IS 



THU CANADIAN HORTTOTTLTITEIST. 



ing of the strawberry to its coming 

 again. To what other use could an 

 acre of land be put that would add so 

 much of health, comfort and enjoyment. 

 In planting, the farmer should not .fall 

 into the too common error of using 

 small beds or plats here and there scat- 

 tered about, but let the rows run the 

 whole length, and so place them that 

 the main cultivation can be done with a 

 horse. This will save much hard work 

 and valuable time in hoeing. Another 

 fact he should remember : " The easiest 

 cultivation is thorough cultivation" — 

 no half-way business. It is much easier 

 to keep the land entirely clean than to 

 keep it half overrun with grass and 

 weeds. He should remember this acre 

 is worth two in corn or potatoes and 

 give it good care, allowing nothing but 

 fruit to grow. Of kinds, it should 

 contain at least strawberries, raspber- 

 ries (red and black), currants, black- 

 berries and grapes. — Rural New Yorker. 



JELLIES AND PRESERVES. 



Currant AND Gooseberry Jelly. — 

 The currants are beginning to ripen, 

 and those housekeepers who want nice 

 jelly must take them in time before the 

 juice begins to grow thin, else they will 

 have trouble to make their jelly "come." 

 Look them over carefully, crush and 

 strain through a jelly-bag, then measure 

 the juice, and for every pint allow a 

 pint of best white sugar. Put the 

 juice over to boil in a porcelain-lined 

 kettle, and boil twenty minutes or more, 

 according to quantity and thickness of 

 the juice. It is better to boil little 

 juice at a time if you want your jelly 

 very nice, as the less time it is over 

 the tire, the lighter-colored it will be. 

 Skim off carefully all the refuse that 

 rises to the top. Put your sugar in the 

 oven and heat it hot, being very care- 

 ful not to scorch it ; then add it to the 

 boiling juice and boil three or four 



minutes, or until a few drops taken out 

 on the tin will make jelly readily, then 

 turn into jelly-cups and set away in a 

 dry, cool place. Gooseberries make a 

 nice tart jelly, delicious with meat. 

 Pick the berries clean, cover with cold 

 water, and boil till soft; strain through 

 a jelly-bag, then proceed the same as 

 in making currant jelly. 



Though I am fond of canned fruit 

 (when it is properly put up and comes 

 out from the can fresh and free from 

 mould or must), there are some fruits 

 which, for variety, I like " done up" in 

 the old-fashioned ways, and as I have 

 some receipts which I think will please, 

 I give them for the benefit of other 

 housekeepers who like an occasional 

 dish of preserves, spiced fruit, jam or 

 marmalade. 



To Preserve Plums. — Look them 

 over and pick out all that are imperfect 

 or unsound. Make a syrup of clean, 

 brown sugar and clarify it. When per- 

 fectly clear and boiling hot, pour it over 

 the plums. Letthemremain in the syrup ' 

 two days, then drain it off, make it 

 boiling hot, skim it and pour it over 

 again ; let it remain another day or 

 two, then put over the fire and simmer 

 gently till the syrup is thick and rich. 

 Use one pound of sugar to each pound 

 of fruit. 



Peach Butter. — Pare and stone 

 good peaches and cut them in quarters. 

 Cook them two hours ; then to each 

 pound of fruit add half a pound of sugar, 

 and cook two hours longer, stirring 

 almost constantly. 



Spiced Currants. — To 5 ft) of fruit, 

 add 3 ft) of sugar (either white or good 

 clean brown), 1 pt. of good cider vine- 

 gar, 2 large tablespoonfuls of ground 

 cinnamon, 1 tablespoonful of ground 

 cloves, and 1 tablespoonful of ground 

 allspice. Heat all together in a porce- 

 lain-lined kettle ; skim out the fruit, 

 and boil down the juice till it will make 

 jelly ; return the currants, and let it 



