1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



529 



This end catching on the ground will prevent 

 the box from rising up when she steps off the 

 nest. This device is probably cheaper and 

 simpler than the arrangement I proposed, of 

 having a piece of iron on the shelf C, that will 

 drop off when the nest is shut down. By the 

 way, I have learned that a box or basket does 

 not need to be arranged so as to rise up very 

 far. If it tilts easily the hen will soon learn 

 to put her head under the edge and raise it 

 up. In fact, they will exert quite a little 

 force in order to get into the nest when you 

 wish them to stay out. A sitting hen, for in- 

 stance, will get in by some hook or crook al- 

 most in spite of you. My experience thus far 

 convinces me it is exceedingly important to 

 weed out the unprofitable hens. We have two 

 White Plymouth Rocks that look so much 

 alike it is almost impossible to tell one from 

 the other, and yet one lays three times as 

 many eggs as the other, and keeps it up right 

 along. Without a trap nest we are blunder- 

 ing in darkness, not only in getting eggs for 

 table use but in getting eggs to hatch from 

 our most fertile layers. 



OUR THREE SITTING HENS. 



They hatched out 26 chickens, and not one 

 of the 26 was lost. They are now six weeks 

 old, and fully feathered out. It is no more 

 than fair, however, to say that 3frs. Root took 

 care of them. She was raised on a farm, and 

 tnows how to manage not only chickens but 

 their mothers also. I did not know before 

 what a wonderful amount of vitality a chick- 

 en has. When ours were three weeks old 

 they ran through the wet grass from daylight 

 till dark, during all that long cold rainy spell, 

 and they just flopped their wings and had 

 fun, rain or no rain. Of course, Mrs. Root 

 kept them well fed (all they would take) with 

 a good variety of nourishing food. 



VAI,UABI.E SECRETS, PROCESSES, ETC., OB- 

 TAINED BY SENDING A CERTAIN 

 AMOUNT OF MONEY. 



You see, friends, I have not become dis- 

 couraged yet in thinking I may some time get 

 hold of something really valuable in answer- 

 ing advertisements relative to wonderful se- 

 crets. The last one, I found in the Agricul- 

 tural Epitomist. It reads as follows: 



SECRETS OF CANNING WITHOUT CHEMICALS. 



By .sending A. D. Hursh. Supt. of the Springfield, 

 Illinois, Canning Co , one dollar, families will receive 

 instructions for canning all vegetables and fruits bv 

 proper application of heat on the kitchen stove. All 

 goods will keep fresh, whole, and delicious for years. 

 Mr. Hursh uses this fo-mula in his factory work. 



Off went the dollar. The advertisement 

 does not say so, but I rather expected to get 

 some sort of book for a whole dollar ; laut 

 after considerable delay I received the follow- 

 ing letter: 



CANNING WITHOUT CHEMICALS. 

 The formulas that I give below are taken from the recipes 

 that I use in my factory work in canning all vegetables and 

 fruits. Pt-rsons who follow the directions given herein will 

 be flcli«hteii with results, for the goods will keep delicious, 

 whole, and fresh, indetinitely. In canning fruits and vege- 

 tables I recommend the use of tin cans whenever possible, 

 for three reasons: First, the soldering makes them more se- 

 cure from leaks ; second, they save time ; third, they protect 

 the goods from the light at all times, thereby preventing 



them from losing their color and flavor ; and by using your 

 solder-iron to melt the solder around the lid, and following 

 it with an jiwl or stiff Icnife nmlerthe lid, the lid can he tak- 

 en off, tile can einpt ied, driiil in-ide. ,ind saveil r.>r allot her 

 year. Whi'ii tin cans are ii^ed, il will he m-cessarv to use 

 solder for soMeriiig the lids, hi, in pl.ice of sealiimwax used 

 in ordiiiiiry cauniiig, for the reason that all yoods when her- 

 metically sealed will swell or bulne at hoth ends aflerthey 

 are in Imiliiij; water I out,' enmigh to cau>e the steam and gas 

 to rise from the goods in the can. The solder is put on with 

 a hot coppi-r tipping-iron ; and in order to make the .solder 

 spread and follow the iron, it is necessary to use a little flux 

 oi- acid in the groove after the lid is on the can. The flux is 

 made t hus: (4et a pint or more of muriatic acid, put it in an 

 earthen ve>sel, and set it out of doors. I'ut into the acid all 

 the zinc it will cut. When it (|uits sizzi ing and gets cold it 

 can be diluted with water one-half. Then it is ready for use. 

 Apply with a small brush in the groove of the can after the 

 lid is on. Get a 3-lb. copper tipping-iron at the hardware 

 store. The iron must be kept tinned so the solder will fol- 

 low it around the lid. 



TO TIN THE COPPER-IRON. 



Heat the iron very hot, in the stove, so it will sizzle when 

 stuck into the flux-pot. Take the iron out of the flux and 

 rub the point and lower part with solder. Repeat this jiroc- 

 ess until the solder sticks to the iron and looks as bright as 

 silver; then it is ready for u.se. When the tin becomes 

 burned off the iron by constant use, the tip of the iron may 

 have to be tiled down to a point, and till the copper shows 

 bright, then tin again as directed. 



HOW TO SOLDER. 



Punch a small vent-hole in the center of the can-lid, with 

 an awl. Put the lid on the can, apply a little flux or fine ros- 

 in around the groove of the can. Take the iron in the left 

 hand ; apply the solder to the iron with the right ; move iron 

 around slowly in the groove of the can ; keep the point of the 

 iron well in the groove. If the iron is hot enough the solder 

 will flow freely, and follow the iron around till it flows to- 

 gether on both sides. After the groove is well filled with 

 solder, and no pin-holes remain, tip the center (or venti hole 

 in the lid, and the can is ready for the process, or hot water. 

 RECIPES FOR CANNING. 



We are now far enough advanced in the business to do 

 some canning, and so we will proceed to can a gallon of 

 sweet corn in quart tin cans. The amount of ingredients 

 used in this gallon may be increased or diminished in the 

 same proportion, according to the amount of corn used at 

 one cooking. The corn should be taken fresh from the 

 stiilk, when it is in the milk. Cut the corn from the cob ; 

 scraipe the cob with the back of the knife, to get all the 

 juice : put the corn into a porcelain or tin kettle. To each 

 gallon of cut corn add 8 ounces 'one cupi of granulated su- 

 gar, ami 4 ounces (half a cupi of salt, and one quart of water. 

 Heat and stir all together until the sugar and salt are well 

 dissolved, and the milk curdles in the corn, or just before it 

 strikes the boil. Now dip this hot corn out of the kettle, into 

 your t in cans. Fill the cans within half an inch of the top. 

 Solder the can air-tight at once. Have your wash-boiler 

 two-tliirtls full of hot water ; put the cans into the w.iter at 

 once, and process ?, hours froni the time the water liegins to 

 boil ; then take out and keep in a cool dark place till used. 

 The cans must be kept at least four inches under water while 

 boiling. They will have to be weighted with a board and 

 brick. Note — it will be well to remember that corn, pump- 

 kin, and peas must be kept hot from start to finish. They 

 must be put in cans hot — sealed, and put into hot water at 

 once, and processed the required time. 



TO CAN PEAS. 



Pick the peas before they get too hard. Hull them, put 

 into a pian, pour boiling water over them, and keep them in 

 it three minutes to blancli them. Dip them out of this wa- 

 ter with a strainer-dipper into the cans. Fill the cans with- 

 in an inch of the top. Have boiling salt water ready, made 

 from one cup of salt to one gallon of water. Pour this, boil- 

 ing, over the peas in the can till they are well covered, or 

 nearly to the top of the can. Now solder the cans air-tight, 

 and put into the boiler of hot water the same as corn. Proc- 

 ess three hours. 



TO CAN PUMPKIN. 



Cut in small pieces. Boil in a pot with a tight lid until 

 mushy. Add water to keep from burning. After they be- 

 come soft, add boiling water, and mash with potato-masher 

 till thin enough to dip into cans. Fill the cans nearly full ; 

 seal air-tight ; put into a boiler with hot water, and boil two 

 hours from the time the water begins to boil. 

 TO CAN TOMATOES. 



Scald the tomatoes just enough to take the skin off. Take 

 out the cores with the point of a knife. Put the tomatoes in 

 the can whole. Press them down gently till the can is well 

 filled. Seal air-tight ; put into a boiler of hot water, and 

 boil 30 minutes from the time the water begins to boil. Take 

 out and keep in a cool dark place. 



TO CAN STRING BEANS. 

 Take the strings from the beans. Place them in cans with 

 the fingers till the can is well filled ; then fill the cans with 

 boiling salt water (same as peas), seal air-tight, place in a 

 boiler of hot water, and process one hour from the time the 

 water begins to boil. To have nice tender beans they must 

 be picked before the beans swell the pod. 



TO CAN ALL FRUITS. 

 To can fruit, care must be taken to cleanse it of all rotten, 

 green, and sour specimens before canning. Fruits can be 

 put uj) in plain boiling water, or in a syrup made of 2 lbs. of 

 granulated sugar to one gallon of water. In either case the 

 berries are put into cans, and the boiling syrup poured over 

 them till the can is nearly full. Seal air-tight, place in a 

 boiler of hot water, and use time according to the following 

 table: For all berries, cherries, and grapes, 10 minutes from 

 the time the water begins to boil. Apples and pears, pared 



