458 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Decembek, 
form not only liis own family record, but that of 
his father aud those of his paternal ancestors as far 
back as he can trace them. There are blank forms 
of these records published, and in many of the 
issues of the American Bible Society there are 
pages with appropriate headings for them. The 
particular form is of less importance than that the 
record be made in some place whqre it will be 
preserved and cherished by those coming after us. 
" But what is the use of the record?" some will 
ask, who have asbarp eye to the dollars and cents. It 
may be of no pecuniary value whatever. It will add 
nothing to the fertility of your fields and make no 
better sales for your crops. Pedigree may count for 
much less pecuniarily in a man than in a horse. 
And yet even in this democratic country and in this 
utilitarian age, it may be worth a man's while as a 
matter of intelligence to kuow something of his 
origin, something of the homes, occupations, and 
characters of his ancestors. The knowledge would 
certainly do him no harm, and it might throw some 
light upon the tastes and peculiarities that he sees 
cropping out in his children, and help him to bet- 
ter methods of training. We inherit much beside 
worldly estate and physical constitution from our 
progenitors. A little study of this inheritance 
may profit us quite as much as watching seed sow- 
ing and harvest. Let us have the Family Record. 
Recipes and Household Hints. 
Pickled Oysters arc always in place at 
holiday tables, and on festive occasions generally. 
They are sold by the dealers at a high price, but are 
easily prepared at home. The chief thing to be 
observed is, not to overdo the matter at any point ; 
much must be left to care and judgment. Select 
good-sized, plump oysters, put them over the fire 
in their own liquor and simply scald them; the 
moment they look white and firm they are to be 
taken from the fire, and laid out singly on a clean 
board or table to cool — if they drain thoroughly, or 
become slightly dried, all the better. Allow the 
liquor to settle, pour off the clear portion and make 
with this and vinegar sufficient pickle to well cover 
the oysters. The proportions to be used will de- 
pend upon the strength of the vinegar, and will 
vary from one-third to one-half oyster liquor. The 
pickle should not be more Hum pleasantly sour; it 
is a common mistake to use too much vinegar. 
The right proportions of liquor and vinegar being 
ascertained by taste, whole cloves and pepper, with 
broken-up mace, are to be added. In using spices 
no rule can be given, and it is better to err on the i 
bide of moderation. Boil up the pickle witli the 
spices, allow it to cool, and pour it over the oysters 
placed in a proper jar or dish. They will be lit to 
use the next day. Sometimes thin slices of lemon 
are added when the pickle is cool, but we prefer to 
allow each person to add his own lemon, if he likes 
it, when the oysters are served. 
C'lcausiiiit' Tainted or Musty liar- 
rels.— "A. N.," Liudley, Mo., writes : "I have 
practiced the following plan for the last thirty 
yens with complete success. Soak the barrel 
thoroughly with water, pour out the water- and 
while still wet till the barrel with clean, dry sand 
or loam, but sand is the more easily removed. Let 
it stand a few days, turn out the sand or earth, and 
it will be as free from taint or must as when new." 
A Disti of Chestnuts.— " J. t. B.," Falls 
Church, Ya., gives the following experiment : "I 
removed the shells from a quart of chestnuts, and 
parboiled them. I then took off the thin under- 
skin, and put them back into the saucepan with a 
quart of milk, s lit, nut meg. and two big teaspoon- 
I'uls of flour stirred with water for thickening. I 
stewed until the chestnuts were soft, taking cue 
not to break them in stining. This makes a 
rich and excellent dish.*' This is "worth trying. 
Pickled Artichokes. — "Wash the arti- 
chokes clean, and pour pretty strong salt water, 
boiling hoi, over them, and let stand until cool ; 
spread on a cloth to drain ; pur in a jar and pour 
boiling vinegar over them, and if not too large they 
will be ready for the table the next day, and no 
pickle is better." Of course the Jerusalem Artichoke 
that grows somewhat like a potato is iutended. 
Keeping' Sausage Meat. — Jane Burton 
writes : " Cook fresh sausage as for the table, with- 
out flouring it ; then put it in layers in a sweet 
earthen or stone pot with gravy from running hot 
lard over each layer. It will be as good as when 
first made, as we are eating it now in October with 
a good relish, and it is delightful." 
FSi'rakia ( Puffs.— Take 1 pint of milk, 
1 pint of flour, 2 eggs, a lump of butter the size 
of an egg, aud a pinch of salt. Place the flour 
in a basin, put the butter in the center of the flour, 
break in the eggs, aud work the butter and eggs 
together thoroughly ; then gradually add the milk, 
mixing all together to form a smooth batter. The 
puffs may be baked in a cast-iron pan with small 
divisions, similar to the " French Roll Pan " figured 
in January last, page '25. previously heating it, but 
a tin pan of similar shape is generally used, or 
small, separate patty-pans, though less convenient, 
will serve. Butter the pans aud fill them about 
two-thirds full with the batter and place in a quick 
oven. They take but a few minutes to bake, are 
light, aud excellent, as the writer happens to kuow. 
ISay-liL-aves are frequently directed for 
flavoring custards, and similar articles of cookery. 
It is the leaf of the Lautiti nobilis, the poetical 
'•Laurel" or "Bay." The leaves of the Cherry 
Laurel, or other Laurel, should not be used in their 
place. The true Bay-leaf is kept by city druggists. 
Folding Napkins, 
For every-day family use there can be no im- 
provement on the usual way of neatly folding the 
napkin in a square form, whether it is placed in a 
ring or not. Bat 1 : > n 
wishes to decorate a table, aud then the napkin can 
be made to contribute to the general effect. Some 
of the forms in which napkins are folded are very 
elaborate; we give two simple and neat ones. 
Like many simple operations, the folding is ca-\ 
i 
Fig. 1. 
enough when one sees it done, though not readily 
described ; but we will try ami make it plain by the 
use of a few diagrams. Take a towel-shaped nap- 
kin, and fold over one-third, then turn it backwards, 
and the napkin will be folded in three, not over 
aud over, but so that the edges when opened would 
be iu the position of the Hues iu the letter N. 
Fig. 2. 
Then fold the ends over until they meet in the mid- 
dle, as iu figure 1; then fold the corner a down to 
o, aud the corner b up to d, and it will give the 
form indicated by the dotted lines. Turn this over 
and fold it iu halves lengthwise ; open the points 
aud it will be like figure 2. Bend the point « over 
to the left and tuck it under the groove at 6, and 
bring the point e around aud 
place it iu a groove which 
will be found when a is iu 
positiou. The result will be 
the form in figure 3. This is 
called the " mitre," and is 
usually set upon the plate with 
a piece of bread in the center. 
Another form, called the " wa- 
ter-lily." though, it looks more 
napkin is required ; fold it like a half handkerchief. 
Bring the two points of the long edge up to meet 
Fig. S. 
complicated, is as er.sy to fold. For this a square 
the center one, which will form a square. Roll 
up the corner opposite the points, as 6hown in 
Fig. 5. Fig. 6. 
1. Turn the napkin over aud roll point a iu 
about to the center, tuck point b in the groove, and 
it will give figure 5, which maybe used in this 
shape, or by turning down the folds may be made 
into the form shown in fig. 0. Napkins when folded 
in any of the fancy funis should be slightly damp. 
The Proprieties of the Table. 
A friend writes thus: "By the proprieties of 
the table, I do not refer to the behavior of ih > 
who sit thereat, but to the proprieties to be ob- 
served in providing the food to be placed upon it. 
I know that some things go together very well, 
while others do not. I know that roast mutton 
aud turnips seem made lor each other, while sweet 
potatoes and corned beef were divorced by nature, 
and so witli many other thine-. Now can't you 
tell us what goes with which?" Our correspond- 
ent's query touches the very starting point in good 
living, which does not consist so much in costly 
food as in the fitness of things. The trouble in the 
whole matter is that our people, while they arc 
willing enough to expend money upon what fur- 
nishes their tables, are quite unwilling to give 
proper thought to their selection of food. It i- 
somchow considered undignified or improper to 
make a stilly of gastronomy by man or woman. 
Under the plea of living on " good, plain food," a 
good share of our people lose much of the enjoy- 
ment of the table. " None of your mixed French 
messes for inc," says many a one who regards leef- 
steak and onions, or corned beef and cabbage, as 
"good, plain food." French cookery is no differ- 
ent from any other good cookery, except to make the 
best possible use of the materials at baud. Much 
of the prejudice against French cookery arises from 
the fact that names that are not understood are ap- 
plied to excellent dishes. Fricaitdeau <k Venn would 
not be tried by one iu a thousand of those who 
would accept aud relish it under its true name of 
stewed veal, aud SO on. We have alluded to 
French cookery merely because the French people 
have studied tin' matter, aud have found out the 
harmonies and contrasts of taste which exist, 
though perhaps in not as marked a degree, as well 
,,s those of color and sound. Our ladies pride 
i hem! elves on their skill in selecting proper colors 
for dress, aud if they would give the same thought 
to it they might acquire equal skill in discerning the 
harmonies and discords of taste. The enjoyment of 
a meal depends more upon the fitness of the things 
provided, than itdoes upon their rarity or richness. 
Our correspondent cannot be answered in a single 
article, but we will try to help her by giving some 
bills of fare, indicating "what goes with which." 
