86 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



in great excess the very principle of yeast, and produces 

 the same effect upon bread when mixed in with acid, by 

 which the gas that produces what the housewife calls 

 "raising," is disengaged from the sal aratus and expands 

 all those little cavities in a light loaf. 



The process of changing the pearl ash into sal aratus 

 is very simple. It is effected by placing the pearl ash 

 in sacks over the mash-tubs of a grain distillery during 

 the process of fermentation, and by the great affinity it 

 has for the carbonic acid gas that is disengaged from 

 the meal, it becomes not only dryer, but is so much in- 

 creased in weight as to pay a profit on the operation. I 

 wish the whole process of distillation was of as great 

 value to the world. 



As "economy in the house," is the active partner of 

 "industry out of the house," I will add one more to your 

 valuable list of cooking recipes. Though perhaps it is 

 out of character for a "Hoosier" to tell a Yankee how 

 to make 



PUMPKINS PIES. 



"Grease the pie plate evenly and well, and sift fine dry 

 corn meal, about as thick as you would make a flour crust, 

 evenly over it, and then spread the prepared pumpkin 

 over the meal crust, bake in the usual way, eat it warm, 

 or before it is many days old." Be assured that such a 

 pie is truly good, rich, healthy, economical. It can be 

 prepared ready for the oven (the pumpkin being pre- 

 viously stewed,) in five minutes, when "I wish we had a 

 pie for dinner," is expressed. As "nothing to shorten 

 pie crust" is required, it can be made after the "lard tub 

 is out," and also when the good woman "wishes we had 

 a little flour to make pies of our sweet pumpkins," and 

 when the good man replies "my dear we can't afford it, 

 flour is $10 a barrel." I beg of you to try it. If you do 

 not pronounce it valuable knowledge, cheaply acquired, 

 I never will trouble you again. 



