Around The Farm

We had remch rather have au oiu cow [oose in our garden than to put it in jharge of one of these non-pruning garieners. - Moore's Rural. To extermínate caterpillars on trees, they may be sprinkled with a solution of ane part of sulphide of potassium in 500 parts of water. This, it is said, will kill the insects, and do no harm to the trees. The Cork oak appears to succeed as vvell ia California as in its native country. Trees planted in 1861 and sinee pruned up, are now twenty-five feet to the lower branches. The bark on thoso trees is from one and a half to two inches thick and the peeling process may soon commence. Scatter your coal ashes under the plum and cherry trees from two to three inches thick as far out as the limbs extend, and you will find it a great preventive to the ravages of the curculio. Also mulch the curran ts and gooseberries heavily with it. Peaches and cherries require a dry soil, not so much as apple and pear trees. In large grounds very appropriate and comfortable accompaniments are rustic seats. As they are often made they are not very lasting, because the moisturo remains under the bark, decay sets in and worms follow, making the seats simply disgusting. By using peeled sticks, and after they are put together giving them a good coat or more of paint, they become qoite permanent affairs, and lose very little of their beauty f or years. %- A correspondent of the Mirror and Farmer says : "Two years ago the Colorado beetle attacked my potato erop. After trying various things without suocess, i'stumbled on a cask of lime which had become air-slaked. I oommenoed to dust it on the tops, and wherever it feil on the slugs they turned black and soon dropped off and died. I ?assed over the field three times between aoeing and blossom time, and found it not only sure death to the larvse, but also of great benefit to the erop. Last year I tried the same remedy on another part of the town with the same good result." A correspondent of the Boston Cultivator gives his experience in the growth . of forest trees. Norway spruoe and Scotch larch were planted, and in nine years the spruce trees were tifteen feet high, with twelve feet spread of top. In fourteen years the larch were thirty feet high, with a spread of twenty feet, and a circxxinference of four feet at the base. One larch was forty feet high in seventeen years, Silver maple trees planted in 1864 are now thirty feet high, and seven to ten inches in diameter at the base. Elms planted in 1856 now range frora thirty to forty feet high, and are fifteen in diameter. The Polioeman of the Woods. - Tap! tap! tap! sounds out clear from the woods, as if a young drummer were trying to beat a tattoo. Tiie noiso really comes from a bright-looking bird, perched up high on some tall oak - now on one side and then on the other, soraetimes with head downward, and then olinging to the under side of a large branch, occasionally knocking vigorously with his bilí, as though he were at a friend's house and in liaste to be invited in. It is the woodpecker, or, as ho might be called, the policeman of the woods ; for it is his business to keep the trees free froni any insects or grubs who love to make a meal from the soft green wood and often do great damage, even causing the death of the tree. Mr. Woodpecker's practised eye can teil at a glanoe where one of these burglars is at work. Woe unto hiin -when he fintis it out ! for he is quickly captured, and Mr. Woodpecker makes a fine meal of him as his reward. - The Banner. About the Houe. Guape Catsot. - Take flve pounds of grapes and one pint of vinegar ; cook until you can strain through a seive ; to the juice add two pounds of sugar, one tablespoonful of cinnamon, half a tablespoontul of salt, one of black pepper, and one of cloves ; cook down to two quarts. Mook Mince Pies.- To minoe-pie lovers, the following is a nice summer substitute for the real artiele : One cup of vinegar, two cups of water, one cnp of sugar, one of molasses, one cup of chopped raisins, two of bread-crurnbs, one-half cup of butter, and two eggs. Spices to suit. This is for six pies. Iboning.- To iron smoothly, purchaso i few cents' worth of beeswax and rub it sver the leaves of a thin pamphlet, wliich liave been heated through with the flatiron. Kee it with the ironing sheet und blanket, and when the flatirons are ko be used rub them over the waxed surface ; then wipe gently on a soft oloth. Shirt bosoms can be easily ironed in this manner. Beef Steak with Onions.- Broil the steak and cover with onions prepared as follows : Brown a quarter of a pound of butter in a frying pan ; add one cup boiling water, a little salt and pepper, luto this put ten onions, cut up flnely, and one spoonful of flour. Oook till the onions are well browned and quite soft, stirring frequentlv. Pour all over the ateak very hot. Mebcuby oxtenninates fleas and bugs, but I think cleanliness the best and perhaps the only preventivo. The common hoise-fly I do not naolest, bolieving tbat it more than compensates for its troubjo by clearing the atmosphere of effluvia and the animalcules which always arise from the putrefaction of decaying substances during warm weather. Poached eggs may be prepared as foliows : Put a quart of water in a shallow saucepan, with two epoonfuls of vineger and a littlo salt. Place over the üre, and whon gentiy boiling, break the eggs into it, holding them as near the surf ace of the-' water aS you can. Oook slowly for about three minutes. Lay thin slices of buttered toast upon a platter and remove them carefully with a perforated ladle, ilriiin one minute, and lay upon toast. The Argentino republic is making fair progresa. In bis recent address to Congress, President Avellauda said that the nation enjoyed profound peaoe, that growing had quadmpled -within the laat üve veare, and that the exports of 1875 were"greater than thoae of any previous year. The Presidont also observed that the Government expenses liad bean roduced $4,000,000, and that three railroads had been opened for trafflo siuce Octoher. Oonsiaeriug that the Argentino republio has not escapen