Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-03-26
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

FARM AND FIRESIDE.
CULTURE OF THE PEACH Mr. Isaac Pull
len communicates the following to the Com
missioner of Agriculture In all cases
peach trees should be planted when of one
seasons growth. The time of planting
whether falfor spring, is immaterial. In
very severe climates the spring would be pre-
ferable; but in all the peach-growing belt
of the United States, the choice between fall
and spring planting is of little account. For
orchard planting the ground should be mark
ed in burrows eighteen or twenty feet apart,
and the trees planted to about the same
depth as the stood in the nursery. The side
limbs and top should be cut off, leaving a
straight stem of the desired height for form
ing head. If the trees are planted in the
fall, this trimming and topping should be
deferred till spring. Low heads are desira-
BILE. When the heads begin to form proper
care should be taken to prune out all unnec-
essary limbs. leaving three or four limbs in
proper position to form the future tree
Shortening it about one half the growth for
the second and third years after planting,
and keeping the inside of the tree clear of
useless growth, is all that is required in the
way of pruning before the trees commence
bearing. The borers, which enter the body
of the tree at little below the ground,
should be removed from year to year Many
remedies for their prevention have been re-
commended but experience has demonstrated
that the best preventive is personal inspec-
ton of each tree, and removing with a knife
or other suitable instrument the borers
Peach trees will succeed in any soil that will
grow corn Or potatoes, and require about the
same cultivation as those crops. No ma
nures are required until the trees have born
their first crop. After the first crop one
hundred bushels of wood-ashes, or three
hundred pounds Of Peruvian guano, or four
hundred pounds of some standard super
phosphate, of four hundred pounds of bone
dust to the acre will restore the trees and
prepare them for the next year,
NATURAL ANTI MIAshATIcs. "A recent
number of Western paper contains very
readable editorial upon the influence of vege-
tation, at least of certain kinds of vegetation,
in preventing such miasmatic diseases as
fever and ague, etc. 1t calls attention to
the well-known fact that in many of the
most miasmatic portions of the Southern
Strtes, the negroes guard their cabins with
sunfowers, "to keep off the fevers," which
their white owners considered an idle super
stition, and not sanitary precaution. In
vestigations seem to prove that the negroes
were right.
Within the last few years miasmatic fevers
have become so prevalent in certain portions
of Belgium that the government was COM
PEELED to take the matter in hand, and APP
point medical boards and try and devise
remepy. There has been one complete sue
cess A remarkably unhealthy estate was
selected. and large quantity Of sunhower
seed planted around the cottages and build
ings. AS the plants grew fevers disappear
ed; and in short time there was not YES
tige Of that class of diseases left Here was
al effect, but what was the cause? Analysis
and other experiments followed, and the
facts were disclosed. first that the sunfower
draws almost all its sustenance from the air,
making very slight demand on the soil
second, that its main food, at least the main
component of its leaves and pith of the stalk,
was nitrogen The mystery was explained,
and ''the superstition of the American
blacks" was found to be no superstition at
all, but plain, practical, easy and cheap
method of keeping the fever miasmas from
their cabins--the affinity of the sunfower for
nitrogen drawing it to itself and keeping the
air pure.
PREVENTIVE OF WALL-DAMP. The read
lest remedy for wall-damp, in all cases. is
layer Of fine concrete, thinly coated on the
top with asphaltum laid on hot. This done
all round the top of the walls, external and
internal, the piers, and every piece of brick
work that in any manner has connection with
the ground, then the bricks forming the next
course should be herted over charcoal furna-
ces, and their beds dipped in asphaltum be-
fore being laid. 1t is evident that a preven-
tive course could thus be formed above
ground at trifing expense, wholly imper-
vious to wall-damp, and, at the same time,
giving bedding to the superstructure of a
quality very far superior to any now in use.
BAKED MAcARoNI.-Fill a small pie-dish
with macaroni, cover with cold water, and,
after it has soaked an hour, pour off the wa
ter Then boil it in milk about half an hour
after which drain it. Procure some nice
cheese and CRATE it very fine Butter a ba-
king-dish, and sprinkle in little cheese,
some small pieces of butter, a little white
pepper and salt. a layer of macaroni and so
on, until the dish is full, putting the cheese
on last, with bits of butter Put it into a
pretty hot oven to brown about twenty min
utes.
FLAX SEED SYRUP This excellent rene
dy for cough is made thus: Boil one ounce
of flax seed in quart of water for half an
hour; strain and add to the liquor the juice
of two lemons and half pound of rock can
dy. If the cough is accompanied by weak
ness and a loss of appetite add half an ounce
of powdered gum arabic. Set this to simmer
for half an hour, stirring it occasionally
Take wine glassful when the cough is
troublesome.
Persons having occasion to drive in the
dark will find the advantage of securing
lantern beneath the body of the carriage, and
not inside, as is generally the case. The light
is thus thrown several feet in front of the
horse and the usual nervous, uncertain step
of the animal is at once checked. Z
DERBY CAKEs-Mix one pound of butter
one pound of sifted sugar, one pound and
quarter of flour, with beaten egg, into
paste roll it into small cakes, which bake
on tin.