96 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



May, 



"^e Household 



Clean Cellars Necessary for Healthy 

 Homes. 



In the city and c-ountry alike, it is the dark 

 corners, the neglected and little used places in 

 a house, that most frequently contribute to 

 its uuhealthfulness. In this respect the cellars 

 of many houses have much to answer for, be- 

 ing dark and damp, with no direct rays of the 

 sun to kUl the mephitic gases which always 

 seek those Ij-.' levels, and no ventilation to 

 disperse them, even where the cellars them- 

 selves are not depositories of rubbish and vege- 

 table refuse. 



Therefore the warning cannot be too often 

 given, especially in the spring, to look to it that 

 the cellar is not neglected. Their ceilings and 

 walls should be plastered and whitewashed to 

 keep them dry and clean. They must not be 

 allowed to become " poke holes " for rubbish; 

 the floors should be well paved or cemented, 

 to keep out emanations from the soil ; and they 

 should be ventilated by keeping open outside 

 windows or doors, in dry weather. 



Kmanations from damp and mouldy cellars 

 do not kill in a night. The cellar air is taken 

 up thi-ough the rooms of a house gi-adually, 

 and in small doses at a time, but the warmer 

 air of the upper rooms produces an upward 

 current every time the cellar door is opened, 

 and neglect in regard to this matter is sure to 

 entail serious consequences, because the real 

 reason is sooften overlooked.— ^'cioi^iyicJ/fic)-- 

 ican . 



Home Bleaching. Perhaps all our readers do 

 not know that unbleached cotton, rightly bleached 

 at home, gives far better service than that which is 

 lileachert when bought. We here give some simple 

 and well tested directions for this process, that any- 

 one can practice, and which will not injure the tex- 

 ture of the cloth Weigh your goods and to each 

 five pounds use twelve ounces chloride ot lime dis- 

 solved in a couple ot quarts of boiUng water, and al- 

 low to stand until well settled. Boil the goods 

 first in strong suds, wring out and rinse in clear 

 water; then take sufficient water to cover the cloth 

 and add the chloride solution, pouring off with as 

 little Ume as possible. Keep in from ten to thirty 

 minutes, with treiiuent airing; rinse thoroughly. 

 This is also excellent to remove any kinds ot stains 

 from cloth, including mildew. 



The Reticule. This useful feature ot the outfits of 

 our grandmothers seems to be on the eve of a revival. 

 The most convenient shape for these, sa.ys the 

 American Cultivator, is simply a square bag of vel- 

 vet, from ten to twelve inches square, lined with 

 colored silk. A running, to hold a ribbon or cord 

 and tassels to draw it together with, must be made 

 about three inches from the top of the bag. This 

 is the simplest form and the easiest to make. For 

 more elaborate ones the bottom corners may be 

 rounded or the bag made envelope shape, with a 

 handle at the top. One ot the prettiest is that made 

 by taking a piece ot velvet the size the bag is to 

 be. and by cutting the lower ends into large van- 

 dykes, which must be sewn together so that the bag 

 ends in a point finished off with a tassel. We have 

 seen some more useful, but not such ornamental re- 

 ceptacles.in the shape ( >f Brobdingnagian long purses 

 with large rings and tassels. These cases, made of 

 brown holland, trimmed with braid and closed with 

 ivory rings, will prove very acceptable to travelers 

 for holding boots and shoes and many other et cet- 

 eras. Night-dress cases and comb-bags look very 

 well, made in cretonne orsateen with the outline of 

 the pattern worked around in outhne stitch, or if a 

 large design, in chain stitch. 



Brieflets. 



An oil stove for comfort in hot weather. 



Furs and woolens should go into tarred-paper 

 lined chests. 



Flour the beetstake; it wiU fry up more tender 

 and delicious. 



A little sulphvir, carefully burned in the cellar, 

 will destroy disease germs. 



Efface scratches on furniture by rubbing on some 

 linseed oil, following with a little shellac dissolved 

 in alculiol. 



When washing the woolens, just try a small 

 quantity of borax in the water and see how it will 

 help the work. 



Dampen the dusting cloth the night before sweep- 

 ing day, and you will find it will help greatly to do 

 a neat job of dusting. 



The hands— very clean— cannot be improved 

 uijoii (or mixing up cake batter. They are a great 

 impnivenient over the doughstick or spoon. 



Try it by all Means. Miss. E., of Erie Co., N. Y., 

 writes to this paper, that if a little parsley dipped 

 in vinegar is eaten after onions, the breath will 

 scarcely disclose the odor. 



To Clean Bottles. <ild bottles are often cast 

 aside as useless, when a little pains would restore 

 them for use or for sale. Put into each bottle some 

 coal ashes or shot, fill half full ndth warm washing- 

 soda lye, give a good shaking and rinsing and you 

 have a clean sweet bottle. 



Washing a Feather Tick. Many are puzzled to 

 know bow to care for the feathers. The best plan, 

 if you have no old tick to empty the feathers into, 

 is to sew together two sheets, leaving half of one 

 end open and ripping the half of the tick to match 

 it. Sew both holes together, thus emptying out the 

 tick without spreading the feathers. 



There now. Girls. The Empress Augusta pre- 

 sents every woman-servant in Pmssia, who com- 

 pletes her fortieth year of unbroken service in one 

 family, a gold cross, and diploma bearing the im- 

 perial autograph signature. During the past eight 

 years she has thus honored 1,150 servants. This is 

 quite a favorable contrast to servants in America, 

 who are ever on the wing. 



Seasoning. By discriminating in the use of 

 seasoning tue most appetizing novelty can be at- 

 tached to rather unpromising materials. Fat meat 

 and poultry are most palatable with sharp and 

 acid condiments. Combination dishes, as soups, ra- 

 gouts or " stews."" and minced meats require several 

 seasonings. Plain roasts and broiled meats are 

 best wdth salt and pepper, or a single acid or relish. 



poviltpy. 



About Guinea-fowls- 

 It is generally supposed that the Guinea- 

 fowl is a delicate bird and difficult to rear, and 

 througli fear of creating too much care and 

 trouble, people deprive themselves of the nicest 

 dish it is possible to put on the table. When 

 the shooting season is closed, this bird takes, 

 with advantage, the place of the pheasant. 

 We prefer at any time a nice Guinea-fowl to a 

 prairie chicken killed in the wood. 



The reai"ing of Guinea-fowls does not (says 

 V Ariciiltiir) offer more difficulty than that of 

 the most hardy chickens. They do not require 

 that particular care so necessarj' for the suc- 

 cess of partridges and pheasants. In a state of 

 liberty, free to i oam about in a large park, or 

 over the farm, and from which they will not 

 attempt to escape,"they hatch out their young 

 and provide for them without the help of man. 

 If confined in a run or poultry-yard with other 

 fowls, they never sit, but, on the other hand, 

 they lay an abundance of eggs, which can be 

 given to a broody hen, or put into an artificial 

 incubator. For the first days the young ai-e 

 fed exactly lik e young chickens, viz. : hard- 

 boiled egg, with bread-crumbs, chopped salad, 

 with a little bruised hemp seed, mixed up 

 together in a paste; millet, boiled rice, and lots 

 of green food. As with the rearing of all the 

 inhabitants of the poultry-yard, they require 

 from time to time a small quantity of fluely- 

 minced meat, which gives vigor to the young, 

 and a most robust constitution. 



Young Guinea-fowls reach the adult period 

 earlier than chickens, and consequently give 

 less trouble in rearing. At a month old they 

 can do without the natural or artificial mother, 

 and can manage for themselves. We should 

 advise our amateurs to try some this year and 

 hatch out a few Guinea-fowls. They will thank 

 us for our advice when in the autumn these 

 young subjects are tit for the 'spit. — Pdiiltry 

 Keeper. 



CONDENSED POULTRY NOTES. 



Ground oyster sheUs suit poultry. 

 Shelter young chicks from sun and rain. 

 Hens do not pay, as layers, beyond three years. 

 Eats in the Poultry Yard. A single rat will de- 

 stroy hundreds of young ducks and chicks. Put 

 chloride of liine in their holes. 



One mast not forget, for one time even, that 

 hens are great seed raisers; if given the chance, 

 they show decided enterprise at the business. 



While fresh sweet meat is to be prefered for 

 fowls, some that is tainted, if it is weU cooked, will 

 do no harm in supplying this important kind of food. 

 We do not expect every egg to produce a chick; 

 this rarely happens except when a hen " steals her 

 nest,'" and has her own way about things, and it 

 don't ahva.vs happen then 



Eggs With Pale Yolks. It is beheved that re- 

 stricting fowls" to grain and vegetables alone for 

 food, and in confined places, is the cause of pale 

 yolks. Allowing them the range of the place and 

 farm yard feeding is the remedy suggested. 



Linseed Meal, An occasional feed (about once a 

 week ) of linseed meal, or oil cake, will prove a great 

 benefit to laying hens, reddening the combs and in- 

 creasing the appetite; but it should not be fed daily, 

 as it is too rich in oil, and sometimes proves injiu"i- 

 ous.^PouHnj Nation. 



Some of the most successful poultry growers 

 have the food so placed that chickens can have ac- 

 cess to it at pleasure A good contrivance is to 

 have a high, narrow box placed inside, flat-side 

 against a wall, with a narrow opening at the front 

 side of the bottom, into a low, horizontal box that 

 answers for feeding from. 



Don't expect every chick to grow up into a first- 

 class $2.o-a-trio-exhibition l)ird: you"ll be most aw- 

 fully disappointed if you do. And if you should 

 even happen to have one disqualified bird out of the 

 lot, don't make any great amount of fuss about it. 

 Our best breeders raise a good many disqualified 

 birds each year.— T/k' Farming World. 



A Cure for Chicken Cholera. I have had this 

 disease twice introduced into my flock by the pur- 

 chase of diseased chickens, and each time I lost 

 from eighty to one hundred fowls. On each occa- 

 sion, however, its ravages were entirely stopped in 

 the course of tour or five days, by feeding mixed 

 food seasoned with fresh lime and salt, as strongly 

 as the birds could be induced to eat it, the mixture 

 being thoroughly wet. Salt and lime I find benefic- 

 ial to chickens at all times.— i?»ro7 New Yorker 



Profitable Poultry Raising. Mr. Harrison, at 

 the Western New- Y'ork Farmers' Club, said he is 

 satisfied that poultry can be kept by farmers profit- 

 ably. To keep large numbers they must be sepa- 

 rated into small flocks, twenty or thirty in a flock, 

 I especially at night. He has kept fowls many years, 

 in a yard in the city: gets eggs enough to more 

 than pay cost, besides chickens to eat, and a large 

 amount of mantu-e. Keeps White Dorkings and has 

 kept them from his boyhood. Changes cocks every 

 two or three years. Farmers too often leave fowls 

 to shirk for themselves and roost on trees ; but it 

 wiU paj' to take good care of them and have good, 

 warm houses for them. 



The Wyandottes are now recognized as one of 

 the most useful breeds of fowls, and when weU bred, 

 will certainly give poultry raisers great satisfaction, 

 When we first saw them, a good many years ago, 

 they had the good points of cross-bred fowds. A 

 few w-ere well marked and handsome, but it would 

 have been impossible in a rtock of twenty, to have 

 picked out a trio fit to put in a show coop. Their 

 breeders said they were so good, grew so well, were 

 so prolific; made such good broilers and grand 

 roasters, that they ought to be admitted to " the 

 standard " StiU, year after year, the assembled 

 poultry wisdom of the country kept them out, until 

 188;5, when such uniform and handsomely marked 

 fowls were shown, that they were admitted. They 

 have won their way to their present popularity 

 by combining real merit with beauty Tn this 

 latter quality they are superior to the Plymouth 

 Rocks-, but in other respects they strongly resemble 

 this favorite breed of American fowls. They have 

 beautifully laced hackle and saddle; solid black 

 tail ; breast wdute, heavily laced with black. The 

 wings, when folded, show the much coveted duck- 

 wing mark, or bar of black. They have a low, 

 medium-sized, rich red comb, with well-defined spike 

 of moderate size, and ,sniooth, yellow legs. They 

 are an exceptionaUy hardy fond, standing out severe 

 winters fully as well, if not better, than any other 

 breed They mature very early ; puUets often com- 

 mence laying at five months of age; and although 

 not persistant sitters, they make excellent mothers 

 when allowed to brmg off their chicks, and they 

 are very domestic in their habit. — Am. Agriculturist. 



