The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-12-17
Farm, Garden and Household.


ioIe bue ruruerS OluD as follows
:" A few years ago the apple orchards
near Newark, N. j., presented an ap-
pearance similar to those blighted ones
30 often described. The leaves first
curled, then became discolored, and
soon fell of, and also the young fruit.
In little while second crop of leaves
appeared, and the trees were not seri-
ously injured, as there was not much
return of the same trouble in the next
or subsequent seasons. The cause was
q visitation of a2ohideS, or plant lice.
BY examining the under side of the
young leaves they were found to be
thickly studded with these minute
parasites, feeding upon the sap, and, of
course, exhaust;ng the vitality of the
trees. A similar effect may be observed
almost every year upon certain cherry
trees, making that crop in many places
very uncertain, and especially causing
the fruit to rot prematurely. In such
cases the stems of the cherries will be
found coated with these little sappers
and miners. Almost every plant has
its peculiar aphis, which occasionally
come IN such numbers as to be injuri-
Gus. We have black one on the grow
ing shoots of grapevines, q green one
on rose-bushes, black sticky ones on
certain willows, blue one on the
green-gage plum, aud brown one on
oats, sometimes destroying the crops
The young clover of neighborhood is
sometimes entirely killed by another
species. Potato vines will be, at times,
so greatly injured as to produce but
little crop, the leaves being twisted up
so as to be hardly known. Corn crops,
too, are often seriously injured by q
species of plantS Slouse which preys upon
the roots, especially in q cold season
when the corn has been planted early.
Many people suppose, and with good
deal of reason, that the curl of the
peach leaf early in the spring is also
caused by species Of aphis working
at the roots of the trees. Nearly all
the species Of dph5deS or plant lice in
crease most III the cool weather of
spring and fall, hot weather checking
them. The sunshin of hot day will
kill them If exposed to its direct rays.
L have never noticed such numbers of
warbers and other small birds in the
spring, when there was such q vista
tlon OF plant lice in the apple orchards.
/ have killed a few of the birds at this
season, and found them perfectly
gorged with these lice. AS to the
proper kinds of peaches and other
fruits to plant it " Md be best to con-
suit such works as Downing, Thomas,
and others, where the lists are care
fully prepared. As to pear blight, some
varieties seem more liable to be affect
ed than others"
Housekeeping Hints.
RENovATING BLACK KIDs.-Ink and
sweet oil mixed, two parts of ink to
one part of oil, will also make q nice
glossy blacking for glove kid boots.
Prepare a bottle Of it, and attach a
small sponge to the cork, as is done in
"liquid backing" The same varnish
touched on very gently to the white
tigs and seams of worn black kid
gloves, will make pair quite respect
able for either travelling or shopping.
To REMOVE WATER STAINS FROM
BLACK CRAPE.-Wherever a drop of
water falls upon black Grape veil OF
trimming, conspicuous white spot re-
mains. To obiiterate it, spread the
Grape on lap board or table, and place
some weight upon it to keep it steady.
Then slip piece of old black silk un.
der the stain; take large camel's
hair brush, dipped in common black
ink, and paint out the white spot
then wipe it off gently with a small
bit of soft old black silk it will dry
directly and entirely remove the stains.
BAKED PORK AND BEANs.-This New
England dish has been condemned by
those reformers of hygiene, who would
Danish every particle of fat from our
diet !; but, like other good things, this
may be eaten with impunity by the
healthy. If preferred so, the pork
may be boiled one hour and a half,
and then baked by itself in a hot oven.
The beans, after being parboiled twice,
and cooked till nearly done, can be
seasoned, put into the dripping-pan,
with bits of butter on top, and baked
in the usual way.
PORK STEw.--In the pork barrel we
find some thin, lean pieces, and these
make excellent stows. Have the slices
quite thick, cover with boiling watel
Tor few moments, pour that off, ado
more and boil one hour, when they arr
ready for the potatoes and crust simi
lar to that We use for pot-pie. Take
one and half cups of buttermilk, {
teaspoOnful OF sour cream, nearly two
even teaspoonfuls of saleratus and {
little salt. Mix the dough little stiffel
than for biscuit, roll out thinly ant
cut into bits an inch square. Sic,
potatoes crosswise and put in with tn,
meat, with water enough to cover them
They will cook i'll twenty minutes
Steam the crust over the same kettle
and when done spread on a platter
stir into the meat and potatoes cup o
thin, sweet cream Or rick milk, with
little pepper, and, if necessary, salt
When it boils pour the whole over th'
crust, and you have dish almost q
nice as chicken pot-pie.
Cribbing in Horses.
Crib-biting or wind-sucking in horse
is due to arrangement OF the stomach
Filing the incisor teeth apart, III the
place of relieving pain, very often pro
duces it; and therefore, whenever it is
successful in preventing the ANIMAL
from indulging in the habit-which il
but seldom-it is on account of tn,
soreness of the teeth occasioned by til,
operation. TO enable horse to swal
low wind, it is necessary for the mus
cles of the neck to contract, and the
only object in applying the teeth o
jaw to the post or manger is to afford
fulcrum for these muscles to act from
HIS FIELD.-Mr. A. W. Mitchell,