The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-06-21
FARM AND GARDEN.


and full of fresh sap, it will fade away
from too much evaporation, and if it is
too old. e., hard and woody-it will
take great while to strike root.
You must take cutting that is part
ly ripened, and is from vigorous shoot,
yet is little hardened at the base.
1t is also essential to have a bud or
joint at or near the end of the cutting
as all roots strike from it, and the near
er it is to the base, the greater your
chance of success.
Plant your cuttings in common red
pots, filled half full of rich loan, and
two inches of sand on the top Securing
sand will do, but not sea sandy, wet
this thoroughly, and put the cuttings
close around the edge of the pot; for if
the bud joint comes in contact with the
surface of the pot, it seems to strike
root more quickly. Pull off the lower
leaves before you plant the cutting.
Press the wet sand tightly about the
tiny stem, for great deal of your sue
cess in raising the cuttings depends
upon the close contact of the sand with
the stem. When the cuttings are firm
ly planted, cover them with a glass
shade, if possible, for it will greatly
promote the growth of the plants.
Moisture, light, and heat are the
three essentials to plant life; without
them no cutting will start.
Shade for two or three days from sun
light, but don't let the sand become
dry; then give all the sun you can OBJ
tain; keep up good supply of moist
ure, and you can hardly fail to root
most of your cuttings.
Cuttings of roses, verbenas, olean-
ders, heliotropes, ETC., can also be root
ed in small walls filled with warmish
water, and suspended from the window
easement. Select the cuttings as de-
scribed above; pull off the lower leaves,
and insert the end for about an inch in
the vial. Tie string about its neck
and hang in the sun. If bit of cot
ton wool is wrapped about the cutting
where it goes into the neck of the vial,
and it is kept wet, it prevents the rapid
evaporation of the water.
When the tiny shoots show themselves
about an inch or more in length, fill up
the vial with rich composted soil; let
it hang for three or four days longer.
then break off the glass carefully, with
out disturbing the roots, and pot the
plants.
Managed in this way the roots re-
ceive no check, and the plant will grow
very vigorously. The cutting can be
taken from the water and the roots
planted in pots, but they will cling
closely together and are not as natural
ly disposed as when the glass is broken
off, after the roots are covered with soil
If the water evaporates third or
more in the vial, it must be filled up
with warmish water.-Floral Cabinet.
CHEAP WAY TO MAKE VINEGAR-A
correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette
relates his experience as follows: II
will give you my method ofmaking vim
egar. l consider that it is decidedly
the most economical way to make this
useful article, needed by every house.
wife. l take a quantity of common
Irish potatoes, and wash them until
they are thoroughly clean, then place
them in large vessel and boil them
until done. now drain off carefully
the water that cooked them in, strain
ing it if necessary, in order to remove
every particle of the potato. Then l
put this potato water into a jug or key,
which | place near the stove, or in
some place where it will be kept warm,
and add one pound of sugar to about
two and one-half gallons of the water,
some hop yeast, or small portion of
whisky. Prepared in this way, and let
ting it stand three or four weeks, you will
have most excellent vinegar. Indeed, it
is the only vinegar that will preserve Gu
cumbers cut fresh from the vines with
out the aid of salt. If l have not
plenty of potatoes, when l am boiling
them for family use put on more wa
ter than Is necessary to cook them, and
drain off the water and treat it as above
described, diminishing the ingredients
to suit the amount of potato water.
The whole cost of really superior vine
gar made in this way does not excede
six or seven cents per gallon.
CHARCOAL FOR PoULTRY.-The
benefit which fowls derive from eating
charcoal is, l believe, acknowledged.
The method of putting it before them
Is, however, not well understood.
Pounded charcoal is not in the shape
IN which fowls usually find their food,
and consequently Is not very enticing
to them.
have found that corn burnt on the
cob, and the refuse-wh;ch consists al
most entirely of the grains reduced to
charcoal, and still retaining their per-
feet shape-placed before them, is
greedily eaten by them, with a marked
in their health, as is
shown by the brighter color of their
combs, and their sooner producing
greater average of eggs to the flock
than before.-S. Rufus Mason in the
Poultry World.