40S 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



[Chap. IV. 



This, of course, is only a substitute for a good refrigerator, hut will bo 

 found much better than none, and can be made for almost nothing, by any 

 man wkh Yankee gumption. 



To Make Tough Meat or Fowl Tkndkr. — One or two tablespoonfuls of 

 sharp vinegar put into the water wiicn set to cook will do this, and in no 

 way impair the flavor of the stow or soup. Ycal to roast is much improved 

 by being rubbed all over with vinegar and allowed to remain two or three 

 hours before cooking. Fifteen minutes to the pound is the received rule for 

 roasting and boiling meats, and ten for fish. 



How TO Use Salt. — Beef or mutton shoidd not have a bit of salt put 

 upon either when first set to roast ; just before serving, baste the meat, sprin- 

 kle fine salt slightly over it, dredge flour on, and let it brown up. Poultry 

 must be covered with sweet lard and salt — a teaspoonful of salt to two of lard 

 — before roasting. 



To Prevent Metals from Rcsting. — Melt together three parts of lard 

 and one of rosin powder. A very thin coating jgiplicd with a brush will 

 preserve Ivussia-iron stoves and grates from rusting during summer, even in 

 damp situations. For this purpose, a portion, of black lead may be mixed 

 with the lard. The eff'ect is equally good on brass, copper, steel, etc. 

 The same compound forms an excellent water-proof paste for leather. 

 Boots, when treated with it, will thereafter take the usual polish when 

 blackened, and the soles may be saturated with it without soiling the floor, 

 as it does not rub oflf. 



Seeds and many other things are best kept in wooden boxes. By a new 

 patent contrivance, boards are cut about one eighth of an inch thick, of suit- 

 able length and width to bend into forms for the sides of a round box, the 

 largest holding about a peck, and eight others, smaller and smaller, to form 

 a nest. The ends are fastened together M'ith some kind "of glue, and the bot- 

 toms are fastened in by a rim of tin bent over the corner ; and the lids are 

 made in the same way, so that the ends may be of stufi' but little thicker 

 than the sides. The tin corners are great protectors against mice, as that is 

 the only part of a circidar box likely to be gnawed into, and this makes 

 them quite safe for seeds and better as well as cheaper than tin boxes, and 

 a decided improvement tipon the old-style circular wooden boxes which have 

 bottoms made of a half-inch board, so as to nail it in. We should thiuk that 

 half bushel and smaller measures, made up on the same plan, with iron in- 

 stead of tin corners, would be first-rate. 



Unpleasant Odors arising from boiling ham, cabbages, etc., arc com- 

 pletely corrected by tlii-owing whole red peppers into the pot, and at the 

 same time the flavor of the food is improved. Pieces of charcoal will pro- 

 duct the same efiect. 



A Good Wat of Eoasting Apples. — Select the largest apples ; scoop 

 out the core without cutting quite through ; fill the hollow with butter and 

 fine, soft sugar; let them roast in a slbw oven, and serve up with the syrup. 



IIoDGE-PoDGE. — Cut two pounds of mutton into small pieces, and put them 



