THE FARM.

Marlborough Press, Volume VIII, Issue 30, 24 July 1867, Page 4

THE FARM.

Artichokes as an Article or Food. —A correspondent, writing to the Australasian, says : —Some years ago I had in my garden a few bags of artichokes more than I required. Breaking up new land at the time, I planted them under the sod ; they succeeded admirable, aud yielded very largely. I have grown them for many years, always under the sod, and have at present eight acres planted for home use. Artichokes are fattening food for cows, pigs, poultry, &c.; horses are greedily fond of them. I believe the average yield of artichokes to be three times as great as that of potatoes ; not being liable to injury from frost, they- can be planted earlier, and area much more certain crop. To Cure Fowls’ Vermin in Horses. — Sponge the horses over with strong tobacco water, carefully saturating the roots of the hair, in the mane and tail, and wherever else the vermin most do congregate, and the irritation will cease for a while ; but when the strength of the tobacco has evaporated, the horses will be attacked again, unless means are taken to destroy the vermin in the fowl-house. A decoction of wormwood, or of walnut leaves in the season, has , the same effect as tobacco water. Amount of Corn Grow t n in America. —The corn crop of the States, exclusive of eleven Southern, and the Pacific States, was estimated for 1865, in round numbers, at 704,000,000 bushels. The same States in 1866 yielded an estimated product of 679,000,000, a decline of 25,000,000 bushels in quantity, a deficiency in quality equivalent to 75,000,000 more, making a difference in the feeding value of the crop of 100,000,000 bushels between that and the previous year. The total amount of corn grown throughout the limits of the United State in 1867 is assumed to be about 800,000,000 bushels. To Make Hop Beer.— “ To every gallon of water boil a pound of sugar, quality according to your purse, although many prefer coarse sugar ; boil for half an hour, and skim off any impurities ; hop according to taste —an ounce would be full quantity for five gallons ; the hops can be put in after the liquor has boiled ten minutes. Pour your wort into a wide shallow' tub, and when it has cooled to 75 or 80 deg. stir in it two tablespoonfuls of good yeast; cover up with blankets or bags. In 12 hours it will be in full play, and then you may pour it into a keg, but don’t bung up for a day. If you have any spare wort fill up the keg, and when the fermentation has passed its fiercest stage you may bung up, and if you choose bottle at end of two days. Many boil a little ginger and extract of gentian with the hops. This beer may be used almost as soon as cool and molasses can be employed instead of sugar. To clear it, mix up the white of an egg and stir it in the cask.”

THE RASPBERRY.

This fine fruit is so generally and deservedly esteemed, and so easily grown, that we are often surprised, on looking over good gardens, to see its cultivation much neglected. It is an object with most of us to get as much produce front a limited space of ground and with as little trouble as possible, and when we say that we never prune or stake our raspberry plants, as most people do, and get twice as much fruit as we ever did by the old pruning and staking practice, we advance inducements not unlikely to influence a good many raspberry growers. As a rule, we say, do not prune, or, to be more explicit, do not remove the canes which a vigorous plant throws up during the summer, and from which (in the case of the raspberry) the crop is produced next season. Our plants produce from ten to twelve shoots annually, and as no derangement in the relation between root and shoot is allowed to exist from injudicious pruning, we get annually, short, well-matured canes, instead of strong, succulent, straggling shoots that require stakes to sustain them. All these ten or twelve canes are suffered to remain, and each cane is fruitful almost to the ground. It will be asked, will not this excessive fruitful ness impair the vigour of the plants ? We can only say that we have pursued this system of management for the last twelve or thirteen years with increasing successs ; and what especially induces us to recommend the plan is the failure of the raspberry crops on the same ground under the old pruning system. We are so well aware that varying soils and climates influence the habits of plants, and make it necessary to modify and adapt the system of management to the peculiar circumstances of the place, and that a system which may be successfully carried out in one garden is not of necessity the best for another, that we do not advise an unconsidered adoption of the plan we have found to answer so well with us ; but we hope that, at any rate, our remarks will suggest an inquiry as to the general propriety of the common practice as adapted to our climate. It is worth while to consider whether it is right and reasonable to induce by high cultivation the abundant development of canes during the summer, half of which are removed by the winter pruning. Has not this the effect of disturbing the balance of power between roots and branches, and of impairing the fruitfulness of the canes allowed to remain ? Is not this habit of excessive pruning the sole cause of the gross, succulent shoots which are too often seen in raspberry quarters, and does it not lead to the expense and trouble of staking and otherwise securing the canes ? The soil in which we find the raspberry to answer best under the treatment which we have indicated as so successful to its profitable cultivation is a modified clay, considerably enriched on the surface. The ground should be lightly forked over in the spring, and a little short, well decayed manure turned in, but care must be taken not to injure any of the roots. In saying that we do not prune, we must be understood to mean according to the general practice. Of course, the old canes of the former year are removed, and it is sometimes necessary to nip off the attenuated points of the canes, which in certain seasons are not so well ripened. We are surprised that this useful plant is not more extensively grown, since we find that it produces fruit in abundance in our climate, and with very little care ; and the many uses in cookery and confectionery to which it may be applied, also in the manufacture of wine and raspberry vinegar, renders it a fruit of considerable importance, and one that should not be so much overlooked.—Australasian.

Yankee all Over —A funny scene transpired on board the steamer St James on her first trip down, says a Cincinnati paper. The St James, be it known, is a favorite boat with wedding-parties, on account of her superior ac commodation and the general elegance which distinguishes her. At Aberdeen, a young man, dressed in his Sunday’s best, and showing in all his movements that this was the happiest day of his life, came aboard, leading by the hand a timid young woman, who had sworn that day to love, honor, &c., the young man aforesaid. They were on a wedding tour to Cincinnati to see the Big Bridge, the Nicholson pavement, and other objects of interest. Approaching Clerk Hcgnier, the young man steeped in bliss, said :—“ Look a’ hear, Mr Clerk, I and Marier, have just doubled teams for life. (Marier blushes some more and tries to draw away, but the other half clings to her.) We’ve determined to take a day to ourselves. and go to Cincinnati. Now we want a—(hesitatingly)—a room—well, a room (with desperate energy)—both together.” Bride (reproachfully),—“Josier!” Bridegroom (stoutly) —“ That’s what I say ; and we want the best room you’ve got on the boat.” The clerk disposed of them satisfactorily, and “ Marier” blushing more than ever, retired to their state room, it being late in the night; while her “ Josier,” lighting a cigar, paced the forward cabin with that importance which every young man feels when he first assumes the responsibility of paying a young woman’s board as a consideration for her changing her name. “ Josier ”at length concluded to seek his “ Marier.” Accordingly he directed his footsteps towards the state room. Softly he tapped at the door, —softly tapping again at the state room door—but no response from within fell upon his listening ear. Then he gave a louder rap, and, and applying his lips to tke key-hole, whispered shrilly—“ Marier, open the door to your Josier.” Still no reply. He turned the handle, and the door being unlocked, it opened readily. lie advanced one foot inside, gave a look of bewilderment, and then rushing back into the cabin in a state of frenzy, he screamed, “ Stop the boat! she’s gone !—overboard, may be Captain ! Oh, Mr Clerk, where’s my Marier ? Has she drowned herself ? Why didn’t I get two rooms ! Oh, dear, tell the pilot to stop her ! Give me back my Marier ! ” By this time Captain Oakes, backed by his clerks, Itegnier and Ross, and reinforced by the passengers generally, was on the spot. “ What the deuce is the matter ? ” said the Captain. “ Oh, Captain ! ” said the distracted bridegroom, tearing up and down the cabin, “ she was always a timid gal—afraid of getting married—gone crazy and jumped overboard—why didn’t I get two rooms ? Oil dear.” He then pointed to the state room in which he had expected to find his “ Marier.” “(Why it’s empty,” said the Captain. “ Yes,” said Josier, tearing his hair, “ and don’t you see the doors open ? She went crazy, I tell ye, and jumped overboard.” Then falling upon the Captains neck he screeched “ O, give me back my Marier.” At this moment a state room door adjoining opened, and there was a glimpse of a snowy night-cap, while a low, sweet voice said :—“ Josier you’re a fool ; what are you tearin’ ’round at that rate for ? Have you been drinkin’ ? ” Josier gave a yell of astonishment and delight, and put himself inside of that state room in a twinkling. He had made a mistake in the number of his state room, that’s all. Marier hadn’t gone crazy, and she hadn’t jumped overboard.