Agricultural, &c.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 282, 10 September 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Agricultural, &c.

NEW CELERY. In tiie garden celery, long cultivation has greatly enlarged the leaf-stalks, which have become fleshy, and the acrid principle is modilied to a pleasant flavor, while by blanching the stringy and tough leaf-stalks are made crisp and tender. Cultivation has changed the suspicious plant i f low grounds to one of the most popular of edible vegetables. In another form of celery it is the root instead of the leaf-stalks which has become enlarged, and as celcriac, or turniprooted celery, is highly valued, especially by Europeans, for flavoringand as a material for salads. To these is now added a third form, the “ dwarf-headed (endive like ”) celery. In this form of celery, numerous short branches arc thrown up from the root, and these are so crowded together, that both the stems and lower leaves become blanched and tender. The plant forms a dense head, some fifteen inches across, and about half as high. It is claimed that it is not necessary to earth up this form of celery in order to blanch it, but like endive, it may be blanched by covering it with mats, leaves, or with pots, to exclude the light. The National Society of Horticulture of France in November last gave this new celery a certificate of the first class. — American Agriculturist.

RASPING AND GREASING HORSES’ HOOFS.

The horse is one of the most superbly perfect of Nature's works, viewed physically ; and he occupies beside an exalted position among animals as to his intelligent and moral qualities. It is, therefore, most painful to see how, under the handling of intelligent (?) man, he is maltreated and even abused. He submits his neck to the yoke uncomplainingly ; he accepts the iron-plating of his feet; and he allows the galling check upon the movements of his head, and yet gives man his best service, even to the death. The ignorant smith has his views as to what should be the shape of his feet. So he cuts and rasps, and forms them to suit himself. He has an idea that the hoof was made on purpose for him to rasp and shoe, and exercise all the tools of his trade upon. So he makes a shoe and fits the hoof to it; he removes the natural polished exterior, which, by its tough elasticity, defends the tender parts from injury, is nearly impervious to water, and permits a little evaporation of internal moisture, by which it is kept normally pliable and vitalised to the very surface. He rounds and smooths off the new surface ; leaves it in a condition to allow the moisture of the hoof to pass off rapidly, and the hoof to dry and crack, and thus he recommends the application of tar and grease and lampblack, as if he were trying to render an old boot pliable and presentable. The greasing may be well enough—better than nothing—after the mischief is done. But why do so sensible horse-owners allow the evil which their peremptory orders, if not their mere remonstrances, would prevent? —American Agriculturist,