its class, absolutely 
aair-tight; tire can be retained for 
c many hours. Every farmer has 
■^.enough fuel going to waste to snp- 
qply one or more of these stoves 
• 'an entire season. Hods protected, 
• they cannot burnout: joints con- 
'•gstructod so as to avoid creosote 
2.deposits. Stove very handsomely 
^nickeled—suited lor use in sitting 
s»roonis, parlors and libraries. Ask 
2 .your nearest dealer for this stove. 
" If he does not have it, write us 
for circulars. 
The March-Brownback Stove Co.,Pottstown,Pa. 
CREOSOTE FENCE PAINI 
Preserves fences, sheds, coops, and all rough wood¬ 
work. Handsome, durable colors, and costs only fifty 
cents per gallon. "Wood treated with Creosote is not 
subject to dry-rot or otherdecay. "—Cent'y Dictionary 
Samuel Cahot, Sole Mfr.,81 Kilby St., lloston, Mass. 
“BLUE BEAUTY.” 
If you want a gate that always gives satisfac¬ 
tion, you will have to get the “Blue Beauty” gate 
made by W. II. CLAY, Elizabeth, Kt. 
AGENTS WANTED. 
FRUIT 
EVAPORATOR “The Granger .” 1 
or Family 
Use. 
Strong—Durable. Can be applied to any stove or range. 
Cheapest in the market—SfUS, *5 and $8. 
Send for free circular. 
EASTERN MANUFACTURING CO., 257 S. Fifth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
