1884.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



175 



ebriating, but there Is a sharp, bitter twang about It 

 which tea properly made never has. 



"You boi) black tea," fays an experienced house- 

 keeper, " but the green flavored or Japan teas should 

 only steep." This, however, is a mistake ; as no tea 

 should really boll, but merely simmer for a longer 

 or shorter time, according to its nature. Black tea 

 requires about twenty minutes, Japan tea ten or 

 twelve. 



Cheap, or rather low-priced tea, is very doubtful 

 economy, as the best qualities go fuither and are 

 more Batlsfactory In every way. At the present rate 

 of prices a fairly good tea cannot be expected for 

 less than seventy live cents a pound. When bought 

 it should be kept in au air-tight cannister, and made 

 as needed with the greatest care. 



One heaping teaspoonful of tea for each person 

 and one over for the teapot, is the received rule, and 

 it should be made exactly so many moments before 

 It is wanted, by putting it to steep iu a covered ves- 

 sel with water boiling at the moment it is poured 

 over it, and scarcely more than enough to cover it 

 thoroughly. The teapot in w liich it is to be served 

 should be freshly scalded, and when the tea Is trans- 

 ferred to it it can be filled up with boiling water to 

 the amount required. 



Coffee No. 1.— Be sure the coffee pot has been 

 well washed and scalded in clear, hot water (it must 

 never be washed with soap or scoured inside, a con- 

 noisseur will detect instantly the metallic taste that 

 either imparts to the coffee) . Then put into it two 

 tablespoons of finely-ground coffee for each person. 

 For four people, stir into it a third of an egg, then a 

 small cup of cold water, and lastly enough boiling 

 water for the amount of coffee required . Allow this 

 to come quickly to a boil, but the instant that it 

 boils, draw it to the back of the range, where it can- 

 not boil, and allow it to stand for six or eight min- 

 utes to settle. This, carefully followed, makes a de- 

 licious, clear, strong coffee. 



The best coffee is made from a mixture of one- 

 third Mocha and two-thirds Java, which should be 

 bought browned, as it can be more carefully and 

 evenly roasted by the large roasting establishments. 

 If possible, buy only a three-days' supply at once 

 and keep this carefully in an air-tight tin coffee-box. 

 Grind each time just belore using only the amount 

 required for that meal. In order to prevent the 

 using of too much egg, which spoils the coffee, take 

 one egg, beat it slightly in an ordinary kitcken cup, 

 then fill up the cup with water, putting in also the 

 shell. This will settle coffee four times for a family 

 of four or five. First use the shell and a little of the 

 liquid, and the remainder of the liquid for the other 

 three limes. 



Coffee No. 2.— The ordinary method of making 

 coffee is to boil it— sometimes for five minutes, oftener 

 for fifteen, and not unfrequently, in the case of a 

 careless servant, or igfiorant mistress, for half an 

 hour. A delicious aroma pervades the house during 

 the process, giving promise of geod things to come 

 when breakfast is served. But the strength and life 

 of the coffee have been exhausted iu the continued 

 boiling, and the beverage, when poured out, has a 

 bitter taste, and looks more or less muddy. It should 

 not be allowed to boil, although some housekeepers, 

 whose coffee is certainly beyond reproach, declere 

 that a quick bubbling of from two to five minutes, 

 is an improvement. But it will generally be found 

 that they are very particular iu other details ; they 

 get the best .Mocha and Java, have it freshly burned 

 as well as ground, for immediate use, and see that 

 the water is boiling at the moment it is wanted. 



Those, however, who try the following method 

 will scarcely feel disposed to change it. 



A large, heaping tablespoonful of the ground 

 berry should be measured out for each coffee drinker, 

 and one over; tie this quantity securely in a thin 

 muslin bag, then put into the coffeepot the necessary 

 amount of water, already boiling, drop iu the bag 

 and place the coffee-pot on a hot part of the range 

 or stove and let it stand there for fifteen or twenty 

 minutes without being allowed to boil. 



For extra occasions the contents of the bag may 



be mixed with an egg ; for ordinary ones, with the 

 shell. A coffee epicure says that one-eicth of chicory 

 to seven-eiehths of mixed Mocha and Java is a de- 

 cided Improvement. 



Parisian Ego Chocolate.— For three cups, dis- 

 solve three ounces of the best chocolate in four cups 

 of water and set It over the fire ; beat the yolks of 

 two eggs to foam with powdered sugar, and stir 

 them in the chocolate as soon as it begins to froth : 

 skim off the froth Into warm chocolate cups" until 

 they are heaped full, then hold a shovelful of burn- 

 ing coals over each till the froth Is convertedito a 

 light crust, then serve. 



Another method is by adding froth-cakes prepared 

 iu the I'ollowing manner; Beat the whites of a dozen 

 eggs to froth, and stir in vx)wdered sugar till the 

 mass is of the consistency of stiff paste. Mould the 

 paste into small cakes about the size of a hazel nut 

 and dry them in the sun or a warm room. As soon 

 as the egg yolks have been stirred into the choco- 

 late, add as many of these cakes as there are cups of 

 the liquid, and continue to 'stir it until the whole 

 mass becomes froth. Care must be taken to keep 

 the chocolate near the boiling point, whether on or 

 off the fire, without letting it boil over. 



Chocolate. — For one cup of chocolate, take a 

 silver tablespoon heaping full of carefully grated 

 Baker's chocolate, and a silver teaspoonful of granu- 

 lated sugar; mix these together in an earthen bowl, 

 and pour over them a quarter of a cup of milk and a 

 quarter of a cup of water ; stir well and allow to 

 stand for one hour. Put a tin basin into a kettle of 

 boiling water; into the basin put a quarter of a cup 

 each of milk and of water. When these boil, stir in 

 the chocolate mixture and allow to cook for fifteen 

 minutes. This makes a cup of thick, delicious 

 chocolate. A half a drop of vanilla extract, stirred 

 iu just as it goes to the table, adds much to the 

 flavor, and a little whipped cream to the richness. 



Iced Tea.— Iced tea is made by infusing the usual 

 quantity of tea in cold water, and should be made 

 several hours before needed. It should be bottled 

 and placed in the refrigerator till needed. This 

 drink is used without milk or sugar and is very re- 

 freshing in the hot weather. The quality of the 

 water used is important in all tea-making, as really 

 good tea cannot be made of water which contains an 

 excess of lime. A little super-carbonate of soda 

 (cooking soda) may be added in such a case, and 

 this is thought not to injure the flavor of the tea. 



CnuST Coffee. — Take a large crust of brown 

 bread, and dry it in a toaster till it is nearly at the 

 burning point, lay it in a saucepan and pour boiling 

 water over it, boil it a minute or two, and then strain 

 off the coffee. Return it to the saucepan with the 

 addition of a little milk or cream, and boil it ae-ain. 

 It should be made strong enough to look like real 

 coffee, of which it is a very good imitation, when 

 well made. This is excellent in sickness, especially 

 iu some varieties of summer complaint. 



Epps' Breakfast Cocoa. — Is easily made in this 

 way : Heat some milk and put it into a fancy pitcher 

 or jug suitable for the table. Mix with this cocoa in 

 proportion of one teaspoonful for each person, and 

 stir till dissolved. Then fill the jug with boiling 

 water. This method is quite as good and much 

 easier than the directions upon the wrapper. It 

 should be stirred at the table before serving. 



Cocoa Shells. — An infusion of cocoa shells is a 

 light and relishing breakfast drink. Made in the 

 proportion of one tablespoonful to a person and 

 thoroughly boiled for a long time, with the addition 

 of milk and sugar at the table, it is particularly ac- 

 ceptable to those who do not like the more stimulat- 

 ing coffee or tea, or heavy chocolate. 



Cafe Noir or Black Coffee is used as an after 

 diuner beverage, and is generally believed to pro- 

 mote digestion. It is made double the usual strength 

 (two heaping tablespoonsfuls for each person) and is 

 served in tiny cups after a hearty dinner, without 

 cream or sugar. 



Cracked Cocua.— Use the same quantity as of 

 coffee. Cocoa in this form needs thorough and long 



boiling to extract Its full strength. By adding a 

 small quantity of cocoa dally, the consumer will 

 have a highly-flavored cup of cocoa at a trifling ex- 

 pense. 



Dandelion.— Prepare the roots In the same way 

 as chicory. This makes a good, curative drink. In 

 the spring, when people are bilious and ailing. 



Chicory.— Wash the roots until clean, dry In the 

 oven until brittle, grind and prepare the same ss 

 coffee. — Weekly Press. 



Live Stock. 



Crossing on Merinos for Wool and Mutton. 

 Following the lead of Mr. C. Hills, I venture t 

 offer a few remarks as to the best mode of croselDg 

 on Merinos for mutton sheep. I scarcely think the 

 Downs, any of them, would answer well, as they are 

 not very large and they approach too near the 

 Merino in deuseness and fineness of fleece. I have 

 used the Downs on Leicesters and their grades with 

 advantage In pruduelug finer wool for family use aud 

 also superior mutton; but the sheep that pleased me 

 most of all for general use was obtained by using a 

 Cotswold ram on pure Southdown ewes. The result 

 was a finely-formed sheep of excellent quality of 

 mutton, with dense, moderately long, crinkled wool, 

 of great luster aud fineness. The fleece of a lamb 

 (accidentally killed by dogs in the fall) weighed, 

 when well washed in warm water, ll'i pounds. 

 Now I feel confident that the Cotswold would cross 

 equally as well on the Merino, giving the produCg 

 the size and aptitude to fatten desired for a mutton 

 sheep, and produced a fleece of good, serviceable 

 and lustrous wool, which, if produced In sufficient 

 quantity, would surely find a market for the manu- 

 facture of certain classes of uoods. The whole re- 

 gion interested should adopt one standard of cross- 

 ing, so as to make the produce of wool uniform. It 

 won't do for one county to use Down rams, another 

 Cotswolds, aud still another Lincolns or Leicesters, 

 as a nondescript clip will result that buyers will not 

 care to handle. .Mr. J. Harris, of Kochester, used 

 Cotswolds on .Merinos with the very satisfactory re- 

 sults meutioued by Mr. Hills. 



If in a few generations the sheep get too coarse to 

 suit the market, a cross back on Merino or a South- 

 down cross would do the work, aud add to the 

 quality of the mutton. I write from personal expe- 

 rience, haviug handled cross breed sheep for twenty- 

 five years, bred simply for good mutton and wool for 

 family use. But mind one rule, never use grade 

 rams. If you do you will not be able to name the 

 progeny, they will be so various. — W. J. Winter, in 

 the Breeders' Oazetle. 



Can Horses Travel Unshod ? 

 Whether shoeing is necessary or not remains to be 

 tested to the satisfaction of the majority. Some be 

 lieve that shoes cannot be dispensed with on the cob- 

 ble stones of the cities, but are inclined to the opinion 

 that bhoes are not altogether necessary on soft, 

 sandy, or light, gravelly roads. In Chicago a gentle- 

 man neglected to shoe his horse, and allowed it to 

 walk on the cobble stones. At first the feet became 

 somewhat sore, and the hoofs cracked and seemed 

 very brittle. Iu time, however, the hoofs began to 

 harden in texture, became callous to the hard usage^ 

 until now the owner declares he would not use shoe* 

 agaiu under any circumstances. Just here we desire 

 to call attention to th<- subject. If the feet, by direct 

 contact with the earth, improve, aud the tenderness 

 and briltienessof the hoof is changed, it may be pos- 

 6il;le that those who have attempted to work their 

 horses unshod have become alarmed at what they 

 supposed lameness, when a little patience would 

 have demonstrated the method as feasible. Any one 

 who is accustomed to wearing shoes finds It very in- 

 convenient to walk barefooted for a few days, but 

 after a short time the feet become insensible to sub- 

 stances with which they come In contact, and then 

 one easily manages to walk on stone, gravel, in the 

 sand, water, or even upon sharp substances without 



