92 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[June, 



the Hcliou of the slightest puffs of air upon or 

 over sensitive skin, and by the local irritation 

 of dust, the perfume of flowers and the pollen 

 of plants. The popular opinion that this kind 

 of a cold is apt to last longer in summer is 

 based upon correct observation. 



Sometimes a person engaged in the usual 

 pursuits of life, unconscious of any change in 

 his surroundings or of the weather, becomes 

 suddenly aware that he has caught cold. 

 More often perhaps, \>y some imprudent 

 change in clothing, or when tired and ovcr- 

 lieated by sitting near an open window court- 

 ing the welcome breeze, the cold is produced. 

 There is a marked ptcdi.sposition to take cold 

 on the part of certain persons. Such persons 

 are usually wanting in physical power, are 

 feebly organized, with sensitive skins prone to 

 perspire on the slightest exertion, often 

 neuralgic. They lead sedentary lives and 

 take but little exercise. 



The every day expression, "I have a cold," 

 means, in the vast majority of cases, that the 

 person suffeis from some mild, acute, inflam- 

 matory trouble of the throat or nasal passages ; 

 oftenest the latter. The symptoms are so well 

 known as to make an enumeration of them 

 unnecessary. The Germans call it "schnup- 

 fen," a word almost equivalent to our 

 " snuffles," which is very expressive. The old 

 idea that the secretions of catarrh came di. 

 rectly from the brain, an opinion still vaguely 

 entertained by the people, was proven to be 

 false several centuries ago. The discharge is 

 derived from the mucous membrane which 

 lines the cavities of the nose and extends as a 

 lining membrane into the hollow chambers 

 occupying the forehead. 



In the earliest stages such time-honored 

 measures as a hot foot-bath of mustard water 

 and hot lemonade, with a tablcspoonful of 

 whisky, are excellent ; but they must be taken 

 in the beginning to do the good they are capa- 

 ble of ; and it is not to be forgotten that harm 

 may come of imprudent exposure next morn- 

 ing. A plain nutritious diet, the sparing con- 

 sumption of fluids, attention to ventilation 

 and the temperature, and to the weight and 

 warmth of clothing, are required. Preventive 

 treatment consists in attention to the general 

 health, and the greatest care in avoidance of 

 exposure when fatigued. An over-sensitive 

 skin may be hardened by systematic cold or 

 lukewarm sponging, and by regular exercise 

 in the open air.— C. H. B., in New Era. 



GREEN PEAS. 

 Firat see .that the peas are young and fresh, 

 and be ready to boil them as soon as they are 

 out of their pods. Take two quarts of water 

 and put it in a saucepan with a quarter of an 

 ounce of salt. After it commences to boil 

 skim it well, and then put in your peas. One 

 quart will be enough for the two quarts of 

 "Water. Let them be uncovered, and boil 

 them briskly. If they are young and fresh, 

 fifteen minutes will be sufficient to cook them. 

 Now remove them from the fire and drain 

 them, and put them in a clean saucepan with 

 about a quarter of a pound of good butter. 

 Season them with a little salt and a pinch of 

 pulverized sugar, then stir them an instant 

 over the fire and serve at once. If the flavor 

 of mint is not objected to, the pe&s may be 

 boiled with a small quantity added to water. 



Another method (Dr. Kitchener's).— The 

 peas must be young ; it is equally indispensi- 

 ble that they be fresh gathered and cooked as 

 soon as they are shelled, for they soon lose 

 their color and sweetness. Pass the peas 

 through a riddle, that is, a coarse sieve which 

 is made for the purpose of separating them. 

 This precaution is necessary, for large and 

 small peas cannot be boiled together, as the 

 former will take more time than the latter. 

 For a peck of peas, set on the fire a saucepan 

 with a gallon of water in it ; when it boils, 

 put in your peas with a tablespoonful of salt. 

 Skim it well, and keep them boiling quick 

 from twenty to thirty minutes, according to 

 their age and size. The best way to judge of 

 their being done enough, and indeed the only 

 way to make sure of coekiug them to and not 

 beyond the point of perfection, or, as the pea- 

 eaters say, of "boiling them to a bubble," is 

 to take them out with a spoon and taste them. 

 When they are done enough, drain them on a 

 hair sieve. If you like them buttered, put 

 them into a pie dish, divide some butter into 

 small bits, and lay them on the peas. Put 

 another dish over them, and turn them over 

 and over ; this will melt the butter through 

 them. But as all people do not like buttered 

 peas, you had better send them to the table 

 plain as they come out of the saucepan, with 

 melted butter in a sauce tureen. It is usual 

 to boil some mint with the peas ; but if you 

 wish to garnish them with mint, boil a few 

 sprigs in a saucepan by themselves. A peck 

 of young peas will not yield more than enough 

 for a couple of hearty pea-eaters ; when the 

 pods are full it may .serve for three. Never 

 think of purchasing peas ready shelled, for the 

 cagent reasons assigned in the first part of 

 this recipe. 



Another method. —Take a quart of fresh- 

 shelled young peas and put them in a pan of 

 cold water. Then place in a saucepan the 

 heart of a head of lettuce, an onion and a 

 piece of butter. Now take your peas from 

 the water and (without draining them) put 

 them in the saucepan, adding three or four 

 lumps of white sugar and a little pepper and 

 salt. Cover the saucepan and set it where 

 the contents may stew briskly until tender, 

 removing the lettuce and onion before serv- 

 ing. A sprig of mint may be added in the 

 cooking if liked.— P/w7affeZp7iia Press. 



Our Local Organizations. 



LINN/EAN SOCIETY. 



The Linnaean Society met on Saturday, May T?l, 

 1884, at 2:30 P. M., President Hon. J. P. Wickcreham 

 in the chair. Before the regular meeting Dr. Rathvou 

 read an interesting and instructive essay on " Com- 

 monplace Experiences in Natural History,'.' in the 

 lecture room of the Y. M. C. A., which was atten- 

 tentively listened to by quite a good sized audience. 



After the public meeting the general meeting was 

 held in the Museum ante room. Dues were collected 

 and minutes of previous meeting after being proper- 

 ly corrected, were approved. 



Donations to Museum. 



Mr. J. M. WesthaefTer donated a fine cage speci- 

 men of the Virginia " Corn Cracker" Cardinalis 

 Virginianm which, from some unknown cause, had 

 died. This bird in its time has been honored with 

 many, both scientific and common names, not neces- 

 sary to mention here ; the latter of which were main- 

 ly local. It has the reputation of being a fine singer 



and usually bears confinement well. In my youth I 

 knew of one owned by a farmer of Donegal township, 

 and whom I frequently heard fay that he owned it 

 fourteen years and he could not tell how old it was 

 when it came into his possession, nor do I know how 

 long it lived after I left the farm. This bird breeds 

 in Lancaster county, and on several occasions I have 

 known it to pass the winter in th« woods contiguous 

 to Chiques Hock. Belonging to the great finch 

 family Frmgillklae, it naturally feeds on seeds and 

 berries, and in the absence of these it would also 

 feed on insects ; at least the individual alluded to in 

 reference to its longevity, was educated to partake 

 of insects, especially grasshoppers. It is said to be 

 one brooded in the Middle Slates, but two or even 

 three brooded, in the South. A variety or sub- 

 species from Arizona Cardinalis Virginianus 

 ifineus, lacks the black frontlet about the base of 

 the bill, and another variety Coccinem, from 

 Central America and Mexico, is more richly colored 

 than our variety. 



A specimen of the so-called " grey eagle," or 

 " Bird of Washington," was purchased by the cura- 

 tors for the use of the society, which was shot by 

 Mr. H. A. Fox, near Oreville, May the 5th, 188i. 

 The villagers for some weeks had noticed a diminu- 

 tion of their poultry stock ; and seeing this bird on 

 a tree on the keen lookout, Mr. Fox " brought it 

 down" as the depredator. 



Dr. Elliot Cones says: " Those who, upracticed 

 in ornithology, may be puzzled by accounts of 

 numerous eagles may be interested to know that 

 only two species have ever been found in the United 

 States"— namely, the "golden eagle" Aquila 

 ceryscetus and the Bald Eagle, Haliaetus leuco- 

 cephalus. Neither the male nor the female of 

 the latter species acquire the white head and tail 

 until they are fully three years old. The "sea 

 eagle," " grey eagle," Washiagton's eagle, or what- 

 ever other name they may be known by, are merely 

 immature specimens of the " bald" or " white- 

 headed eagle." "In any plumage the two species 

 maybe easily distinguished by their legs." In the 

 golden eagle they are feathered down to the toes, 

 but in the bald eagle the shanks are naked. This 

 individual then may be regarded as an immature 

 specimen of the bald eagle. Ornithologists generally 

 consider that the name of bald eagle is inappropriate- 

 ly applied to this bird, for its head is as densely 

 feathered as any other birds. That name would be 

 more suitably applied to vultures or turkey buzzards, 

 or any other bird that has a naked head. 



Among the early objectors to the adoption of this 

 bird as our national symbol was Dr. Franklin, on the 

 ground that it is " a mean, dislionest robber" — a 

 great gormand. fond ol fish, but lacking the courage 

 or agility of an honest fisherman ; nevertheless hav- 

 ing sufficient of those qualities to constitute a thief 

 or robber. Perched upon an eminence, with keen 

 eye it watches the "osjirey," or "fish-hawk," and 

 as soon as the hawk secures his prey and is about 

 bearing it off 1o his family, the eagle with lightning 

 ^e^d, darts after him, compels him to reliu(,uish it, 

 which he usually does with distressed scream, when 

 the eagle darts after it secures it before it reaches 

 the water, and bears it off in triumph to his own 

 eyrie, and there voraciously devours it. 



Both the mature male and female possess the 

 white head and tail, but the female is the larger, the 

 deeper colored, and the most courageous of the two, 

 characteristics which distinguish most of the Palco. 

 nlda. The bald eagle, in an emergency, will resort 

 to carrion food, driving off and keeping at bay the 

 buzzards, until he has "gorged his beastly stomach." 

 But, with all these drawbacks, in full plumage, they 

 are noble looking birds, and perhaps would be noble 

 minded if no obstacles interposed, and they could 

 follow the natural bent of their inclinations. They 

 are said to be capable of great endurance and denial, 

 passing a week or more without partaking of any 

 food. On dissection, it has been discovered tnat the 

 ovarium of the female contains a very large number 

 of eggs, and all nearly equal in size, and yet they are 

 but one brooded, and have only two in a brood. Con 



