Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-02-26
Obe News @lraner.
Notes and Comments.

NoCes and Comments.
STRANGE ANNoUNCEMENT.-The New York
journal, devoted to the subject Of spiritual man.
ltestatlons through the medium of rapping, &c.
announces that there will be convention 0
spirits held in New York, on a given day of the
present month. This may appear rather strange
as formal notice but it is, in reality, nothing
new. There is no country in the world, not
outstanding all our boasts, which has more
spirits Of the kind in question, than our own
and there is not month in the year, in which
they are not, in some place or other, congrega,
ted. Though differing in degree, they are all
OF the same species, and should have the same
denomination-that of THE SPIRITS OF
HUMBUG.
EDUCATION OF IDIoTs.-The new and hu-
name experiment for educating or improving the
mental condition of idIots has, the past year,
been made in Massachusetts and New York,
under the auspices of the Legislatures of those
STATES, and the reports Of those having charge
Of this unfortunate class, in each instance, show
results unexpectedly favorable, and such as
should encourage general attention to the sub
ject.
BRowN BREAD.-We have ever considered
brown bread good deal like what Peter Pindar
says Of 4" Jeremiah's fgs"-
"The good were very good indeed
The bad not fit to give the pigs"
A conviction of this formerly led to pretty
thorough course of experiments in our family, in
order to obtain knowledge of the best mode Of
making this invaluable acquisition to the Amer
lean table; and it resulted at length in hitting
upon the following method, which, for the last
six or seven years, we have practced with inva-
riable success, ever finding that by it, not only
lighter and better bread could be obtained, than
by the old way of yeasting and raising, but that
which would keep good and fresh much longer :
For one brown loaf, take two quarts of Indian
and one of Rye meal, mix them well and stir in
as evenly as may be gill of West India molas-
ses. Then take about two quarts of sour milk
and put in enough of dissolved saleratus to re-
move the sour taste. With the sour milk thus
prepared mix up the meal, adding enough of
sweet milk to reduce the mixture to a thin
dough, SO that it will nearly run into the pan or
iron basin designed for it's reception, and then
set it Immediately into the oven to bake, without
any waiting for it to rise, or any other prepare
ton.
The BALDWIN APPLE.-A late Wdtchmdn
contains an article on fruit raising, from the
pen of one of the Messrs. Spear, the noted
orchadists, of Brantree, VT, in which it Is sta
ted, on The authority of the Horticultural Jour-
nal, if we rightly remember, that the original
tree bearing the Baldwin apple grew in Will
mington, Mass. tits true that such statement
has appeared in the work quoted, and it is also
true that Cole in his Fruit Book" says that
Wilmington and Tewksbury have equal claims
to Its origin; while an able correspondent of
the NJ E. Farmer Mr.. Fowler, claims Somer.
vile as the place where the tree grew, affirming
that there still exists some kind Of monument to
mark the spot.
In this conflict of testimony, we beg leave to
repeat in substance the account we published in
our paper year or two ago, respecting the ORR
gin of this far famed apple; and give the au-
thority we had for our statements Our account
was, that this tree grew, and at the close of the
Revolution, was standing, in the orchard of Sam
uel Thompson, in Woburn, and was known by
the name of the Wood-pecker tree; and Its
fruit, being great favorite with the boys, was
often stolen and carried to other parts OF the
town. In this way, Col. Loami Baldwin, father
Of the late u. s. Engineer Of that name, got
taste of the fruit, admired it, procured supply
of the scions, and engrafted them in his own
orchard. In few years, when his gratis began
to bear, he took pride in RECALLING his visitors
from abroad with his new fruit and they In turn
begged scions and asked him by what name they
should call them. "Why my name, you know,
is Baldwin," was generally the reply, it was said
that he would make to the question. In this
manner the fruit was disseminated and its pres
ent name established through the country.
Our authority for this account was the Rev.
Charles Brooks, of Boston, who, for general
knowledge and accuracy as naturalist, is sur
passed by few, and who, on again being qnes-
toned by us on the subject, in an interview we
had with him in that city few months ago, fully
re affirmed the statement, and said he had il
from his knsman, the late Governor Brooks
who, when boy, was personally knowing tc
the circumstances. And this, we confidently
believe, is the true history of the fruit which
shonld be called the Thompson instead of the
Baldwin apple.
REMARKABLE DIscovERY.--A letter in the
Richmond Times states that few days ago
while several men were engaged in blasting GU
limestone near Buchanan, Bottetourt county the.
discovered cave, with an entrance of some sl'
l. e L..