1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



489 



labks' 



Icpixrtmcnt. 



From Putnam's Magazine, for September. 

 THE BABY'S DRAWER. 



Th' re's a little drawer in my chamber 



Guard L'd w th tenderest cure, 

 "Wht-re the dai.ity clothes nre lying, 



Th it my darii g shall never we;ir. 

 Ai;d there, while the hour, are waning, 



Till the hout-e is ail at rest, 

 I sit and f mcy a baby 



Close to my aching breast. 



My darling's pretty, white garments I 



I wrought tliem, tilting apart, 

 While his myotic lif ; was ihroObing 



Under my throbbing h art. 

 Arid olt^n my happy dreaming 



Breaks in a liule sontr. 

 Like the murmur of birdi at brooding. 



When the days are warm and long. 



I finisbrd the dainty wardrobe,' 



And the drawer was a'moet full 

 Witn robes of the finest muslin, 



And robes of the whittst wool. 



I folded them all together, 



With a rose for every pair, 

 Smiling, and saying, ''Gem fragrant. 



Fit lor my prince to wear," 



Ah, the radiant summer morning. 



So lull of a mother's j.y I 

 "Thank God, he Is fair and perfect. 



My beautiful, new-boru boy." 



Let him wear the pretty, white garments 



I wrou.ht while silting a art; 

 Lay him, so sweet and so helpless, 



Here, close to my throbbing heart. 



Many and many an eve ing 



I tit, since my baby came. 

 Saying, "What do the angels call him?" 



For he died without a n imo; 

 Sit while the hours are waning, 



And the h use is all nt rest, 

 And fancy a b^by nestling 



Close to my aching breast. 



For tilt New England Farmer, 

 HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 



CONTRIBUTED FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Mr. Editor: — As the season for making pickles 

 has arrived, some of your readers may like to try 

 the 



Yellow Pickle 

 of Virginia and Kentucky, an institution in which 

 the accomplished housewives of that region have 

 so just a pride. 



To three gallons of good cider vinegar, put two 

 ounces of turmeric sewed up in a guaze flannel bag, 

 which must be squeezed every day until the 

 strei5gth and color are exhausted. Then add to 

 the vinegar two and a half pounds of brown sugar ; 

 two ounces of ground mustard seed ; the same 

 weight of cloves ; the same of mace, and three 

 ounces of cinnamon. Take half a pound each of 

 ginger root, horse radish, garlic or onion, and long 

 pepper ; put them in a jar of very strong salt wa- 

 ter and let it stand three days. Then take them 

 out, and after rinsing in clean water, cut all up 



fine, except the garlic, which is left whole. Put 

 all together in di-hes, and dry in the sun two or 

 three days. When quite dry, put to the vinegar, 

 whiih in three days is ready. In the meantime, 

 soak smull, soft tars of corn, shred cabbage, small 

 cucumbers, tender bean pods, &c., in t^alt water. 

 If not too salt, simply wash them in fresh water, 

 and spread on a table previously covered with two 

 or three thicknesses of soft cloth, and lay in the 

 sun, turning them over every hour till dry anj 

 white. A day will b 3 sufficient to bleach the cu- 

 cumbers and dry the other things. Add them to 

 the vinegar ; stir every duty for a week ; then tie 

 up tight, and in three months the famous yellow 

 pickle is ready for use. 



Bweet Pickle of Kipe Cucumber. 



Cut large ripe cucumbers in small squares; 

 simmer them gently in alum water, in which is a 

 little salt. When transparent, drain them and 

 pour over hot vintgar, in which brcwn sugar, 

 whole cloves, stick cinnamon, and mace have been 

 boiled. A pound of sugar to a quart of vinegar. 

 Spice to the taste and judgment, but not too highly. 



Parsonsfield, Me., Aug., 1869. Mart. 



Remarks. — We are greatly obliged to our cor- 

 respondent for her seasonable hints. We hope our 

 lady readers will not forget that we depend upon 

 them to keep this department of our paper fresh, 

 original and attractive. Ed. 



DOMESTIC RECEIPTS. 



Tomato Catsup. — Fake ripe tomatoes, 

 and scald' them just sufficient to allow you to 

 take off the skin ; then let them stand for a 

 day, covered with salt ; strain them thorough- 

 ly to remove the seeds ; then to every two 

 quarts add three ounces of cloves, two of 

 black pepper, two nutmegs, and a very little 

 cayenne pepper, with a little salt; boil the 

 liquor for half an hour, and then let it cool 

 and settle ; add a pint of the best cider vine- 

 gar, after which bottle it, corking and sealing 

 it tightly. Keep it always in a cool place. 



Sweet Pickle. — Select fine cantaloupe or 

 citron melons, ripe but firm, pare and setd 

 them, and slire or quarter them. Weigh the 

 fruit, and to five pounds of melon allow two 

 and a half pounds of white sugar and one 

 quart of vinegar. The vinegar and sugar 

 must be heated, well skimmed and poured 

 boiling over the fruit six times. In the last 

 boiling of the syrup add the spices ; stick 

 cinnamon, white ginger and a few cloves ; 

 and when the syrup boils, put in the citron 

 and let it boil for ten minutes, then put it in 

 the jars ; skim the syrup clear and pour over 

 it. The pickle may be made of other fruits. 



Boiling Potatoes. — There is a great deal 

 constantly said as to the best way to boil 

 potatoes. The following, said to be an Irish 

 mode, is no doubt, very good. It is said that 



