Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-02-27
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
PrnnInR Orchards.


sort of perfunctory work in hacking up |
the trees. Trees should be pruned and
thinned out, and so. with axe in hand,
the owner goes over them and butchers |
them miserably. The rough wounds
inflicted do not heal. but rot begins, and |
in a short time the trees are useless, if |
not dead. How rare is it to come |
across a good-looking old orchard, ven
erable with age, but yet trim, neat and |
sound in limb and trunk. Fruit trees
exist in Europe that are historical in |
their age, and in this country there are |
trees from which the old Indian tribes
gathered fruit before they were crowded |
from the banks of the beautiful Della |
ware. But now. an orchard thirty years |
old is ruin, and unless trees are planted |
every few years, farmer must abHy4
his fruit. Much of this is due to the |
rough pruning the trees undergo, and
more to the continual cropping of the
orchards. Perhaps something of it is
owing to the root grating which does
not seem to produce long-lived trt es,
top-grafted trees seeming to be more
vigorous than others. But bad pruning
has much to answer for. One cannot
prune by system. Each tree must be
studied separately and in regard to some
definite principles. For instance, prun-
ing is intended to relieve the tree of use
less or superabundant wood; to take
away less important branches that
crowd and press upon others; to reduce
the quantity of bearing wood, and so
preserve the vitality and balance of the
tree; lastly, to remove disfgured,
blighted and diseased wood. Now,
with these rules in mind, let one ex-
anime carefully each tree before he cuts
away twig, and note where and what
he should cut away, and then mind how
he cuts. No axe should be used about
tree except to cut it down when it cum
bers the ground. A sharp, fine-toothed,
| long, narrow-bladed saw is the proper
pruning implement. A sharp knife with
q curving blade that makes draw cut,
and a pot of shellac varnish should 60
with the saw. Everything that is re-
moved should be cut close to the main
wood, trimmed smoothly with the knife,
and the wound covered with the var
nish. The varnish is shellac dissolved
in alcohol. This leaves water and air
proof covering over the ground. The
work may be begun now and continued
as opportunity offers. There need then
be no hurry. Young trees should be
put in training now for future pruning.
Three or four main limbs only should
be left, SO as to balance the head. All
n-growing shoots should be removed
close to the main branch, so that no bud
is left to sprout. Each main side limb
may fork into two or three sub
branches, spreading fan-like around the
central limb, if there is one. The sub
branches should be encouraged to start
low, so that low, round, compact.
spreading head may be produced. Much
may be done in forming the head by
tying down or hanging weights upon
limbs that are inclined to wander from
the way they should go, 80 that when
t. tn the 'tSS tree Yb Is bent mt tfeqrgstt qrst IS n n
clined," and piece of hemp twist will
soon bring crooked young tree into a
regular and handsome form.
Recipes.
SHAPE CAKES, Beat the yolks of four
eggs and then the whites to troth. Then
add quart of -four and quart of milk.
To be baked in small shape tins previ-
ously creased.
SANDERS OF COLD BEEF.-Mince beef
(or mutton or veaD small, with pepper
and salt; add little gravy. Put it into
scallop shells, or baking dish, with
mashed potatoes and cream. Put Il BIT
of butter on the top, and brown them ir
an oven.
OMELET "A dish made according tc
the recipe given below is called by The
PouLtrv Yard an omelet: Three pounds
of beef, chopped fine; three eggs. beater
together; six crackers, rolled fine; ont
tablespoonful Of salt, one teaspoontul o
:. pepper, one tablespoonful of maltet
butter, sage to the taste. mix well arc
make like loaf of bread; put littl'
water and bits of butter into the pan
,, invert another pan over it; baste tn
6 omelet occasionally; bake an hour and
! quarter, and when cold slice very thin
e PUDDNG.-One quart milk, four egg
t one cup bread. crumbs, one-half GU
| Jam, one-half cup sugar. Butter pud
: ding dish; sprinkle the bottom wit!
bread-crumbs; pour over these one ma
= cup jam; cover this with the rest OF IN
s crumbs. Heat the milk till near boll
: ing, take it from the fire and add gradu
0 ally the beaten yolks, whites and sugar
= heat this until it begins to thicken; pu
it spoonful by spoonful upon the laye
of crumbs. Bake until well set an
brown. Eat cold with cream.
a BUCKwHEAT CAKEs.-The best huc
n wheat cakes are made with an additio
S. of cornmeal four and oatmeal flour
fe the buckwheat, in this proportion: 81
le cupfuls of buckwheat, three cupfuls
in oatmeal -four, or if this cannot be O.
at tanned, substitute Graham -four in l
place. and one cupful of cornmeal tlou
III to this add dessert spoon evenly II llt
lg with salt, two taolespoonfuls of mola
ses, and lukewarm water sufficient
l. form a batter; stir through the flo
lg well four teaspoonfuls of baking powd
rs before wetting; but these cakes q
Mt much better raised over night vi
n, yeast.
Household Hints.
Tea leaves, used for keeping down t
dust when sweeping carpets, are apt
RI stain light colors; salt is the best in
winter and new mown hay In
o. summer.
49, Buttermilk is excellent for cleani
en sponges. Steep the sponge in the nj
In for some hours, then squeeze itout a
, wash it in cold water. Lemon juice
~; also good. -
For the earache, toast an onion tn
tn oughly, take the heart out, put 1T int
piece of flannel and insert it into the
md having previously put few drops
.ie- hot water into the ear.
For soft corns dip piece OF Iii
cloth in turpentine and wrap 1t rot
up the toe on which the corn is situat
xed night and morning. The relief will
ed immediate, and, after few days,
aw corn will disappear.
mi The white OF an egg, into whic
on. piece of alum about the size of wal
as has been stewed until it forms je
got is a capital remedy for sprains.
1t Il a..ll Ln Lid ornr. the SnrAin nnO