402 



NEW ENGLAND FARI^IER. 



Aug. 



■with those that had a surplus. Bees are stor- 

 ing honey from the soft maple now, but not as 

 much as they did last year. The honey crop 

 of 18G6 was better (in our county) than for 

 several seasons previous. 



I intend to raise another set of queens, to 

 take the place of those that paired with the 

 black drones last season. I shall not let any 

 black drones fly in my apiary this season. I 

 make my hives double, with a dead air space 

 all around the swarm, thereby securing a more 

 uniform temperature, both summer and winter. 

 I think a double hive much the best for our 

 changeable climate, and they cost but a trifle 

 more. — George T. Wheeler, in Country Oen- 

 tleman. 



Eabks' 



Bcparlmciit. 



From "May-day and other Pieces," by R. W. Emerson. 

 BIBDS AND FLOWEES. 



Ah I well I mind the calendar, 

 Faithful through a thousand years, 

 Of llie painted race of flowers, 

 Exact to days, exact to hours, 

 . Counted on the spacious dial 

 Yon broidered zodiac girds, 

 I know the pretty almanac 

 Of the punctual coming back. 

 On their due days, of tlie birds, 

 I marked them yestermorn, 

 A flock of finches darting 

 Beneath the crystal arch. 

 Piping, as they flew, a march, — 

 Last year, from yon oak or larch; 

 Dusky sparrows in a crowd. 

 Diving, darting northward free, 

 Suddenly betook them all. 

 Every one to his hole in the wall, 

 Or to his niche in the apple tree. 

 1 greet with joy the choral trains 

 Fresh from palms and Cuba's caneB, 

 Best gems of Nature's cabinet. 

 With dews of tropic morning wet. 

 Beloved of children, bards, and Spring, 

 O birds, your perfect virn>e8 bring. 

 Your song, j'our forms, your rhythmic flight, 

 Your manners for the heart's delight. 

 Nestle in hedge, or barn, or roof. 

 Here weave your chamber waterproof. 

 Forgive our harms, and condehcend 

 To man, as to a luljber friend, 

 And, generous, teach his awkward race, 

 Courage, and probity, and grace ! 



HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 



CONTRinUTED FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Unleavened Bread. 



I have long been proposing to send you my way 

 of making unleavened bread, as I think it mueli 

 superior in point of licalth to any other kind. 



For Brown Bread talcc two parts of Indian meal 

 to one of rye or Graliam. Scald the Indian, then 

 add the other with cold water suliicient to mois- 

 ten it enough so that it can be tlioroughly mixed. 

 Salt and molasses can be added if desired, but itis 

 good and more healthful without. This kind of 

 brown bread is wholesoiiTe, when v.-arm from the 

 oven. It may be made in loaves three or four 



inches thick, and should stand upon the back part 

 of the stove, or where the bottom will receive a 

 scalding heat for an hour before being placed in a 

 hot oven, when, if thoroughly baked, it will be light 

 and sweet. 



The crust is harder than that of raised bread, 

 but it malics a palatable dish by itself, if taken off 

 and soaked in milk, allowing it to come to a quick 

 boil before taking up ; or it makes a good pudding 

 for a plain farmer's dinner, if steeped in apple- 

 sauce, and eaten with butter and sugar, maple 

 syrup, or sweet cream ; or if one prefers a made 

 sauce, a nice one can be had by combining nice 

 sour cream with molasses, (maple is best), or if 

 sweet cream is used, a spoonful or two of vinegar 

 or cider, or a little tart jelly dissolved in it im- 

 proves it, and a little nutmeg can be added ; or a 

 plainer sauce can be made by taking a pint of milk, 

 saving out enough to moisten two spoonfuls of 

 flour, boil and thicken, and add an egg beaten with 

 three spoonfuls of white sugar after it is taken 

 from the fire, so that it will not harden the egg. 

 One of the most palatable of Indian breads can be 

 made by substituting flour for the rye meal, and 

 there is no end to the variety of ways in which 

 healthful, palatable, unleavened cakes can be made, 

 either by using muffin rings, roll or patty pans, 

 (the French roll pans are much the least trouble,) 

 or by making them in drop cakes, or forming them 

 into little cakes in the hand, covering them with 

 flour; and a little time devoted to experimenting 

 with them, I do not deem misspent. 



I will give you one receipt for 



Pop-Corn Pudding, 

 which I think very good. 



Take of corn well popped, and rolled, pounded, 

 or gi-ound, oi;c heaping teacupful ; one quart of 

 milk, one egg, nearly a cupful of sugar, a little 

 salt and spice to taste. Soak the corn in the milk 

 over night, add the other ingredients and bake two 

 hours. 



Apple Pie. 



Take one egg and half a cracker, or if the plate 

 is large, a little more, to a pie, and about two good 

 sized, sour apples, which may be grated raw, or 

 stewed and strained, with a little nutmeg and salt. 

 Use but very little more sugar than for common 

 custard pies, preparing with milk, like tliem. 



I desire in receipts a variety of plain dishes, ea- 

 sily prepared, and thinking that others may ap- 

 preciate the same, have tried to contribute my 

 mite ; but I fear it may not be very acceptably 

 written, from confusion produced by tlie interrup- 

 tions of my little ones, as their care, with tliat of 

 my household, gives me little uniuterniptcd time. 



Eaut Princeton, Mass., 18G7. Nellie. 



Union Cake. 

 One cup of butter, two of sugar, three of flour, 

 one of milk, one-half cup of corn starch, four 

 eggs, two teaspoonfuls extract of Icniou, one of 

 cream tartar, one-half tcaspoonful of soda. 



