Domestic Economy. 369 



(the Young's pearmain) you saw when with us, we have kept nearly through 

 May, when our stock has been sufficiently large to enable us to do so. 

 Yours, &c. — E. P. Stroud, April 12. 1831. 



To boil Potatoes, — I observe that you have in hand an Enci/clopcedia of 

 Cottage Economi/, and that you wish for suggestions on some of the sub- 

 jects to be treated of in it. Since I came to Scotland I could not help 

 noticing how much better they boil potatoes here than I used to get them 

 done in London ; and as this is a matter of some importance to cottagers, 

 it may, perhaps, not be amiss to state to you the method practised here, 

 viz. : — Wash the earth off the potatoes, and scrape or pare the skins off; 

 which last should be done as thin as possible, not only from motives of 

 economy, but also because the outside of the potato is always the best. 

 Then let them stand covered with, and soaking in, vi'ater an hour and a half 

 or two hours ; wash them well out of this water ; put a handful of salt 

 with them in the pan they are to be boiled in, covering, of course, with 

 cold water, and boil quickly, the quicker the better. — A. W. Crosslee Cot- 

 tage, near Glasgow, Aug. 9. 1830. 



Rheicmatism. — Another thing I may mention Is, that the poor people 

 hereabout apply heated rhubarb leaves to parts affected with rheumatism. 

 They say it eases the pain. — Id. 



Cooperation for cheap Food, Lodging, and Education. — Sir, When I saw in 

 Vol. V. p. 387. the object of cooperative societies, I observed that you ex- 

 pressed a wish that a fair trial of them should be made. As I lived at that 

 time in the village of Ilmington, which contains above a thousand inhabit- 

 ants, I thought something might be done for the good of all, in respect to 

 dealing for food, &c. I gave notice of my intention to my neighbours ; and, 

 on the 2d of June last, a few of us met, and laid down each a small sum on 

 the occasion ; and we have since met once a month to pay in our weekly 

 subscriptions. There are no less than six retail shops in the above village, 

 and these vend their goods at a very dear rate ; as you will believe when I 

 tell you that, when we, the cooperators, began to sell salt at a farthing a 

 pound, and at this rate got a good profit, the above retail shopkeepers sold 

 it at Id. a pound; good old cheese, which we could sell at 5d., these shops 

 sold at 9d. ; and all other things in like manner. My wife sold the goods 

 for the Society while we lived at Ilmington, bestowing her attention gra- 

 tuitously ; but, as we now inhabit a genteel comfortable house, which my 

 employer has provided, close to the garden, and are a mile and a half from 

 the Cooperative Society, my wife cannot, of course, bestow this attention 

 any longer. But, although I am now at this distance from the Society, I 

 attend at the meeting every month, and pay my little sum to it in common 

 with its several subscribers. Notwithstanding the advantages above enu- 

 merated, the minds of men (as observed in Vol. VI, p. 481.) are so various, 

 that it seems impossible to keep them together long enough to do much 

 good ; for, unless they can perceive some most unreasonable advantage 

 arising from their union, there is nothing but jealousy and dissatisfac- 

 tion amongst them. In spite, however, of this propensity in men, the time 

 has arrived, at least in this place, in which the poor man has something, 

 small as it may be, that he can call his own. A great deal, indeed, for the 

 advaiitage of the labourers might be done, if all who employed them were 

 to employ them as I do, on task-work, putting them out their work at a 

 fair price. — W. B, Ease. Foxcote, Worcestersliire, Nov. 28. 1830, 



Improved Clothes Pegs. (figs. 68, 69, and 70.) — Sir, As, when last 

 you did us the pleasure of a visit, transient as it was, you wished us to 

 send you a sketch of the clothes pegs, on what we believe to be a 

 construction not generally known, for your Register of Riwal mid Do- 

 mestic Improvement, we take an early opportunity of complying with 

 your request. They wei-e originally invented; I believe, several years 

 back, by an ingenious carpenter of Haslemere. He has been for some 



Vol. VII. ~ No. 32. b b 



