458 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[Octoiiei', 



cellence; on the contrary, fair sized, wel!-grown, 

 healthy vegetables and fruits are of better quality 

 than the overerrown, monstrous ones which have 

 been fed and forced with liquid manure. For feeding 

 animals moderately'sized roots are much more valu- 

 able than larger ones, and a mangel or beet of six 

 or eight pounds is more nutritious in proportion to 

 Its size than one of twenty pounds. In cultivating 

 roots the aim should be to encourage a thick growth 

 of small roots rather than a spa^ie growth of large 

 ones. The crop in the aggregate; may not be so 

 heavy, but it will be worth more for feeding. The 

 beet sugar manufacturers instruct the faimerswho 

 grow beets for them to produce roots as uear two 

 pounds in weight as possible, as these contain one- 

 third or one-half more sugar than the large ones. 



The Original Seckel Pear Tree. 



The Gardener's Monthly for September has a full 

 history of the original Seckel pear tree, which is still 

 standmg in the "Neck," illustrated with a cut of 

 tree. It is only about half standing ; in fact not 

 being much more than a shell. It still bears a few 

 pears. It is supposed to be about one hundred and 

 fifty years old. It is conjectured that the seed from 

 which the tree sprung was thrown overboard in a 

 core from a vessel as it passed down the Delaware, 

 which, being washed to the shore, took root and 

 grew, there being subsequently dykes thrown up to 

 protect the bank against the encroachment of the 

 tides. The farm on which the tree stands is now 

 owned by Mr. Bastian. We have now upon our 

 premises a Seckel pear tree grafted from the orlgmal 

 tree. It grew upon the grounds of the late Simon 

 Gratz, Esq., on Broad street, Philadelphia, whence 

 we had it removed when it was over thirty years 

 old, some twenty years ago, and it now gives us 

 a yearly crop of fruit of the best quality. 



Iron for Fruit Trees. 

 The scales which fly off from iron being worked at 

 forges, iron trimmings, filings or other ferruginous 

 material, if worked into the soil about fiuit trees, or 

 the more minute particles spread thinly on the lawn, 

 mixed with the earth of flower beds or iu pots, are 

 more valuable. They are especially valuable to the 

 peach and pear, and in fact supply necessary ingredi- 

 ents to the soil. For colored flowers they heighten 

 the bloom and increase the brilliancy of white or 

 nearly white flowers of all the rose family. 



Domestic Economy. 



The New Way of Preserving. 



The "Ozone preserved" fruits and meats require, 

 it is said, a very simple prociss, which can be 

 adapted to family use. If what is claimed for Mrs. 

 Mitchell's exhibit is sustained it should make a 

 great revolution in our markets at the times of win- 

 ter thaws and summer waste. Meats, eggs and 

 fruit are snown that have been kept from the open- 

 ing of the exhibition ; and the public's eyes and 

 other senses are invited to examine these. A problem 

 for chemists is perhaps in store, as it may still have 

 to be tested whether the preservation of food and its 

 permeation by an anti-septic process would in any 

 way interfere with its digestibility. Ozone in the 

 lungs is a good thing in proper quantity and mixture. 

 Query.— Would ozone in the stomach aflord similar 

 results? The process is said to be readily carried on 

 at home— by securing an air-tight apartment, and, as 

 women have pickled with vinegar and preserved with 

 sugar for hundreds of years, they may like to turn 

 their hands to this other sort of preserving and test 

 the process for themselves. It would certainly be a 

 great advantage, after a dinner had been prepared 

 for company who didn't come, to be able to set it all 

 by in ozone until they arrive, next week or next 

 month, and, if the imperishability of provisions is 

 secured, the only risks the fruiterers and other 

 dealers in perisliable commodities would run, would 

 be uf an overstock in the markets. " Why do sum- 

 mer roses fade?" will, perhaps, not be asked any 

 more ; but, as not all the preparations keep their 

 color, perhaps there will be some few little matters 

 left in the world to be poetical about. It would lift 

 housekeeping into poetry, for one thing, if nothino- 

 ever "spoiled" or had to be wasted, or thrown away". 

 Perhaps in an ozone atmosphere even cooks would 

 keep their tempers. 



Meat-Bread. 

 M. Scheurer-Ketner, says the English Mechanic, 

 has discovered the remarkable fact that the fermen- 

 tation of bread causes the complete digestion of 

 meat. He found that the beefsteak cut into small 

 pieces and mixed with Hour and yeast disappear en- 

 tirely during ihe process of bread-making, its nutri- 

 tive prineples being incorporated with the bread. 

 The meat would also appear capable of preservation 

 for an indetinite period iu its new state, for loaves of 

 meat-bread made in 1ST.5 were submitted to the 

 French Academy of Science, when not a trace of 

 worms or moldlness was obserrable. At the begin- 



ning of his experiments M. Scheurer-Kestner used 

 raw meat, three parts of which, finely mixed, he 

 mixed with five parts of flour and the same quantity 

 of yeast; Sufficient water was added to make the 

 dough, which in due time began to ferment. After 

 two or three hours the meat disappeared and the 

 bread was baked in the ordinary manner. Thus pre- 

 pared the meat-bread had a disagreeable, sour taste, 

 which was avoided by cooking the meat for an hour 

 with sufficient water to moisten the flour afterwards. 

 The meat must be carefully deprived of fat, and only 

 have sufficient salt to bring out the flavor, as salt, 

 by absorbing the moisture from the air, would tend 

 to spoil the bread. A part of the beef may be re- 

 placed with advantage by salt lard, which is found 

 to improve the flavor. The proportion of meat to 

 flour should not exceed one-half, so as to insure 

 complete digestion. Bread made with a suitable 

 proportion of veal is said to furnish excellent soup 

 for the sick and wounded. 



To Keep Apples in \Arinter. 



The following rough but good way to keep apples 

 in winter, where there is plenty of material, is given 

 in the Practical Farmer : Buckwheat chaff is flrst 

 spread on the barn-floor, and on this chaff the apples 

 are placed, when they are covered with chaff 

 and straw two !,'or three feet in thickness. 

 Here they remain till spring. It is not stated 

 that the interstices are filled with buckwheat 

 chaff, but this care should be Important. The cov- 

 ering and bedding in chaff has several important ad- 

 vantages — it excludes cold, prevents air currents, 

 maintains a uniform temperature, absorbs the mois- 

 ture of decay and prevents the decay produced by 

 moisture. 



Simple Method of Sharpening Razors. 



It has long been known that the simplest method 

 of sharpening a razor is to put it for half an hour 

 in water to which one-twentieth of its weight of 

 muriatic or sulphuric acid has been added, then 

 lightly wipe it off, and, after a few hours, set it on a 

 hone. The acid here supplies the place of a whet- 

 stone by corroding the whole surface uniformly, so 

 that nothing further than a smooth polish is neces- 

 sary. The process never injures good blades, while 

 badly hardened ones are frequently improved by it, 

 although the cause of this improvement remains 

 unexplained. 



Household Recipes. 



Woodcock. — Dress the birds, put the head under 

 the wing or stick the bill in the breast, wrap them in 

 slices of fat bacon and roast quickly, basting them 

 with fresh butter. Garnish with watercress, and 

 serve with currant jelly ; or, if preferred, remove 

 the gizzard only o^ the bird, lard with butter, and, 

 after baking a few moments, baste with butier and 

 hot water, and place an oval piece of toast underthe 

 bird to catch the trail. When woodcock are served 

 on toast it should be buttered and placed under them 

 ten minutes before the roasting is finished. 



Quince Marmalade. — Choose very ripe quinces, 

 wash, pare and core them ; to each pound of fruit 

 allow one pound of loaf sugar. Boil the parings and 

 cores together with enough water to cover them, till 

 quite soft, strain the liquid into the preserving kettle 

 with the fruit and sugar. Boil the whole over a 

 slow fire, stirring frequently till it becomes an even 

 jam. Put in glass-topped jars or in white China jars 

 with paper on top. Tlie cores and parings alone 

 boiled into a jelly, with % pound sugar to each pint 

 of the strained juice, makes a delicate jelly for the 

 sick. 



BisEF Stew.— Select from the cheapest cut of beef 

 about three pounds of the lean, put into an iron pot, 

 cover it with water, and one quart of peeled and 

 sliced tomatoes, \yi pints sliced okra, three onions 

 cut flne, and half a dozen ears of corn cut from the 

 cob. Let the whole stew gently for three hours, or 

 until the vegetables make a jelly with the meat. 

 Season with salt and pepper before removing' frpm 

 the first. If desired add two ounces of butter. 



FiuGADEL OR Veal Loaf. — Three-and half 

 pounds of veal, five small crackers pounded, one 

 teaspoonful of pepper, half a nutmeg and three 

 eggs. Chop the veal very flne, add one-fourth of 

 the cracker, then the salt, pepper, nutmeg and eggs; 

 if the veal is lean add a bit of butter. Mix all to- 

 gether thoroughly with the hand, pour it into an 

 oval loaf, spot it with bits of butter and strew over 

 it the rest of the cracker, lay it in the pan with a 

 little water, and let it bake rather slowly for two 

 hours, baste it occasionally, and from time to time 

 add a little water that there may be sufficient gravy. 

 This is delicious when cold. 



Egg Plant Baked. — Cut them in quarter-inch 

 slices, lengthwise. Put them in layers on a well- 

 buttered dish (previously rubbed with garlic). Put 

 between each layer a sprinkling of flne bread crumbs, 

 chopped parsely, sweet herbs, pepper and salt to 

 taste. Pour over them some liquefied butter ; add 



a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and a few 

 dried bread crumbs. Bake in the oven and brown 

 with a s.alamander or a hot stove-plate. 



A "Handt" Application for Pain.— For neu- 

 ralgia in the face or other acute suffering elsewhere, 

 the following remedy has been tried with good effect: 

 Cut a thick slice of bread all across the loaf— fresh 

 bread is best. Soak one side for a minute in boiling 

 water, and rapidly sprinkle cayenne pepper over the 

 hot side. Apply whib still smoking hot to the pain- 

 ful surface. The bread retains the heat long enough 

 for the cayenne pepper to begin to act, and cayenne 

 does not affect delicate skins as mustard does. It 

 acts as a rubefacient, but not a blister. 



Another excellent remedy for congestion from 

 cold is to apply a poultice of flaxseed meal and 

 cayenne pepper. By keeping a bit of oil silk on the 

 outside of the poultice cloth it will retain both heat 

 and moisure for a long time. 



For Pickled Butter the Queen gives the follow- 

 ing receipt : Put salt into three gallons of water, 

 sufficient to float an egg ; add a quarter of a pound 

 of loaf sugar and a tablespoonful of saltpetre. Boil 

 these ingredients for flfteen minutes, skimming it 

 very clean t when it is cold, strain carefully. Make 

 the butter into rolls of not less than three pounds 

 each, or up to eight pounds if desired ; wrap the 

 rolls separately in muslin cloths, tying the ends 

 with a piece of string; pack them in a large crock, 

 and pour the pickle over them ; place a board with 

 a weight on it took them submerged. This pickle 

 will keep really good butter quite sweet for six 

 months, being only a little salt on the outside of the 

 roll. It is a safer method than packing in a jar or 

 tub for winter use. It is advisable to put the butter 

 in the pickle the same diiy it is churned, and that 

 little or no salt be worked into the butter. The 

 crock must also be kept in a cool, dry place. 



Garotte au Pot.— Cut off the bottom crust of a 

 loaf, leaving the same thickness of crumb as there 

 is crust. Cut it out in rounds the size of a dime. 

 Soak these rounds in some good clear stock, lay 

 them in a well-buttered tin and put it into the oven 

 to remain till quite dried up. Then lay them in the 

 soup tureen with pieces of carrots, turnips and 

 onions thiit have been used to make the stock, cut 

 out in rounds, pour some clear stock boiling hot 

 over and in a few minutes serve. 



Beefsteak Omelette. — Three pounds of raw 

 steak and one slice salt pork chopped flne; then 

 soda crackers rolled, one egg, half a cup of milk, 

 small piece of butter, two teaspoonfuls salt, one tea- 

 spoonful sage, half teaspoonful of pepper ; mix with 

 the hands ; p-ack in a tin and bake one hour and a 

 half. When cold slice thin. 



Cinnamon Cookies. — One egg, one cupful of 

 sugar, three-quarters of a cupful of sour cream, 

 three-quarters of a teaspoonful of saleratus and a 

 little salt ; stir very stiff and drop in small bits on 

 the moulding board, on which is spread a few spoon- 

 fuls of ground cinnamon. Roll the cakes separately 

 in this powder ; lay on a well-buttered tin and bake. 



Fried Mush. — Boil the cornmeal pudding or 

 mush while doing other cooking. The longer it is 

 boiled the sweeter it will be, and when finished 

 should be quite thick. Season with salt, and turn 

 into a dish to mould. Slice thin, dip in-flour and fry 

 in butter or nice drippings for breakfast. The beauty 

 of this dish is to have the slices a crisp brown. Gra- 

 ham mush made and fried in the same way is also 

 very nice. 



Choufleur ao Gratin.— Dispose on a buttered 

 dish a boiled cauliflower, cut in two pieces. Melt a 

 jiiece of butter the size of an egg, add a tablespoon- 

 ful of flour, stir on the Are a couple of minutes, add 

 a gill of milk and two ounces or more of grated Par- 

 mesan cheese, pepper and salt to taste ; stir until the 

 sauce boils, pour it over the cauliflower ; sprinkle a 

 few baked bread crumbs over and bake in a quick 

 oven until well browned. 



The IpEAL Sandwich. — Take delicate morsels of 

 cold grouse, and either grate or pound them flnely. 

 Season to taste, adding a drop or two of lemon. 

 Spread some paper-thin slices of fresh bread with 

 butter ; over this spread thickly the grouse. A 

 quantity of these sandwiches with a bottle of wine 

 for those who approve it, or a bottle cafe au lait for 

 those who don'i, and some fruit for dessert, make 

 up an ideal traveling luncheon. 



Celery Salad. — Take the inner and tenderest 

 heads of three stalks of celery, cut them into strips 

 an inch long and about the thickness of young 

 French beans. Rub the salad bowl lightly with 

 shalot. Mix the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs with 

 three tablespoonfuls of salad oil, one of tarragon 

 vinegar and a little flour of mustard, pepper and salt 

 to taste ; and the celery to this sauce, turn it well 

 over, garnish with the hard-boiled whites of eggs. 



Carottes a la Flamande When par-boiled 



and drained, put the carrots into a saucepan with a 

 piece of butter, a pinch of sugar, and as much water 

 as may be necessary for sauce; add some flnely 

 minced parsley and white pepper and salt to the 

 taste. Let the carrots simmer till done (about flf- 

 teen minutes), shaking them occasioDally. Beat up 



