ilO 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the New England Farmer. 



PIES AND PIE CRUST. 



In a November number of your paper I saw some 

 remarks from the pen of Dr. Alcott, in regard to a 

 receipt I sent you some time previous for making 

 pie crust. Now I was glad to have it attract the 

 attention of one so wise and learned. Not that / 

 expect to gain any thing by way of argument or 

 discussion ; on the contrary, I feel that everj' thing 

 I can say will be put down by his superior knowl- 

 edge and experience, and his wisdom and skill in 

 reasoning; but should it lead to a discussion among 

 wiser heads, that shall tend in any degree to lift 

 the burden of "the abomination of pie-making" 

 from the shoulders of women, I shall be conttnt to 

 be cast in the shade ; for I consider it one of the 

 very drudgeries of life, one from which most of our 

 cooks would rejoice to be free; for very few of 

 them care enough for pies to stand hour after 

 hour, with neck and shoulders bent and aching, 

 catering for their own appetites : and when the Dr. 

 can persuade "those impracticable, unsympathizing, 

 heartless bundles of bones and muscles, called 

 men," who are to be found in every community, to 

 think as he does — he will not have to look with 

 such "contempt" upon poor woman, who wears her 

 very life out, oftentimes, in doing the pleasure ot 

 those who are in "authority over" her. 



The Dr. says, "The pie made without any under 

 crust is far more healthy. This, however, he, Mr. 

 Barlow, is careful not to deny." Now it never 

 entered my mind to deny or "not to deny" any. 

 thing about it ; but as it is a "fixed fact" that we 

 are a pie-eating generation, I merely thought to 

 give a pie with an under crust as "fit to be eaten" 

 as an upper crust. If we have "no crust at all," we 

 need a substitute, and if we use bread we are not 

 sure to escape saleratus ; and very many of our 

 fruits are so sour as to be unfit for food, without 

 sugar ; and then we get his "disagreeable com- 

 pound," all except the "grease," and mine is free 

 from that, unless we call cream grease. Allowing 

 it to be so — would the Dr. kiniself refuse milk 

 simply because it contained cream ? or grease, if 

 you will ; therefore in point of health merely, I do 

 not see why his is so very superior to mine ; but 

 still I would go for it as strong as he does — as it 

 saves labor, and is easy to serve at table ; but I can 

 hardly conceive of a more awkward dish to serve 

 than a pie with only half a crust. Let us have pie 

 that is pie, if we have any, but the sooner they are 

 counted among "the things that were," the better. 

 I would ask, what are we to do with our fruits, rich 

 lliough they are, and flavored and ripened by divine 

 Wisdom, if we are not to be allowed to preserve 

 them in sugar ? I know some succeed by other 

 means, yet very many have failed enlirely, and it 

 seems as great a "waste of time and money" to 

 let them decay, as to preserve them in sugar when 

 we have no other means at hand ; and then we can 

 enjoy them the year round. What would you say 

 to eating turnips, cabbager-, and even carrots, "as 

 Ihey came from the hand of the Creator." Most 

 diUdren prefer them thus — particularly turnips and 

 carrots ; very few will eat them when "spoiled" by 

 cooking. 



I well remember during a sojourn of many years 

 at "the West," how on a winter's evening, as a sub- 

 stitute for apples, they used to pass round a basket 

 of neatly washed English turnips, grown in the rich 



virgin soil where a short time previous the red 

 men of the forest were wont to build their cami)- 

 fires and hold their war-council ; yes, remember 

 how fine flavored we thought them, when scraped 

 with a knife, as we sat round the broad open fire- 

 place, heaped high with logs, and the fire crackling 

 and roaring up the huge chimney. And I remem- 

 ber, too, to have seen the red man take pie from 

 the hands of the white man and eat it with as much 

 relish as the white man himself. Now I knov/ 

 nothing about Eden, but we may be very sure that 

 the appetite of a savage comes as near being "un- 

 perverted," in the sense the Dr. uses the word, as 

 anything we can find in these days. 



One question more. If it is hardly possible to 

 support life in the Polar regions, without grease of 

 some sort, is a little unhealthy in our rigorous New 

 England winter climate? 



In conclusion I will add : I cannot retain the 

 soubriquet of Mr. which the Dr. is pleased to be- 

 stow upon me, being simply, plain 



Mks. H. Barlow. 



For the New England Farmer. 



HEW YSAIi'S EPISTLE TO THE 

 EBITOa, 



FKOM THE "PEASANT EAED." 



The frost bites keenly out to-night ; 



The winds sleep cold, the moon shines bright ; 



The house snaps, as if pinching tight 



The cleaving wedges; 

 And plain, like crawling, sounds the flight 



Of distant sledges. 



Bless the old heathen ! live his name ! — 

 Prometheus, of classic fame, — 

 Who first from heaven stole the flame 



That keeps from freezing, 

 From shivering chills, rheumatics lame. 



Laughing and sneezing. 



Yes, bless Prometheus, I say ; 

 I've buffetted the winds to-day, 

 And now at anchor in the bay. 



Where burns my beacon, 

 It thaws my harp and makes me play 



Like David's deacon. 



And first, with most obeisant bow, 

 I wish you, and your readers, now, — 

 Yea, all who ever held a plow — 



A glad neto year ! 

 As for the rest, — somehow, — somehow, 



They seem less dear. 



Another corner on life's road ! 

 Another mile-stone, newly showed, 

 Erected by the solemn God 



Of earth and heaven, 

 Tells us that striding Time has trod 



On 'Fifty-seven. 



Fast is th3 horse that lives "in clover ;" 

 The lightning's swift,— a flcsh, and over ; 

 And steam is o'en a world-wide rover. 



Staunch and sublime ; 

 But for a steady, tireless mover, 



No match has Time. 



When first he took ourselves in tow 

 We deemed his progress over slow ; 

 Now, fast, full fast, we seem to go ; 



Since we'i'e grown older, 

 Nearer each other seems to grow 



Each mile-stone boulder. 



