1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



487 



ABOUT COOKING POTATOES. 



Potatoes Boiled.— Wash thera, but do not 

 pare or cut them, unless they are very large. Fill 

 a sauce-pan half full of jiotatocs of equal size, (or 

 make them so h\ dividing the larger ones,) or the 

 small ones will be done to jjieccs before the large 

 ones are boiled enough, put to them as much 

 cold water as will cover them about an inch ; they 

 are sooner boiled, and more savory, than when 

 drowned in water. ^lost boiled things are spoiled 

 by having too little water, but potatoes are often 

 sjH)iled by too much ; they must merely be cov- 

 ered, and a little allowed for waste in boiling, so 

 that they may be just covered at the finish. 



Set them on a moderate fire till they boil ; then 

 take them off', and put them by the side of the j 

 fii'e to simmer slowly till they are soft enough to ! 

 admit a fork, (place no dependence on the usual 

 test of their skins cracking, which, if they are 

 boiled fest, will happen to some potatoes when 

 they are not half done, and the insides quite hard.) 

 Then pour the water oft", (if you let the potatoes 

 remain in the water a moment after they are done 

 enougli, they will become waxy and watery,) un- 

 cover the sauce-pan, and set it at such a distance 

 from the fire as will secure it from burning ; their 

 superfiuous moisture will evaporate, and the po- 

 tatoes will be perfectly dry and mealy. 



You may afterward place a napkin, folded up to 

 the size of the sauce-pan's diameter, over the po- 

 tatoes, to keep them hot and mealy till wanted. 



This method of managing potatoes is in every 

 respect equal to steaming them ; and they are 

 dressed in half the time. 



There is such an infinite variety of sorts and 

 sizes of potatoes, that it is impossible to say how 

 long they will take doing ; the best way is to try 

 them with a fork. Moderate sized potatoes will 

 generally be done enough in 15 or 20 minutes. 



Coi.D Potatoes Fried. — Put a bit of cream 

 dripping into a frying-pan ; when it is melted, slice 

 in your potatoes with a little pepper and salt ; put 

 them on the fire ; keep stirring thera ; when they 

 are quite hot they are ready. 



Potatoes Mashed. — When your potatoes are 

 thoroughly boiled, drain them quite dry, pick out 

 every speck, etc., and while hot, rub them through 

 a colander into a clean stew-pan. To a pound of 

 potatoes put about half an ounce of butter and a 

 tablespoonful of milk ; do not make them too 

 moist ; mix them well together. 



Potatoes Mashed with Onions. — Prepare 

 some boiled onions by putting them throug-h a 

 sieve, and mix them with potatoes. In proportion- 

 ing the onions to the potatoes you will be guided 

 by your wish for more or less of their flavor. — 

 Germantoion Telegraph. 



con-upting. In winter, or at any other time, when 

 you would have the flowers blow, take the buds at 

 night and cut off' the end of the stem sealed with 

 wax, and put the buds into water wherein a little 

 nitre or salt has been difl"used, and the next day 

 you will have the pleasure of seeing the buds open 

 and expand themselves, and the flowers display 

 their most lively colors and breathe their agreea- 

 ble odors. 



GYMNASTIC COSTUME FOR LADIES. 



Dr. Lewis, in his new work, "The Gymnastic," 

 gives the following hints as to the proper costumes 

 for ladies to wear in performing gymnastic exer- 

 cises : 



The most essential feature of the dress is per- 

 fect liberty about the waist and shoulders. The 

 female costume may be ever so short, if the waist 

 or shouldei's be trammelled, the exertions will 

 serve no good purpose. If the arms can be thrust 

 perpendicularly upward without drawing a quarter 

 of an ounce on the dress, the most vital point has 

 been secured. It is made very loose about the 

 head and shoulders, worn without hoops, but with 

 a thin skirt as near the color of the dress as possi- 

 ble, and only stiff' enough to keep the outside skirt 

 from hanging closely to the legs. This skirt 

 should be fastened to the belt of the dress so that 

 it will not hang below the dress when the arms 

 are raised. 



The present style of Garibaldi waist is very 

 beautiful. It is particularly appropriate for gym- 

 nastics ; as it allows the freest action of the arms 

 and shoulders. But to permit this waist to fall 

 over the belt, which is its peculiar feature, the belt 

 is usually made tight enough to kee]) it in posi- 

 tion. This is wrong. Buttons should be placed 

 on the inside of the belt, the same as on gentle- 

 men's pants for suspenders, and the same kind of 

 suspenders should be worn. In this way the belt 

 may be very loose, and yet, being supported over 

 the shoulders, it will remain in its proper position. 



To Obtain Fresh Blown Flowers in Win- 

 ter. — Choose some of the most perfect buds of 

 the flowers you would preserve, such as are latest 

 in blowing and ready to open, cut them off' with a 

 pair of scissors, leaving to each, if possible, a piece 

 of the stem about three inches long ; cover the 

 end of the stem immediately with sealing wax, and 

 when the buds are a little shrunk and wrinkled, 

 wrap each of them up separately in a piece of pa- 

 per, perfectly clean and dry, and lock thera up in 

 a dry box or drawer : and they will keep without 



Things worth Forgetting. — It is almost 

 frightful, and altogether humiliating, to think how 

 much there is in the common on-going of domes- 

 tic and social life which deserves nothing but to be 

 instantly and forever forgotten. Yet it is equally 

 amazing how large a class seem to have no other 

 business but to repeat and perpetuate these very 

 things. That is the vocation of gossips, — an or- 

 der of society that perj)etuates more mischief than 

 all the combined plagues of Egypt together. You 

 may have noticed how many speeches there are 

 winch become mischievous only by being heard a 

 second time ; and what an army of both .vexes are 

 sworn to see to it, that the fatal repetition shall be 

 had. Blessed is that man or woman that can let 

 drop all the burrs and thistles, instead of picking 

 them up, and fastening them on to the next pas- 

 senger ! Would we only let the vexing and mali- 

 cious saying die, how fast the lacerated and scan- 

 dal ridden world would get healed and tranquil- 

 ized. — Dr. Huntington. 



The Doll's Mission. — The doll is one of the 

 most imperious necessities, and at the same time 

 one of the most charming instincts of female child- 

 hood. To care for, to clothe, to adorn, to dress, 



