iS8;?.j 



THE LANCASTER FARMER 



111 



should be sifted evenly over the floor and then the 

 room swept as usual. The bran scours and cleanses 

 the whole fabric, very little dust Is made while 

 sweeping with it, and scarcely any settles on furni- 

 ture, pictures, etc., after the work is accoinplished, 

 because every particle of dirt, thread, bits of paper 

 or lint is frathered up into the mass of bran that is 

 beintr moved over the floor, aud so thorou^^hly incor- 

 porated with it that it will not be easily separated. 

 Carpets swept in this way retain very little dust, 

 as will be plainly demonstrated whenever they arc 

 taken up to be shaken. — DomeMc Monthly. 



Take Care of Your Tools. 



In a majority of cases it is the full intention of the 

 farmer to put away any tool or machine bcini; used as 

 soon as be is done with it; but when the work is fin- 

 ished, whatever is being used is left until a more con- 

 venient time to put it away. Time passes and still 

 it is not done, and finally it is neglected altogether 

 or left so long that much injury is done. Many far- 

 mers when asked to subscribe for a good agricultural 

 paper will plead poverty, when, at the same time, 

 plows, harrows, cultivators and other tools are left 

 in the field, or piled in the fence corner or other out- 

 of-the-way place, there to remain till wanted next 

 year. The loss by such practices amounts to enough 

 in one year, in many cases, to pay for one copy each 

 of half the agricultural papers published in the eoun 

 try. It is not an uncommon sight to see in many 

 parts of our country, aud especially in the West, 

 wagons, sleighs, mowers and reapers, and much 

 more valuable machinery, left to take their chances 

 with other less valual)le farm implements. Fall and 

 winter, with all their cares and rush of work, will 

 shortly be here, finding many farmers unprepared 

 for its appearance. Everything used .about the farm 

 should be critically examined, and wherever a nut is 

 off, a bolt lost, or any deficiency whatever, it should 

 be repaired at once, and then everything carefully 

 stored away in some good dry place. It costs very 

 little to prepare a place where everything used about 

 the farm can be stored without danger of rust and 

 decay. If a permanent building cannot be made 

 make a temporary one, and use it until something 

 better can be provided. It will pay. System and 

 care will soon enable any one to acquire the habit of 

 putting everything iu its place when not in use. As 

 soon as any implement, tool or machine is done with' 

 even if it has to be used again in a few days, take it 

 right to the place prepared for it, and there let it re- 

 main, out of the sun and rain, until needed again. — 

 Indiana Fanner. 



Uses for Stale Bread. 



There are so many ways to utilize stale bread that 

 It seems a wonder so much is wasted iu many house- 

 holds. We see it thrown in garbage pails, or left to 

 mold by many an economical servant, who would 

 gladly use it if she only " knew what to do with it." 



It makes delicious griddle cakes when soaked soft 

 in cold water. Three small slices, with water 

 enough to cover them, should be suflicient, when the 

 milk and flour are added, to make nearly two quarts 

 of butter. Some cooks prefer to put in one egg, 

 while others like them fully as well without. When 

 the bread is soaked soft, make it fine with a spoon, 

 add the milk and suftieient flour to stiffen enough so 

 the cakes can be easily turned. If sour milk is used 

 add to the batter one even teaspoon of soda. This 

 is a good plan to follow in all uses of sour miik, as 

 it seldom contains enough acid to entirely counteract 

 the soda. Of course, when only a small quantity of 

 sour milk is used, twice as much cream tartar as 

 soda should be taken, for when the railk is entirely 

 sweet the proportions are three even teaspoons of 

 cream tartar to one of soda. 



Of course all our readers are familiar with the or- 

 dinary bread puddings, a recipe for one variety has 

 been given in the Cabinet of September, 1882 ; but all 

 may not know that pieces of bread which are not too 

 hard can be made into a resemblance to turkey 

 dressing. Cut your bread into dice, and if you have 

 a quantity of gravy from which fat can be taken, 

 left from any kind of roast (though a piece of butter 



will do as well), thoroughly grease the bottom of a 

 spider; put in the bread, with some little chunks of 

 butter and plenty of seasoning, then pour enough 

 Ijoiling water on It to moisten it ; cover lightly, and 

 in a moment It will steam through and you can stir 

 It and either brown a little or have It moist like 

 dressing. It should be eaten with gravy over it, and 

 Is a good substitute for potatoes. 



The little dry hard pieces and crusts which always 

 accumulate can be put on a pie tin in an oven that Is 

 just hot enough to dry and make them a light brown, 

 then roll them fine and put away to use In making 

 coquettes, frying Bsh, etc. We have recently learned 

 that these slightly browned crumbs make excellent 

 griddles cakes, with the addition of one egg and a 

 handful of flour, and milk to make a batter; but as 

 we have never tasted them, we can only recommend 

 it as worthy of trial. — Floral Cabinet. 



A New Test for Waste Pipes. 



A Boston paper relates a discovery which may 

 prove to be a better test for leaky waste pipes than 

 heretofore used. The invention is accorded fo a 

 woman. Noticing an offensive odor in her parlor, 

 she suspected a defect in the waste pipes, and sent to 

 the agent to rertucst that a plumber might be sent to 

 examine them. The agent was incredulous, and re- 

 fused. She tried the peppermint test. To make her 

 proofs more convincing, the woman, after borrowing 

 two cats from her friends, purcha.sed some oil of val- 

 erian, and stationing the animals iu the parlor, went 

 up stairs and poured the valerian into the basin in 

 the same way that the peppermint hail been pre- 

 viously applied, and then descended to watch the re- 

 sult. Cats are extremely fond of the oder of val- 

 erian, and it was not long before both of them began 

 to sniti the air and move toward the door of a closet 

 through which the waste pipe ran. The door was 

 opened for them, and they immediately sprang upon 

 a certain shelf, where they remained purring with 

 satisfaction. A third time the woman went the to 

 agent, who, though still unbelieving, consented to 

 send a plumber to make further investigations, and 

 on cutting away the plastering so as to expose the 

 pipe, a joint was found completely separated at the 

 place where the cats had indicated. — f^cicnlilic Amer- 

 ican. 



Household recipes. 



Poor Man's Fkuit C.\ke. — This cake is excellent 

 as well as economical. Take one and a half cups of 

 brown sugar, two cups of flour, one of butter aud one 

 of chopped raisins, three eggs, three tablespoonsful 

 of sour railk, half a teaspoonful of soda, half a cup 

 of blackberry jam. Mix the sugar, butter and eggs 

 together first, then the flour and milk and fruit. 

 Bake in a moderate oven. 



Bacon Omelette. — Cut a slice of bacon into very 

 small pieces, and stir it into an omelette mixture 

 made thus : Break two eggs into a basin, add a 

 pinch of pepper and a tablespoonful of scalded and 

 finely-chopped parsley ; beat the mixture two or 

 three minutes, stir in the bacon, fry in a small ome- 

 lette pan, in which an ounce of butter has been 

 melted. 



LonsTEK Choquettes..— One can of lobsters, 

 cho]>pcd ; one cup of bread, softened with water ; two 

 eggs ; pepper and salt to taste. Mix well together. 

 Soil fine eight medium-sized crackers ; one egg 

 beaten, and mixed with the crumbs. Make the 

 lobster into round or pear-shaped balls, and roll In 

 the cracker crumbs. Fry In a spider with lard. 



Mi'TTON, Rice and Tomato Buoth. — Take the 

 fat from the surface of the liquor in which your 

 mutton was boiled, add to this broth the bones of the 

 cold mutton, well cracked, and let them boil slowly 

 one hour and a half; strain and cool to throw up the 

 fat, remove this, and put the soup over the fire with 

 one quart of ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut very fine, 

 aud half a cup of raw rice ; stew forty minutes, and 

 add a lump of sugar, more pepper and salt, if neeiled, 

 aud a tablespoonful of corn starch wet in cold water ; 

 boil one mlDute, and pour out. 



PEPPEni'oT.— Time, three hours and a half. Four 

 |>ound8 of gravybccf, six quarts of water, u bou(|uet 

 of savory herbs, two small herbs, two small crulis or 

 lobsterB, a large bunch of spinach, half a i>ound of 

 colli bacon, a few suet dumplings (made of flour, 

 beef Buct and yelk of one egg) one pound of anpura-* 

 gus tops, cayenne l>ep|)cr; |>cpper and salt to taste; 

 juice of a lemon. 



I'ut four pounds of gravy beef Into six (piarls of 

 water, with the bouquet of savory lierlis; let It sim- 

 mer well III! all the goodness Is exlrucled, hklmmlng 

 It well. Let it stand till cold, that all the fat may 

 be taken off It. I'ut It into a stew pun and heal It. 

 Wlieu hot add the flesh of two niidd ling-sized crabs 

 or lobsters, nicely cut up, spinach well boiled and 

 chopped line, half a pound of cold bacon or pickled 

 pork dressed previously and cut Into small pieces, a 

 few small dumplings, made very light, with Hour, 

 beef suet, yelk of egg and a little water. Add one 

 pound of asparagus tops, season to your taste with 

 cayenne, salt, pepper and juice of a lemon; slew for 

 about half an hour, stirring lleonsluntly. 



Kcios ON Toast.— Orcaac the pan or skillet you 

 wish to cook the eggs in, anil salt the water. When 

 it simmers — not bolls — carefully drop Into It, so as 

 not to break, one egg at a time. There should \ie 

 water enough to cover them. Before they arc hard 

 remove with a small, flat skimmer, and put each vgn 

 on a piece of hot, buttered toast. 



Spanish Siiokt-Cake.— Take three eggs, half a 

 cup of butter, one cup of sugar, two-thirds of a cup 

 of sweet niilkj a little cinnamon, two cups of flour, 

 and one tcasi>oonful of baking powder ; stir the 

 flour In, do not knead It ; the eggs, butter and sugar 

 should be beaten together till very light. Bake In a 

 shallow tin ; when It Is done spread a tliln frostlug 

 over the top ; make this of the white of an egg, a 

 little pulverized sugar, aud a teaspoonful of ciuna- 

 mou ; set it in the oven to brown. 



To Broii. Fisn.— a clear Are is required. Uub 

 the bars of your gridiron with drippings or a piece of 

 beef suet, to prevent the fish from sticking fo It. Put 

 a good piece of butter info a dish, w ork Into It enough 

 salt and pepper to season the llsh. Lay the flsh on 

 it when it is broiled, and with a knife blade put 

 the butter over every part. Serve very hot. 



To Cook Soft-siieli, Crau.s.— Open one side 

 with a knife and remove the "deadmen :" lift up 

 the pointed end at the back and pull out the turf or 

 whiskers : at the head there is a small sand-bag ; 

 remove that, then wash thoroughly in salt water : 

 dry well ; all this must be done while the crab Is 

 alive ; fry them in plenty of hot butler and lard 

 mixed. Do not keep the crabs all night before cook- 

 ing, for the shell hardens in twenty-four hours. 



CnicKEN CuogUETTES. — To one chicken, chopped 

 add a little salt, parsley, pepper, nutmeg, a ealt- 

 spoonful of onion, one cup of cream, one-fourth cup 

 of butler and one dessertspoonful of flour. Put the 

 chicken, spices and cream on the Are ; when hot etir 

 in the butler and flour ; I)0|1 about Ave minutes, and 

 when cold make into balls. Beat up one egg with 

 bread crumbs, dip the balls iu and drop In boiling 

 lard. Very flue for breakfast. Veal may lie pre- 

 pared in the same wa} . 



BoiLEnRicE, Geoboia Stvi.e. — There arc several 

 methods of boiling rice, from which two are selected 

 as giving good, though different results : The 

 Georgia way, which gives the grains dry and separate 

 after boiling, was learned from a colored cook of that 

 Slate ; the Chinese method was Imparted to the 

 author during a most Interesting demonstration of 

 native cookery by several of the young Chinese gen- 

 tlemen who were recently students at Yale. 



To boll rice in the Georgia style pick It over, wash 

 It in cold water, put it into three times its quantity of 

 salted boiling water, and boil It steadily for twelve 

 minutes, without stirring It ; then drain off all the 

 water, cover the vessel containing It, and sit it where 

 It will keep hot enough to steam for ten minutes ; it 

 will thenjic ready to serve. Shake It out of the 

 boiler in a heap on the dish, but do not use a spoon 

 to remove it, and do not press it In shape ; serve it as 

 It U thrown lightly on the dish. 



