Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-01-03
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
The influence Of Age on seeds.

Opinions, like fashions, revolve in
circles. In my .boyhood, most cultiva-
tors believed in the age of seeds as q
potent factor in the production Of abun-
dance of good melons and cucumbers.,
Not only were old seeds believed to pro-
duce the most fruitful plants, but the
quality of the fruit was thought to be
improved by the agesof the seeds. So
general was the belief in these facts that
artificial means were adopted to give
similar effects to that attributed to age.
Among these, the best modes we're stor-
ing seeds in warm kitchen drawers or
seed rooms with stoves. and also carrying
the seeds constantly in the waistcoat
pocket, the latter being by far the most
popular mode of giving artificial age to
cucumber and melon seeds. / think, as
far as that family of plants is concerned,
Signor Cazzuola is right. There must
be some mistake about the seeds that re-
fused to grow in the experiments of M.
Laizier, referred to in Mr.. GUMS article,
for melon and cucumber seeds, ten of
even twenty years old, vegetate freely
enough if they have been properly har-
vested and kept Many years expert
ence leads me to the conclusion that
there is some hidden law of correlation
between old seeds and fertility. Vitality
might become weakened by age, and so
a stronger tendency to reproduction of
seed to perpetuate the species be devel-
oped. In the case of some seeds, such
as cucumbers and melons, the growth
has often been observed to be as vigor-
Gus as plants produced from old seeds.
OF course, in regard to other seeds, the
terms new and old must be interpreted
IN relation to each species of plant.
Comparatively few seeds retain their vi
tality as long as melons or such plants.
The subject is worthy of reinvestigation.
Probably not few of the apparently in
scrutable changes of plants and flowers
under identical conditions might be ex-
planned by reference to the different
ages of the seeds that produced them /;
and POSSIBLY not a few of our crops
might be improved did we know the best
aged seeds to SOW to produce the special
results which we have in view. For ex-
ample If it be true, as M. A. Malet as
serts in the article to which / am refer.
ring, that the newer the seeds the more
vigorous the crop, and the greater length
it will run, new seeds would be best for
celery, and old probably for tomatoes.
These two plants - the one grown for
blanched stems and the other for its
fruit-would form admirable subjects for
experiment. Seed bearing ruins the one,
and an excess of growth is almost the
worst thing that can happen to the other
in the open air in our climate. - d. r.
Fish, in London Garden.
I'D. Health Hints.
BLEEDING OAsEs.-In case of bleed
ing at the lungs, or stomach, or throat,
give teaspoonful of dry salt and repeat
it often. For bleeding at the nose, put
ice, or pour cold water on the back of
the neck, keeping the head elevated.
SoALDING OF THE THROAT FROM SwA1-
LOWING BOILING WATER This accident
occurs not uncommonly among children
left by themselves, and is very danger
Gus, as the throat swells, and the suffer
er is in danger of being suffocated. Send
for the medical man Immediately.
Meanwhile, if it can be procured, let the
patient suck ice constantly. and apply
strong mustard poultice to the outside
of the front of the throat.
How TO CURE SwELLED FEET AND
ANKLES Take plantain leaves (Which
can be found in almost any grass plat,
and in our public parks); wilt them by
putting separately between the hands !;
cover the swollen parts with them, and
keep in place by wrapping the limbs
with rags or towel on going to bed at
night, or keep them on during the day
if not obliged to be upon the feet. A
cure will be speedily effected.
RELIEF FOR NEURALaIA.-A very sim :
pie relief for neuralgia, is to boil small
handful of lobelia in half a pint of
water till the strength is out of the herb,
then strain it off and add teaspoonful
of fine salt. Wiring cloths out of the
liquid as hot as possible, and spread
over the part affected. Tt acts like q
charm. Change the cloths as soon as
cold till the pain is all gone. then cover
up till prespiration is over, SO as to pre-
vent taking cold. Rheumatism can
often be relieved by application to the
painful parts of cloths wet in a weak
solution of sal soda in water. If there
is inflammation in the joints, the cure is
very quick the wash needs to be luke
warm.
SucctssfuI Fruit Culture.
recently examined the methods of q
large and successful fruit grower near
Rochester, N. Y. His raspberries,
blackberries and currants occupied all
available soil beneath bearing apple
trees, the roots of which must have met
between the rows, yet all yielded fine
crops. This successful double cropping
was secured by annual top-dressing
with rotted manure, and thorough cul-
tivation. 1t is held by some that black
berries thrive kest in such partial shade.
The red raspberries were four feet
apart each way, enabling the fat footed
cultivator to destroy all suckers between
the hills. After the removal of suckers
the canes of two hills were drawn to.
gether, forming an arch, and tied with
out stakes, leaving path for the cul-
tivator only one way. I recommend
this plan. The various small fruits,
except grapes, are grown in about equal
quantity. The red raspberries, mainly
Brandywine and Turner, are considered
the most profitable. The Downing and
Smith gooseberries are planted largely
and with profit. Dwarf duchesse pears
are growing six feet apart in rows sixty
feet apart. Strawberries are planted
between, but not in the rows of pears,
Randolph Peters thinks Strawberries
are poisonous to pears. find that they
retard growth when planted close tc
any tree. / was shown apple-trees
eighteen years old that bore fifteen bar
rels each last season. The income from
apples vas SO, 800, 90, 900 of which waf
profit. The heads of apple trees were
permitted to form. naturally. quitt