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Book of knowledge (1826)

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Book of Knowledge (1826)
3244120Book of Knowledge1826

CHEAP TRACTS, NO. 8.




Book of Knowledge;


CONTAINING

GARDENERS' CALENDAR

OF WORK TO BE DONE IN EACH MONTH.

ECONOMICAL RECEIPTS

AND

USEFUL INFORMATION

ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS.


Knowledge is Power.




DUNFERMLINE:

PRINTED AND SOLD BY JOHN MILLER.

——

1826.

Book of Knowledge



GARDNERS' CALENDAR.

——


JANUARY

In mild weather, sow early pease and beans, likewise radishes, cresses, and lettuces in warm sheltered situations. Sow the seeds pretty thick; and if frost set in strong, spread some dry long litter over the beds. In mild weather, if formerly omitted, prune apple, pear, cherry and plume trees; and gooseberries and currants. Plant fruit and forest trees, thorns, and other hardy shrubs in open weather. Turn up strong soil to meliorate with the frost; also such flower borders as are empty, to be in readiness at the time of planting. In hard frosty weather carry dung, and be careful of tender sapling trees, shrubs, evergreens, &c. by sheltering them from the frost.

FEBRUARY.

Sow more pease and beans for a succession; also radishes, lettuces, cresses, parsely, &c. Spinage may be sown every three or four weeks, to have a constant supply: also a few cabbage and savoy seeds about the end of the month. A few onion seeds may be sown about the middle of the month, which often do better than those sown later. Prepare ground for potatoes, onions, and other roots. Gather fresh horse dung to prepare for making up hot beds for cucumbers and melons. As green house plants will require fresh air at all times, when the season will permit, a little may be given about mid-day, if the weather is mild and clear, and the wind still; and water may be given in small quantities to such plants as want it, picking off all decayed leaves. Plant ranunculuses and anemonies. Sow tender annual flowers, on a moderate hot-bed.

MARCH.

Make small hot-beds for raising cucumbers and melon plants. Plant some early potatoes on a warm sheltered situation, covering them, in frosty evenings, with litter or pease straw. About the middle sow brocoli, cabbages, savoys, asparagus, and onions; also cauliflowers, leeks, carrots, turnips &c. and pease and beans every fortnight, for a succession. Plant out cabbages and savoys, artichokes, and asparagus. Sow all kinds of hardy annual flower seed in the open ground, and the tender kind in a moderate hot-bed, in pots. Finally planting fruit and forest trees, and grow fruit trees. Plant gooseberries, currants, strawberries, and raspberries. Transplant all kinds of sweet herbs; also perennial fibrous-rooted and herbaceous plants, and evergreens. Make box edgings.

APRIL.

This month requires the greatest executions of any in the year with the gardening the ground being ready to receive whatever is planted or sown. Sow pease and beans and sallads, every ten or fourteen days. Plant potatoes, and transplant cauliflowers, lettuces, &c. Sow parsley, celery, endives, purslane, and pot and sweet herbs. Have pease and beans, and sow more to keep up a succession; stick tall growing pease when four or five inches high, and top beans when come to their full height. Thin out onions, carrots, turnips, spinage, &c. Plant evergreens in moist weather, and all kinds of flowering shrubs. Sow French beans in dry weather. Water new planted trees in dry weather. Clear gravel walks, and form thrift and box edgings. Sow all kinds of hardy flower seeds. Transplant tender annual flowers from the hot-bed.

MAY.

Sow cabbages, cauliflowers, and savoys, for a late crop, and transplant those formerly sown, when ready. Sow full crops of French and Turkey beans; marrowfat and every other kind of pease. Every week, during the summer months, sow lettuces, &c. for a constant supply of salad. Earth up celery, and thin onions, carrots, turnips, and spinage, where necessary, taking care to leave the strongest plants. Plant cucumbers under hand glasses. Water in dry weather, young fruit trees, and protect the roots from the heat, with short grass laid round the stems. Cut box edgings. Nail up young shoots of wall-trees, and tie espalters with twigs of the golden willow. Remove plants out of the green-house, and place them in a shady sheltered border, observing to water them duly.

JUNE

Continue to plant cabbages, cauliflower, and savoys, for a late crop. Plant out leeks and brocoli. Transplant celery, endive, and lettuces; and sow sallad seeds every eight or ten days. Sow full crops and turnips, both yellow and white; also fle(illegible text) turnip, white, green, red, and Swedish. Sow beet, red, white, and green, in drilling about an inch deep, and ten or twelve inches distant. Hoe beans and pease; top the former, and stick the latter. A few of the early kind of each may be sown the first or second week for the latest crop. Gather and dry sweet and pot herbs as they come to bloom. Train wall trees and espaliers. Secure young trees against wind, and water them in dry weather. Mow grass walks in the morning, before the dew is off. Clean and roll gravel walks.

JULY.

Plant more cauliflowers for autumn; and cabbages, savoys, brocoli, and leeks for winter. If any vacant ground, sow turnips, carrots, onion, winter spinage, kidney beans, endive, &c. Towards the end, plant sweet herbs. Transplant celery, more cabbages and cauliflowers, on the ground where the early pease are done. Water, in dry weather, always in the evening. Dung and dig ground for full crops of winter greens and cabbage to be planted next month.

AUGUST.

If any seeds were omitted to be sown last month, finish now. Sow cabbage and all kinds of greens to stand through the winter for plants in spring: also cabbage and Dutch lettuces on warm borders, for outer use. Earth up celery, and plant some more. Clean asparagus beds. If room, plant more brocoli, cabbage, &c. About the middle sow cauliflower and prickly (illegible text)nage. Gather onions, garlic, and all sweet herbs. Clip thorn hedges, and pare (illegible text)ift edgings.

SEPTEMBER.

Plant strawberries and box edgings. Transplant celery, lettuce, endive and all evergreen shrubs. Look over wall-trees and espaliers, and fasten straggling branches. Prepare ground for planting fruit trees. Dig up all vacant borders, and clean and (illegible text)ll gravel walks. Destroy snails, caterpillars, and other vermin. Slip and transplant fibrous-rooted plants and flowers.

OCTOBER.

In this and the three following months, dung, dig, and trench all vacant ground, to be ready for spring crops, covering in the dung well. Plant out early cabbages to cut in May. Towards the middle, plant early pease and beans, and earth these when two inches high. About then plant all kinds of fruit trees; and, before the frost sets in, gooseberries, currants, (illegible text) and flowering shrubs. All kinds of trees, whether fruit or forest, transplanted this month, will thrive better than (illegible text). Dress wall-trees and standards. Prepare ground for planting trees.

NOVEMBER.

Finish planting gooseberries, currants, rasps, and flowering shrubs; also fruit and forest trees, putting loose dung round the stems to preserve them from frost. Plant more early pease, beans, and a few radishes on a warm border. Plant all kinds of bulbous rooted flowers, and some anemonies and ranunculuses. Secure artichokes and asparagus beds from the frost, (illegible text) covering them with loose dung. A small hot-bed frame may be kept profitably to work all winter in raising small salads, such as radishes, cresses, parsley, &c. Plant cauliflowers upon warm sheltered borders, (illegible text) under hot-bed frames or hand glasses.

DECEMBER.

In mild weather continue to sow pease and beans for a succession. Cover your artichokes with loose dung, to keep the roots from frost, if omitted last month. Prune gooseberries, currants, and thin out rasps. Dig and dung all spare ground; and dung and prepare borders on walls for young fruit trees in March, if omitted to be planted last month. Fasten young fruit trees with stakes. Gather all rubbish and burn it; and in frost carry out dung.

——

DIRECTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF A

COTTAR'S GARDEN,

OF TWENTY FALLS OF GROUND.

——

1 Falls of early Potatoes.
(illegible text) do. late do.
(illegible text) do. early Cabbage.
(illegible text) do. late do.
(illegible text) do. Savoys.
(illegible text) do. Greens.

2 Falls of Leek's & Onions.
2 do. Pease.
1 do. Beans
1 do. Carrots.
0 1/2 do. early Turnips.
0 1/2 do. late do.





Total 20 Falls.

FEBRUARY, third or fourth week, sow Pease and Beans, plant early Cabbage, likewise Greens and late Cabbage.
March, second or third week, plant early Potatoes, likewise some late ones, and the remainder in April. In the third and fourth week, sow Leeks and Onions, Carrots and Turnips, and sow some early Sugar-Loaf Cabbage seed for summer and autumn use.
April, from the beginning to the end, sow Pease and Beans.

May, first or second week, plant early Cabbages.

July, first or second week, plant Greens for winter use, in any ground from which the early crops have been gathered.
August, third or fourth week, sow. early Cabbage Greens, and late Cabbages to plant out in the spring.


GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

In dry and warm weather take care to water the seed-beds and plants lately moved; secure the seed-beds and pease from birds; destroy insects; and thin out the crops in the seed-beds, if too thick.

At all times keep your garden clean from weeds especially your crops of carrots and onions. Cut only a small part of the potatoes with eyes for planting the remaining part may be saved for use, Two eyes in each set are enough.

Dig the ground as soon as the autumn crops have taken off; lay it up in ridges, that it may have the benefit of the frost.

It is of great benefit to keep bees. Three hives are often worth as much as your rent: they require but little attention; they should be watched while they swarm; and the hive must be covered from the snow in winter, and the heat of summer.

The produce of the garden will be in proportion to the care taken of it; don't waste any thing that can be converted into manure.

Keep the hog styes clean; the hogs improve mo(illegible text) and the garden is enriched. To the mine of dung from the styes, add the decayed leaves of the vegetables, and what the hogs will not eat, such as the soot and ashes from the chimney and fire, the suds from in the washing tub, the sweeping from the floors from the house, cuttings of weeds from the side of roads, with all other articles which will make manure. Thus, at the same time that every thing about you is kept clean and tidy, you will be well paid for your care,

——


ECONOMICAL RECEIPTS AND USEFUL INFORMATION

——

Economy in planting Potatoes.

The common mode of planting potatoes is, {{reconstruct|by} setting the small roots entire; or, cutting the larger ones to pieces and reserving the eye or bud to each: it appears, however, that the rind may be employed with equal advantage; as crops have thus been produced, which fully equalled those obtained from seeds, sets, shoots, or any other method.

——


POTATOES.

A Gentleman near Renfrew, has prosecuted an experiment on the effect of pulling the flowers or blossoms from the Potatoes, with great care and attention, in fields of two acres, each year, by taking alternate portions of equal area in the same field; Handling the blossoms from some of the divisions, and leaving others to ripen to seed; attending in the Autumn, when the Potatoes were taking up, and measuring the produce with great care, he uniformly found the quantity increase 10 or 15 percent. where the blossoms were taken out besides there being few small Potatoes in the field. He also found the quantity much improved in consequence of the crop ripening sooner than usual, and therefore not affected by the frosts, which often set in so early that the growth of the Potatoe is completely checked before it arrives at maturity: he has continued the practice for the last five or six years, on fields from four to nine acres, and considers the experiment worth prosecuting to any extent: the expence about 3s. per acre, and done by children from ten to twelve years of age.

——


Frost-bitten Potatoes.

After paring or scraping let them lie in water an hour, and then boil them with a bit of saltpetre, which is said to take the sweetness quite away.

To prevent Curl in Potatoes.

A Farmer states, that it is well ascertained, and proved by documents the most unquestionable, that the cause of curled potatoes is from allowing the crab of the potatoe to remain on the plant; for when the crab has been cut off, the future sets have always proved free from the curl.

It is also necessary that the potatoes for sets should be reaped before the stem is withered. And the matter worthy of remark is, that a green potatoe top cut off in June, at the length of six to eight inches, and pricked into the ground in moist weather, will produce good potatoes in October.

——


A method of keeping Potatoes

Was lately and successfully tried, by the patriotic Bath and West of England Society. It consists simply in slicing potatoes without taking off the rind or skin, and afterwards drying them in an oven or kiln. The roots thus prepared will remain sweet for almost any length of time: the Society sent some to Jamaica in a barrel; which had been four years from Britain, and on their return, were found not to be in the least degree affected.

To make Potatoe Bread.

Put a pound of potatoes in a net, into a small kettle with cold water, and (lest the skin break, and let in the water) hang it at a distance (so as not to boil) over the fire till they become soft, then skin, mash, and rub them so as to be well mixed with a pound of flour, a very large spoonful of salt, and two large spoonfuls of yeast, but less of the yeast is better. Then add a little warm water, and kned it up as other dough; lay it a little while before the fire to ferment of rise, then bake it in a very hot oven.

——


Remedy for Frost-bitten Potatoes.

Frost-bitten Potatoes, and all other vegetables, as fruit, &c. are restored to their natural taste and flavour by being steeped in cold water twelve hours before boiled. Potatoes are also preserved from decay in the latter season by being dried on a kiln or any other convenient way.

——


Method of destroying Insects on Fruit Trees

Flour of brimstone, sprinkled by a puff dredging box, or otherwise, on the leaves of vegetables, will effectually destroy worms and insects, and likewise promote the growth of the plant.--Peach trees are particularly improved by the application.

——


To remove the taste of Turnips from Milk of Butter.

The taste of the turnip is easily taken off milk and butter, by dissolving a little mitre in spring water, which being kept in a bottle, and a small tea cup full put into eight gallons of milk, when warm from the cow, entirely removes any taste or flavour of the turnip.

——


A cheap Blacking for Shoes.

In three pints of small beer, put two ounces of ivory black, and one pennyworth of brown sugar. As soon as they boil, put a desert spoonful of sweet oil, and then boil slowly till reduced to a quart. Stir it up with a stick every time it is used; and put it on the shoe with a brush when wanted.

ANOTHER.

Ivory black, two ounces; brown sugar, one ounce and a half; sweet oil, half a table spoonful. Mix them well, and then gradually add half a pint of small beer.

——


Chinese method of mending China.

Take a piece of flint-glass, beat it to a fine powder, and grind it well with the white of an egg, and it joins china without rivetting, so that no art can break it in the same place. You are to observe that the composition is to be ground extremely fine on a painter's stone.

——


To take Iron Moulds out of Linen.

Hold the Iron-mould on the cover of a tankard of boiling water, and rub on the spot a little juice of sorrel and a little salt, and when the cloth has thoroughly imbibed the juice wash it in lie.

Economy in Fuel

Let the coal ashes, which are usually thrown into the dust binn, be preserved in a corner of the coal hole, and add to them from your coal heap, an equal part of the small coal or slack, which is too small to be retained in the grate, and pour a small quantity of water upon the mixture. When you make up your fire, place a few round coals in front, and throw some of this mixture behind; it saves the trouble of shifting your ashes, gives a warm and pleasant fire, and a very small part only will remain unburnt.

——


To prevent the effects of Excessive Cold.

Persons are in danger of being destroyed by it, when they become very drowsy, or are affected with general numbness or insensibility of the body. As the cold which proves fatal generally affects the feet first, great care should be taken to keep them as warm as possible.

1. By protecting them, when you are exposed to cold, with wool, or woollen sockets, within the shoes or boots, or with large woollen stockings drawn over them; or, when you ride, with hay or straw wrapped round them.

2. By keeping up a brisk circulation in the blood-vessels of the feet, which will be the best preserved by avoiding tight boots or shoes, by moving the feet constantly. Or when this is impracticable, from a confined situation, and two or more persons are exposed together

3. By placing their feet, without shoes, against each other's breasts.

If, notwithstanding these precautions, a person should be rendercd sleepy or insensible by cold, he must exert himself; and move about quickly; for if he should sleep in the cold he will inevitably perish.

The person thus affected should be kept from the fire; for acrid applications of every kind are very injurious.

——


To prevent danger from Wet Clothes.

Keep if possible in motion, and take care if possible not to go near a fire or into any warm place, so as to occasion a sudden heat, till some time after you have been able to procure dry clothes.

——


Accidents incident to Children from fire.

A child should never be left alone in any situation where he may be exposed to the destructive element of fire. We daily hear of children that have been burned to death, in consequence of their clothes having caught fire; yet, it is surprising, that the frequency of these afflicting events does not possess persons with an idea of the most effectual methods of extinguishing the fire. In general, an attempt is made to tear off the burning clothes from the sufferer, which should never be done. The clothing, instead of being torn off, ought to be pressed close to the body, and whatever is at hand wrapped over it, so as to exclude the air, when the blaze will go out; for it is the action of the air that keeps it alive, and increases the vehemence. A carpet, a table cloth, a blanket, a cloth cloak, any close wrapper, will instantly extinguish it.

——


To prevent Infection.

Mix in a plate, a few ounces of pulverized black oxyde of manganese and common salt, which being placed in the house supposed to be infected, sprinkle oil of vitriol upon the mixture, and gas will arise which will render the place perfectly salubrious. The oil of vitriol should be carefully added by a few drops at a time, the face being burned from the mixture.

To relieve Fainting and other Fits

The person ought to be immediately carried into the open air, and the temples, should be rubbed with strong vinegar and bra(illegible text) and volatile salts or spirits held to the nose. The patient should then be laid on {{reconstruct|their} back with the head low, and have a little wine or other cordial poured into their mouth. If subject to hysteric fits, ca(illegible text) or assafoetida should be applied to the r(illegible text) or burnt feathers, horn, or leather.

——


To relieve sudden Bleeding.

Dry lint put up the nostrils, pledgets (illegible text) lint dipped in spirits, or weak solutions of blue vitriol, or from ten to twenty drops of oil of turpentine taken in water generally stop discharges of blood.

——


To restore suspended Animation.

In cases of substances being stopt between the mouth and the stomach, where this cannot be extracted by the fingers or otherwise, the person should swallow a piece of meat or tow tied to a thread, which should be immediately drawer up again, Emetics are sometimes serviceable, and injections of warm milk and water frequently remove the obstructions. When animation is suspended by noxious vapours, the usual methods in fainting should be employed, and lemonade or vinegar and water given to the patient as soon as he could swallow.

When it proceeds from extreme cold, the party affected should be immersed in cold water, or rubbed with snow till they recover their natural warmth.

——


For a Cold and Cough.

A large tea-cupful of linseed, two penny-worth of stick-liquorice, and a quarter of a pound of sun raisins, put to two quarts of soft water, and simmered over a slow fire, till reduced one-third or more; add thereto a quarter of a pound of sugar-cane (illegible text) pounded, a table spoonful of white wine vinegar, and lemon-juice. Note--the rum and vinegar should be added only to the quantity which is about to be taken immediately. Drink half a pint at going to bed, or a small quantity at any time when the cough is troublesome.

For a cold, bathe the legs and feet in warm water at night, and take, going into bed, a drink of hot whey, with 4 grains of nitre.

If a sore throat, tie round it three or four folds of flannel sprinkled with spirits.

——


Method of restoring Life to the apparent Drowned.

Avoid all rough usage. Do not hold up the body by the feet, or roll it on casks, or rub with salt or spirits, or apply tobacco. Let not a moment, carry the body, the head and shoulders raised, to the nearest house. Place it in a warm room. Let it be instantly stripped, dried, and wrapped in hot blankets which are to be renewed when necessary. Keep the mouth, nostrils, and the throat free and clean. Apply warm substances to the back, spine, pit of the stomach, arm-pits, and soles of the feet. Rub the body with heated flannel, or warm hands. Attempt to restore breathing, by gently blowing with bellows into one nostril. Keep up the application of heat. Press down the breast carefully with both hands and then let it rise again, and thus imitate natural breathing. Continue the rubbing, and increase it when life appears, and then give a tee-spoonful of warm water, or of very weak wine or spirits and warm water. Persevere for six hours. Send quickly for medical assistance.

——


Warts.

Cut an apple, and rub it for a few minutes over the wart; the juice of the apple will loosen the wart, and in a few days it will drop off. Any strong acid, either vegetable or mineral, has the same tendency.

——


Corns.

Mr Cooper, in his Dictionary of Surgery gives the following recipe as infallible for the cure of corns:--Take two ounces of gum ammoniac, two ounces of yellow wax, six drams of verdigris, melt them together, and spread the composition on a piece of soft leather or linen, cut away as much of the corn as you can with a knife before you apply the plaster, which must be renewed in a fort'night, if the corn is not by that time gone:

Method of making yeast.

The following method of making yeast for bread is easy and expeditious. Boil one pound of good flour, a quarter of a pound of brown sugar, and a little salt, in two gallons of water, for an hour; when milk warm, bottle and cork it close; it will be fit for use in 24 hours. One pint of it will make 18lbs of bread.

——


For Burns of Scalds.

When the blisters are open, dress them with a simple white ointment spread thinly on the smooth side of lint, the first day, and every day after sprinkle a little powder on prepared chalk, and dress it as before. To alleviate the immediate pian, apply any quick evaporating fluid, as aether, spirits of wine, or brandy; or better than all, if at hand, spirits of turpentine, or rags dipped, in vinegar and water, and often renewed.


FINIS.

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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