106 



NEW ENGLiVND FAETklER. 



Feb. 



labks' Stpurlantnt. 



LITTLE BBOWN HANDS. 



They drive home the cowa from the pasture, 



Up thtough ihe long shady hine, 

 ■Where the quriil whi.-lles loud in the wheat fields 



That are jeilow wllh ripei ing grain. 

 They fiud, in tbe thicS waving grasses, 



Where the tear et-iipped strawberry grows J 

 They ga'hi r the earliet-t snow-drops, 



And the tirst crimson buds of the rose. 



They toss the new hay in the meadow ; 



They gather the elder-blcom white; 

 They find wnere the dusky grapes purple 



In the soft-tinted Octolurr light; 

 They know where the app!es h mg ripest, 



Atd are swcett-r than Italy's wines; 

 They know where the fruit h mgs the thickest 



On the loi.g, thorny islacLberry vines. 



They gather the delicate sen-weeds, 



And build tiny cistles of sand ; 

 They pick up the bcautifui peaf hells, 



F.iiry barks that have driftt d to land ; 

 They wav.; from the tall rocking tree-tops. 



Where the oriole's hammock-ni st Bwings, 

 And at niuht-time nre folded in slumber 



By a song that a fond mother sings. 



Those who toil bravely are strongest; 



The humble and poor become great; 

 And from these brown-handed children 



Shall gi ow miiihty rulers of State. 

 The pan of the author and statesman, — 



The noble and wise of the lat d, — 

 The Bword and the chisel and pallette 



Shall be held in the Lttle brown hand. 



HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 



CONTRIBUTED FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Pickling Apples, 

 you a f;ood receipt 



Have you a f;ood receipt for pickling 

 apples? c. M. 



West Milton, VL, Nov. 19, 1868. 



Eemarks. — Will some of the excellent 

 cooks among the readers of the Faemer reply 

 to the above ? On reference to the books we 

 find the following, which may be of some use, 

 till better directions are given : — 



Pickle for Vegetables. — Six quarts of the 

 very best vinegar, one pound of salt, a quar- 

 ter of a pound of ginger, one ounce of mace, 

 half a pound of chalots, one table spoonful 

 cayenne pepper, two ounces of white pepper- 

 corns, and two ounces of mustard seed. Boil 

 all these well together, and when cold put into 

 a jar. You may add what green vegetables or 

 fruit you like, provided they are fresh. — 

 Country Oentleman. 



There, that comes the nearest to "pickling 

 apples" of anything we find. But as "sauce 

 for goose," &c., here is one for 



Picklin<j Peaches. — Wipe them dry and 



stick into each one three or four cloves, and 

 place in a crock ; prepare a pickle as follows : 

 To one peck of peaches allow three pounds of 

 sugar and nearly one quart of vinegar. Scald 

 and pour over the fruit three successive morn- 

 ings. 



How to Cook Sweet Apples and Fresli Meat. 



Instead of baking my apples, I put them 

 into a porcelain kettle, usually about three 

 quarts at a time. Then add a pint of water, 

 cover them with a cloth and put it on to the 

 stove and steam them till tender. Then re- 

 move the cloth, and add half a teacup of mo- 

 lasses and let them cook until there is but lit- 

 tle syrup and you have a dish far superior to 

 baked apples. 



Fresh meats, pork excepted, should never 

 be roasted or baked, but steamed. Put a 

 quantity of water into the pot and then put 

 the meat into the steamer, but not to come in 

 contact with the water, and steam until tender. 

 The juices are thus all retained in the meat, 

 and of course it is much more nourishing and 

 palatable. Try It, and see how tender a tough 

 piece of meat can be made. G. 



Bethel, Me., 1868. 



CHILDREN AND THEIK SAYINGS. 



A friend of mine has two bright little boys 

 — Freddy, between three and four years old, 

 and Willie about five. A chronicle of their 

 doings and sa}ings would fill a volume, but 

 two specimens must suffice. 



Both were very fond of milk, and a mug of 

 it always completed their supper. But while 

 in the country last summer, it so chanced that 

 they one day saw the girl milking. 



"There, Willie," said Freddy, "you see 

 that, do you ? I don't want any more milk 

 after the cow's had it," and he withdrew very 

 much disgusted. 



That evening, when their mngs of milk 

 were placed on the table, both stood un- 

 touched. A reason of this phenomenon being 

 asked, Freddy simply declared that he did not 

 want any milk after the cow had had it;, 

 but further refused to explain. Willie, how- 

 ever, told of the discovery of the morning. 



The mother then explained to them that the 

 milk did not come to them second-hand — that 

 the cow ate grass, which was changed into 

 milk by a wonderful chemical process, akin to 

 that which produced everything in Nature. 

 In the light of this explanation Willie v/as sat- 

 isfied, but Freddy still turned up his nose at 

 milk, sticking to the original proposition. 



After supper, Willie, who on these impor- 

 tant occasions always acted as expounder, 

 took his brother aside into a corner. "It's all 



