Connecticut western news., 1872-07-05
Farm, Garden and Household.

1no Joy huu IrubaSe or the Inus
 Farm, Garden and Household.
 MoLAssEs CooK1Es.-One mug molasses eight tablespoonfuls warm water, with ~ hree teaspoontuls soda dissolved in it, ten ablespoonfuls butter and lard, one table poonful ginger, one teaspoonful alum.
 COOKING VEGETAB1Es.-H one portion of vegetables bo boiled in pure, distilled, or rain water, and another in which little salt has been added, . decided diff ference will be perceived in the tender ness of the two. Vegetables boiled in pure water are vastly inferior in flavor.
 CHICKEN JELLY.-For chicken jelly, take alarge chicken, cut it up into small pieces bruise the bones, put the whole into a stone jar, with cover that will make it water-tight. Set the jar in large kettle of boiling water, and keep it boiling for two hours. Then strain off the liquid, and season it slightly with salt, pepper and mace, or with loaf sugar and lemon juice, according to the taste of the person for whom it is intended. Return the frag- ments ofthe chicken to the jar, and set it again in kettle of boiling water.- You
 
 much jelly by the second boiling. This jelly may be made of an old fowl.
 To PRESERVE SrRAwBERR1Es.-Toa pint of freshly gathered strawberries put light pound of sugar. In large deep dish place a portion of the fruit, strew it lightly with sugar, add more fruit, then sugar, etc., till you have dis posed of all. Let the strawberries stand thus for several hours to form sirup. Put them on the fire in bell-metal or porcelain-linked kettle, and boll rapidly fifteen or twenty minutes. When done, put the preserves in tumblers or half pint jars. Cover them with brandy pa pers, using as paste the unbeaten white of egg. If fastened up immediately, while the glasses are yet hot, the white of egg will adhere nicely. Set your glasses in the sun for day or two, and you will find the epreserves keep perfectly through out the year, provided always the fruit is sound at the time of preserving. Se- lect the largest, firmest varieties for the purpose, aud delay not until too late in the season, when the berries are more liable to mash and run to juice.
 APPLE ORCHARDS. Jefferis as mentioned by the Practical Farmer is one of the most successful apple-growers in Pennsylvania. His orchard is located on a hillside sloping gently to the south and southwest, is of limestone soil, and made fertile by surface application of manure. This system he has pursued for 15 years. Trees, he maintains, should be fed regularly, not too much, but just enough to enable them to main tain healthy moderate uniform growth. He applies the washings of the roads on his own farm, all the refuse ashes and those made in the neighboring Ime-kilns in burning lime with wood, and also manure from the cattle yards. When ever he has a spare load of fertilizing matter, 1t goes to the orchard. Spread ing these materials on the surface (al- though green grass sod is on the ground), all over it, the soil is so mellow he can kick it up with his foot-the young roots coming up to the surface, or nearly so, not being more than an inch or so under it, for their food. There they come in contact with light, heat, and moisture, the important elements of plant food. Trees treated under this system are healthy, strong, and vigorous. Although in deep valley, liable to late Spring frosts, he secures crops of fruit, while his neighbors in more favored To- calities fail.
 AGRICULTURAL NoTEs.-Take care to avoid the mistake of going into the cul- ture of any fruit or vegetable too largely at first.
 Success in the cultivation of any crop, like the practice of any trade, requires a minute knowledge of all the details, which can only be gained by experience.
 It is well known truth, that the in- creased supply of any article enlarges the demand
 Products which few years ago were considered as luxury which only the rich could afford, are constantly used by the oay laborers in our cities and villages now.
 It is important to the farmer so to manage that the land cultivated each year should lie as much as possible to- gether.
 The census returns give the average yield of hay for the State of Massachu- setts at trihe less than one ton per acre.
 Many farmers would obtain a larger product at less expense, if the labor and manure were concentrated on 8 smaller space of ground. -r a@+
 The increased price of the great agri- cultural staples, does not keep pace with the increased cost of production.
 There are men,-observing aud practi- cal men, who have Nrung from the soil all they possess of worldly wealth men competent to teach, but who are only unwilling to make the attempt.
 One of the chief hinderances to agr1cul- tural progress, is the reluctance farmers feel towards giving the public the benefit of their exper1enee, either by writing or by speech.