AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jrs~E, 
day, if he happened to roll his eyes or kick a little 
differently from usual. We never went to bed 
without the wash boiler being filled and a good 
fire under, in case of croup, though as I look back 
upon it I cannot imagine what our idea of the 
proper treatment of croup could have been, or why' 
we should have considered such a thin, active, and 
bony child a fit subject for that disease. We al- 
ways let him have his own way, and when be was 
old enough to eat milk and bread, he invariably 
finished his meal and returned thanks at the same 
time by deliberately throwing his bowl ou the floor. 
Before he was 18 months old he had broken two or 
three sets of breakfast cups and saucers, any quan- 
tity of bowls, and all the pieces of a pretty cottage 
set of china, excepting two bread plates. We 
bought for him a beautiful carriage, in which he 
never could be induced to ride, but which he in- 
sisted upon pulling and pounding until he had 
spoiled it altogether. Affairs were in this state 
when his kingdom was usurped by another addi- 
tion to the family, and my eyes were opened to the 
necessity of reducing the exuberance of his spir- 
its, aud of establishing some system of law and 
order. The struggle was tremendous, aud, as the 
Gipsey woman would say, many were the whack - 
ings I gave him. until finally he was brought under 
subjection, and now sets a tolerably good example 
to the younger children. 'Tis cruelty to a child to 
neglect his training until he is a year or even six 
months old. When old enough to know its mother, 
it is old enough to know that when she says no, 
the command must he respected, aud I never find 
it necessary to more than punish by a gentle pat 
on the hand, admonishing at the same time by say- 
ing "no ! no !" or "Georgiemust'ut." I don't think 
my youngest child has broken three pieces of crock- 
cry of any description during the three years of his 
life, aud when I say "no," he turns away immediate- 
ly from any coveted object ; aud all this important 
change in my domestic government I attribute to a 
little, or perhaps I should say a good deal, of expe- 
rience. I often think how much severe disci- 
pline I might have spared my oldest boy — how 
much care and anxiety myself — how much uneasi- 
ness the two grandmas — how much the health of 
the child himself might have been benefited — had I 
been a little more humble, a little less nervous, and 
a little more willing to listen to the experience 
and advice of my own and my husband's mother. 
Making a Cool Box. 
An ice-box or refrigerator is unquestionably the 
best thing for families in city or country, where ice- 
houses are accessible, or where ice is distributed 
regularly in small quantities. But many farmers 
have not learned the economy of an ice-house, and 
have no facilities for supplying an ice-box. To 
eucIi, the contrivance recommended by our corre- 
spondent may be of great value for keeping butter, 
cream, meats, and fruits, cool in summer. "Rev. 
G. A.," of Minnesota, writes : "I dug a hole in a 
corner of the cellar, three feet by two, and two feet 
deep. Then from a quarry near by, I selected five 
smooth, flat stones, with straightedges. One stone 
formed the bottom, another the back, projecting 
above the cellar floor six inches, another the front, 
projecting one inch. The two ends, fitting in be- 
tween these, kept them in place. The ends at the 
top, not fittiug quite close to the back, I wedged 
in a piece of studding, to which, with the hinges, 
I hung a cover. Then, with a piece of shingle for 
a trowel, I filled with cement the joints of the 
stones, and the work was done. My wife white- 
washed the box and cover, which applicatiou is 
frequently renewed. In this box is perpetual cool- 
ness, and butter made from cream kept in it, 
'comes hard' the hottest day of summer." It is 
not every locality that furnishes the smooth, flat 
stones. If these are not at hand, brick might be 
u?cd, or rubble stones of suitable size for the bot- 
tom aud sides of the box, the iuside to be lined 
with a coating of cement. Or if these are not con- 
venient, a box of wood might be made of suitable 
size, aud buried iu the bottom of the cellar to within 
a few inches of the top. The wooden box would 
not last as long as the stone, or the cement, but the 
temperature would be the same, and it would pay 
for itself many times over every season. 
Guesswork in the Household. 
"Good morning, Mr. Smith. Can you tell me the 
road to Boston ? " "How did you know my name 
was Smith?" replied the man addressed, standing 
somewhat on his dignity. "I guessed it," was the 
reply, and the guesser was pluming himself on his 
shrewdness. " Gness your way to Boston then," 
came the gruff rejoinder, which at once convinced 
him that guessing was a guide not always to be 
trusted. Probably the Yankee nation, (they are not 
confined to New England) are as shrewd at a guess 
as any other people, which perhaps has led them to 
overdo the matter, and "guess," or "reckon," or 
" calculate," when a certainty could easily have 
heen ascertained. A case iu point, considerably 
affecting domestic economy, is the uncertainty of 
measures and weights used in the household. From 
time immemorial, cooking recipes have been follow- 
ed out by "cupfuls," and a "pint to the pound " 
has been the standard of weight. The pint for the 
pound has been usnally ascertained by a tumbler, 
supposed to hold half a pint. In many cases such 
estimates may answer, but in the delicate matter of 
getting things just right, they will more frequently 
disappoint. Many a spoiled jar of preserves, and 
loaf of cake have resulted from "guessing" at the 
proportions. A good scale for weighing would 
remedy all this, aud serve many other useful pur- 
poses. The heaviest eggs can be selected for set- 
ting; the weight of the fat chickens be ascertained 
to a notch; the pounds of honey yielded by the 
bees be known ; the weight of the baby he noted ; 
the pounds of batter sent to the store be made sure 
of; and, not less important, the honesty of the 
storekeeper be tested by weighing the coffee, tea, 
sugar, etc., brought home. In a hundred ways the 
housekeeper will find a good family scale superior 
to any amount of guessing, in each of which, ex- 
cept perhaps in weighing the baby, money enough 
to pay for the instrument may be saved — and in 
the exceptional case, there will be no little satis- 
faction, especially if it be the first baby. Recent 
improvements have been made in scales, giving a 
far more convenient article than the old-fashioned 
steelyard or the hanging spring balance, which 
should be looked after by the good man who de- 
sires to thoroughly furnish his house with labor- 
saving and money-saving appliances. 
More about Salad Dressing— Lettuce. 
A correspondent, " Saladin," writes as follows: 
" The article on salad dressing, in the May number, 
gives good directions for making one kind of 
dressing, called " Mayonnaise," aud which to my 
notion is better for mixed salads, containing 
chiekeu, lobster, meat, etc., than for those purely 
of vegetables, though I sometimes use it for these. 
I may remark, that in making the dressing referred 
to, perfectly good butter is much better than any 
but the very best oil, which quality is seldom to be 
found outside of large cities. Melt the butter at 
the lowest possible temperature — by no means fry 
it — and use as directed for oil, stirring the mixture 
in a warm place. Perfectly sweet cream -may also 
be substituted for oii. Lettuce may be considered 
as the universal American salad. I wish our people 
would get into the way of using more salads. The 
vegetables you mention are all good, but you omit 
two of my great favorites, potatoes and string 
beans. But I will just now confine myself to let- 
tuce. The use of oil is objected to by a larire number 
of people, perhaps by the majority, from some 
prejudice, probably derived from the recollec- 
tions of their early experience with a certain 
medicinal oil ; hence at most tables in the country, 
lettuce is eaten dressed with sugar and vinegar, 
with a little salt, and perhaps a dash of pepper, or 
some peppergrass, to give it piquancy. This is 
an old English way, not to be despised fora variety, 
aud is very acceptable at breakfast. It should be 
prepared only the moment it is to be eaten, as the 
vinegar causes the lettuce to wilt, and one of its 
charms, its crispiuess, is lost. But for the regular 
lettuce salad, pure and simple, the lettuce is to 
be washed, aud well drained, then thoroughly moist- 
ened with oil and vinegar, and a little salt added. 
The old rule is : "Be prodigal of oil, prudent with 
salt, and parsimonious with vinegar." The amount 
of vinegar will depend upon its strength and one's 
taste. Of really good vinegar I use one spoonful 
to three of oil. Stir in a large bowl with a wooden 
salad spoon until every part is well moistened. 
This is my favorite way. and furnishes a ground- 
work for a large number of variations, by adding 
chives, tarragon, celery, slices of olives, or what- 
ever may be chosen to flavor it with; hard-boiled 
eggs iu slices are often added. Lettuce forms the 
basis of many other salads. With bits of cold beef, 
mutton, veal, chicken or other fowl, and plenty of 
lettuce, a series of most excellent dishes may be 
formed, and with these I best like the dressing you 
have given. Now, in return for all this salad talk, 
will some of your German readers give me a good 
recipe for herring salad ? Don't lauedi, my Yankee 
friends ; I know that herring salad is a good thing, 
and I wish to know just how it is made best." 
Bottling Strawberries. — While the 
strawberries are being picked over and the stems removed, 
a quantity of juice will drain from them. This should he 
placed in a porcelain-lined kettle, with the desired quan- 
tity of sugar — a little over a quarter of a pound to a pound 
of fruit is sufficient for most tastes. Let this syrup sim- 
mer a little, and add the fruit. Let the whole come to a 
boil, and as soon as possible after it boils all throughout, 
bottle or can. completing one at a time. Glass bottles 
should first have a little warm water put into them, to 
warm them and prevent the bottle from breaking. This 
is, of course, to be poured out before the fruit is put iu. 
Every bottle should be full at the time of putting on the 
lid; when cold, the contents will have shrunk considerably. 
Bottling Raspberries.— Red raspber- 
ries are the best for this purpose. Proceed in the same 
way as for strawberries. If no juice runs from them, add 
a little water, or place the dish of fruit on the back of the 
stove, and the juice will soon start. Many use water al- 
ways, though they will be much richer withont. A little 
red currant juice added is a great improvement. 
Raspberry Vinegar. — Use red berries, 
and to two quarts, add one quart of good vinegar. Let 
it stand 24 honrs. Strain through a flannel bag, and pour 
the juice over two more quarts of fruit; let it stand 
as before, and strain again. Allow three-quarters of a 
pound of loaf or good white sugar to every pint of juice. 
Stir well, and place in a stone jar, and cover. Set the jar 
in a kettle of water, and let it boil until the sugar is dis- 
solved. Bottle for use. A tablespoonful to a tumbler of 
water makes a pleasant drink for invalids, or for any one 
in the intensely hot summer mouths. 
Xo Have Vegetables of a Good 
Color, put them into boiling water, and let the water 
boil, but allow no lid on the kettle. Peas and asparagus, 
especially, are kept of a fine green color by this treatment. 
Crumpets. — Mix a quart of flour with new 
milk and a little salt — making a batter — add a tablespoon- 
ful of brewers' yeast, or a half teaenpful of home-made 
yeast. Beat thoroughly two eggs and add to it ; set in 
a small crock by the fire. TVhen well risen, should be 
baked in rings in an oven or on a large griddle. 
To Cleanse Ribbons. — Allow an equal 
quantity of soft soap made of wood ashes, (prepared lye 
Eoap will not do.) honey or molasses, and alcohol or com- 
mon whiskey ; mix well together. Spread the ribbons on 
a table, and rub briskly with the mixture. Rinse thor- 
oughly, and iron while damp. Do not rub with the hands, 
or wring, but gently squeeze the water from them. 
Lamp Chimneys often crock from be- 
ing fastened on too tightly. The screw is applied while 
the chimney is cold, and often so tightly as to prevent the 
irlass moving at all. Of course, when the chimneys are 
heated there is no room for them to expand, and conse- 
quently they must crack. Always see that the slass is 
secure, and at the same time moves easily in the holder. 
