496' 
AUG. 2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
or some catarrhal affection. The earliest symptoms of 
these diseases are quite similar to those often supposed to 
belong to “colds,” and hence, the belief that colds are of 
small importance, may cause delay in calling upon the 
family physician, until the disease has secured such a hold 
upon the system as to baffle the utmost efforts of the med¬ 
ical practitioner. It is an excellent rule “ never to neglect 
a cold in a child;” and adults may also pay some attention 
to it with profit. A few words may, nevertheless, be 
said about these mild diseases, called in common language 
“colds.” 
What is a “ Cold This question is much more easily 
asked than answered. It is an expression which doubtless 
indicates a number of different bodily ailments, the name, 
therefore, indicating an obscure trouble. At the present 
time the phenomena of a cold are ascribed to an inflam¬ 
matory state of the system. The body is slightly below 
par; but an inflammatory state sounds strange where 
the whole body seems chilled. And yet experiment has 
demonstrated that when the body is apparently coldest 
and the patient crouches over the fire, the body heat is one 
to several degrees above the normal. Every person has 
noticed that at times it is very easy to catch a cold, while 
at other times one may go for many mouths without one. 
The reason is that in the latter case the body is in perfect 
health, or nearly so ; while at the other time it is run down 
below par, and a little exposure or indiscretion develops 
the latent inflammation, and when the “ cold ” has settled 
in the head or on the chest the inflammation is very 
evident. After free perspiration the fever decreases and 
the body returns to its normal temperature. 
The Seat of a Cold.— It is often held that a cold has 
some definite seat in the body. It is true that certain 
parts are frequently more affected than others. Thus we 
have “a cold in the head” when the membranes which 
line the passages of the head are affected; “ a cold on the 
chest or lungs ” wfflen the organs of the chest seem in¬ 
flamed and congested; or the cold may settle in the bowels 
and a slight diarrhoea result, or there may be a more 
serious inflammation of the bowels, or the kidneys or the 
bladder may be the parts most affected; finally, we hear 
of colds affecting the whole body, including even the 
bones. This indicates that a cold is not always the same 
ttiing. 
How to Avoid Colds.— Colds often lead to more seri¬ 
ous troubles, and all desire to avoid them, if possible. 
They belong peculiarly to the cold and changeable weather 
of our autumns, winters, and springs, but may be con¬ 
tracted at any season of the year. The following hints 
will, I think, if followed, enable-any one to live for years 
without a serious cold: Dress the body warmly, and 
throughout all cold and changeable weather dress the 
whole body in warm flannel. Many a heavy doctor’s bill 
may be avoided by wearing good, red flannel. Keep the 
pores of the skin well open by frequently bathing. Some 
affirm that a cold cannot be taken if the pores are con¬ 
stantly freely open. Bathe in a warm room, if possible, 
and so arrange it that you will not become chilled while 
bathing. Bring the body to a glow by a rough towel, 
after leaving the bath. “ Breathe through the nose.” 
This is an important matter. Children should be early 
taught so to breathe. It is a means of avoiding many 
diseases. Avoid draughts of air. Never stand still on a 
cold, windy day, especially after walking or other exer¬ 
cise; and always avoid standing on ice or snow, or damp 
ground, or in a cold wind. After exercising always cool 
off slowly. On a cold day always put on your coat and 
keep moving while cooling off. Don’t live in a close, 
stuffy, over heated room. Our homes should not be heated 
above 70 degrees. Breathe pure air day and night. Ven¬ 
tilate your bed-chamber thoroughly. By ventilation I 
mean that one should throw the window wide open; not 
an inch or two. The air in the house should be as pure as 
that outside. Those who live in the open air seldom have 
a cold, while those who keep indoors suffer constantly. 
Keep the back, especially between the shoulder blades, 
well covered and warm. The clothing over the back 
should be as heavy as, if not heavier than, that over the 
chest, for the vital organs of the chest are here much ex¬ 
posed. Never lean the back against a cold wall or post. 
When about to make a journey put on extra clothing. 
In many cases an extra undershirt, an extra coat, and a 
blanket will each add comfort and pleasure to the journey. 
Always be covered when asleep, for the body is not so 
warm then as when a^ake. Eat heartily. Do not reject 
a due portion of fatty foods. Keep the body well nourished. 
After public speaking, put on an extra coat, and if you 
are going out into the cold air, protect the throat, and 
while in the open air use the voice as little as possible ; 
when hoarse, speak as little as possible, else the voice may 
be permanently injured or even lost. Wear rubber over¬ 
shoes in all damp and sloppy weather. No leather is 
known which will keep the feet as dry as rubber shoes. 
These should not be worn indoors, however, as they make 
the feet damp and cold, by preventing the free exhalation 
of the perspiration. Change wet clothing as soon as pos¬ 
sible after entering the house; while at work one can wear 
wet clothing, but never when sitting down or standing 
still. This precaution is very important. Those who are 
required to stand in damp or wet places should protect 
themselves with rubber clothing. Never go to bed with 
damp or cold feet. Never take warm drinks freely just 
before going into the cold, wintry air. Never begin a 
journey before the breakfast has been eaten. Don’t sit at 
an open car window on a cold morning, or if you are in a 
heated state. Never sit on a damp cushion, on the damp 
ground, or on a marble or stone step, if you wish to avoid 
sore throat or colds. The best lung protectors are dry feet 
and comfortable body-clotniug, and avoidance of exposure, 
late suppers or dissipation. The aged, and young children 
have not tbp same power to resist sudden changes of 
weather as those in the prime of life; hence, in very cold 
weather, they should be provided with extra clothing and 
warmth. 
To recapitulate: To avoid colds, keep the body warmly 
clad, clean, and in pure air as much as possible; laugh, be 
cheerful and generous. 
Home Treatment of Colds.— Many say, “ Do nothing.” 
“ It will cure itself.” But to cut a cold short several days 
is worth a good deal, when it can readily be done at the 
commencement. If the person has full control of his time, 
there is nothiug better than a large bowl of hot ginger tea, 
to be taken at bed time, and then the patient should be 
warmly tucked in bed. Free perspiration will soon start. 
Any form of hot tea, if taken in abundance, will answer 
equally well. But if the person is liable to be called up in 
the night it will not be safe to try this treatment. A warm 
bath is also beneficial. The eliminating organs may prop¬ 
erly be excited by unirritatlug remedies, such as liquor 
ammoniai acetatls, citrate of ammonia, citrate of potash. 
Dr. L. Beal, of London, recommends th6 following : 
Liquor ammouise acetatis. 2 drachms. 
Spiritus chloroform!. 2 drachms. 
Potass® nitras. 60 grains. 
Syrup of squills. an ouuce. 
Aqua. 0 ounces. 
M. Dose.—A table-spoonful in an equal amount of water 
once in two hours, or less frequently, for three or four 
days. Or nearly as good will be: 
Liquor ammoniae acetatis. 2 ounces. 
Sig. Dose.—A table-spoonful every three hours during 
the day in a wineglass of water. Or 10 to 15 grains of 
Dover’s powder may be taken on going to bed. Purga¬ 
tives are also beneficial. Many find decided relief from a 
small dose of Rochelle salts. 
The dry treatment has been very much praised. In this 
method the patient, as nearly as possible, abstains from all 
fluids or drinks for several days. The cold is said to be 
shortened, but the cure is nearly as bad as the disease. A 
more rational plan of treatment is recommended by Dr. 
Beal. The opium treatment is used in England. Put into 
a glass of cold water 20 to 30 drops of laudanum. Sip it 
slowly for an hour or more, and then retire to bed and 
cover up warmly. A drop of the tincture of aconite in a 
glass of water, taken every hour, is also highly recom¬ 
mended. In infants, slight colds require little treatment 
more than scrupulous cleanliness, warm clothing, and 
bathing the feet with mustard water. To promote expec¬ 
toration give: 
Syrupi ipecacuanha. 2 drachms. 
Spt. aether uitr. . 1 
Syr. simplic. 2 ounces. 
M. Dose.—A tea spoonful every three hours. 
Inunction of the nostrils and chest with warm suet gen¬ 
erally gives considerable relief to children where there is a 
“tight cold.” A very much diluted croton oil applied to 
the chest is also beneficial. 
Coughs. —Coughs differ so much from each other in 
causation that it is very difficult to give any home pre¬ 
scription. In an adult, the feet may be soaked in hot 
mustard-water, a mustard-plaster applied to the chest, or 
the chest rubbed with a mixture of sweet oil to which a 
little croton oil has been added. Or— 
Ammon, carb.15 grains. 
Syr. seneg.drachms. 
Syr. prun virgin. A 
Syr. tolu.2 
Aqua.13 4 ounces. 
Mix. Dose.—A tea-spoonful every two or three hours. 
An excellent domestic remedy for a cough is: 
Hoarhound leaves. 1 ounce. 
Water. 1 pint. 
Boil for 15 minutes, strain out the leaves, add enough 
sugar to make a nice syrup; boil for 15 minutes. The dose 
is a table-spoonful every hour. It is to be constantly borne 
in mind that the early stages of many severe diseases as 
pneumonia, typhoid fever, small-pox, etc., are ushered in 
by symptoms which are not readily distinguished, from 
those of an ordinary cold. It is a good rule, in all cases, 
to take the best possible care of the body in health, and 
then, whenever it is deranged, to call in the family physi¬ 
cian at once and implicitly follow his advice. A cold 
may be a little thing, but it often leads to very serious 
disorders. GEO. G. GROFF, M. D. 
LOOKING BACKWARD AT THE STRAWBERRY 
SEASON. 
Too much rain in the growing and ripening seasons 
made soft, pale berries; advantages of hills over 
matted rows; drainage lengthens the season; all in¬ 
juries to plants decrease the yield ; removing run¬ 
ners; early winter covering; August better than July 
for setting plants in Mass.; best varieties for differ¬ 
ent situations; fine new sorts; unsatisfactory kinds; 
varieties deserving of further trial. 
FROM M. CRAWFORD. 
The past season has been a remarkable one for straw¬ 
berry growers. There was so much rain all the spring and 
during the ripening season, that the fruit was not up to 
the standard in quality, color, or firmness. When grown 
in thick, matted rows, such varieties as the Cumberland 
and Bubach were so soft and pale that there was no satis¬ 
faction in carrying them to market. The same varieties 
grown with room sufficient to admit the light and air 
were much better. In a very dry season also, the hill 
method has the advantage. The spaces between the rows 
being wide—three feet usually—and covered with straw, 
the single row of well-grown plants is much better sup¬ 
plied with moisture than plants in a matted row, strug¬ 
gling for existence,possibly can be. It is generally conceded 
that plants grown in hills receive less injury from the 
pickers, that fewer berries are overlooked, and that the 
fruit is finer, better colored, higher flavored, firmer, less 
perishable, and worth more in the market. It is also 
much pleasanter to grow strawberries in hills. The run¬ 
ners being out of the way, the cultivating and hoeing can 
be done with a minimum amount of hindrance and 
friction. 
There are a few important points that I will mention : 
The drainage must be good, so that all surplus water can 
pass off quickly. This lengthens the growing season by 
allowing the planting to be doue early, and the cultivating 
soon after rain. It also diminishes the injury from freezing 
and thawing. Every hour that can be added to the growing 
season by getting the plants at work early and keeping 
them at work, adds to the crop and to the satisfaction. 
Every hindrance, such as late planting, injury from insects 
or the cultivator, from weeds, which rob the plants of food 
and drink, or from a crust on the surface which keeps the 
air from the roots, diminishes the profits. 
The soil should be rich. As all our efforts are directed 
towards changing the plant food into strawberries, we 
should be very sure that the plants are never hindered in 
their work tor want of raw material. The runners should 
be cut off before they exhaust the plant. The tendency of 
the plant is to spend its energies all summer in producing 
runners, and when these are allowed to draw upon the 
plant until they become almost self-supporting, they 
greatly diminish the crop. Covering for winter should not 
be put off too long. Many writers advise that this work 
should be doue after the ground has frozen hard enough, 
so that one can drive over it without breaking the crust. 
Surely freezing and thawing must be injurious in the be¬ 
ginning of winter as well as in March. For this reason I 
would cover the ground between the rows—but not the 
foliage—quite early. If the leaves are never covered it is 
no matter, and in that case it will be unnecessary to re-^ 
move the mulch in the spring. I pick and sort carefully, 
using clean baskets, aud sell to one firm at a fixed price 
I never ship any berries, but sometimes the party who 
buys my crop finds it necessary to do so. 
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. 
Strawberry Planting In August. 
FROM F. G. H. 
I have seen it stated in a horticultural paper that if 
strawberries were planted in August no crop could be ex¬ 
pected the following June. A good deal has been written 
about this subject, and the views of the different writers 
differ so much that it is difficult to reach any exact con¬ 
clusion. It seems to me that the question is of consider¬ 
able importance to any one who grows strawberries, and, 
in view of this fact, my experience may be of some value 
to those who are skeptical as to the practicability of this 
method of culture. 
I may state, in the first place, that on a piece of ground 
which measures a few feet short of one-fortieth of an acre, 
I grew last season 155 quarts of fruit. This is the actual 
number of quarts picked and 1 am sure that at least a 
dozen quarts rotted on the plants. Considering the yield 
at 155 quarts to one-fortieth of an acre, there would be a 
yield at the rate of 6,200 quarts per acre. A small part of 
this piece of ground is occupied by two-year-old plants, 
but I am sure that the one-year-old plants outyielded 
them this season. I think that in growing strawberries in 
this way the variety planted has more to do with success 
or failure than anything else. It is hard to lay down any 
rule about this. With me Haverland, Warfield and Bel¬ 
mont do well the first year—Haverland better than any 
variety I have tried. I may say to any who happen to be 
interested in strawberry culture, that it would be better 
for them to set their plants in August rather than in July. 
I do not advise the use of horse manure as a winter mulch, 
as it fills the beds with weeds. If you wish a good crop of 
fruit the first year, do not hoe the plants more than twice 
in the spring, and never within a few days of the time of 
setting their fruit buds. This point I have found very im¬ 
portant. 
Brookline, Mass. 
Strawberries for Massachusetts. 
FROM F. W. PROCTER. 
The season just closed has been a typical New England 
summer, having been quite wet early with increasing dry¬ 
ness as the season progressed, and consequently the trial 
of the new varieties has been a conclusive one, unless one 
is prepared to give artificial treatment. In a list of 50 
varieties, about 35 were in fruit, and of these 25 were set in 
1889, giving their first fruit this year. The remaining 10 vari¬ 
eties I have raised from three to five years. From the time 
of blossoming until July 3, when there was a rainfall nearly 
an inch in depth, there was no rain; and even the early 
July downpour was of small benefit. My beds are upon 
high land, aud certain varieties that are not adapted to 
such a location have not had a fair show. Among these 
is the Jessie, which has been the first to succumb to the 
drought. I am willing to make an allowance for its be¬ 
havior, however, and shall transfer it to lower land. The 
Jessie was very promising at blossoming time, and gave a 
few very large berries at the start, but even some of these 
dried rather than ripened, aud were fan-shaped. A parallel 
bed of Sharpless stood up through day after day of scorch¬ 
ing sun, giving large and perfect fruit. At length this 
variety also wilted, leaving the grand old standby Chas. 
Downing still ripening berries one inch in diameter. It 
should be further stated that the Jessie had a light mulch 
of leaves and pea-vines, applied in the spring, while the 
Sharpless aud Downing were not thus protected. How¬ 
ever, I still believe in the Jessie, if the right conditions for 
its success are observed. Its quality is a union of the 
sweetness of theSbarpless aud the delicious flavor aud 
texture of the Downing. It is the most promising early 
berry for a fancy market. 
Of all the newer berries tested by me, the Bubach (No. 5) 
takes the palm for general cultivation. The berries are as 
large as those of Jessie aud Sharpless, and when ripe form 
a ring around each plant. In quality it is not so good as 
the Sharpless, but better by far than the Crescent. The 
