1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
365 
easier growing grapes, may have tlie cuttings 
made vid put out as soon as tlie leaves have 
fallen. "Where grape cuttings are to be used for 
in-door propagation, it is better to malvelhera 
before the vitalit}' of the wood lias been im- 
paired by severe cold weather. Cuttings of 
roses may be made as soon as the wood is well 
ripened. The leaves are removed, and the cut- 
tings set in a cold frame, where they can be pro- 
tected by covering from very severe frosts. Of 
course there are many plants that require all 
the skill and appliances of the experienced prop- 
agator, but those we have mentioned, and 
many others, may be propagated in the open 
ground with success by any one who will bear 
in mind the principles above indicated. 
Men's Shii'ts— A Woman's " Say." 
[The " All about Meu's Shirts," pulilished in the 
August AgrkuHtcvisI, pajjc 203, has been the source 
of no little aaiusemcnt. A great many write that 
"it s just ray experience." The only one who at- 
tempts a solution of the difficulty, writes that "she 
' thinks as a rule, lailios do not measure with enough 
mechanical accuracy. They are accustomed to loose 
garments with many yards and many folds, where 
an inch more or less is not noticed, while half an 
inch makes a great difference on a neck baud that 
is designed to fit close to the neck, and yet not to 
come iu so close jiroximity to the wind-pipe as to 
impede free breathing. I have seen a lady cut half 
a dozcu shirts by one pattern, and assert'sthat 
they were all just alike. Yet I showed her by a 
careful measurement that there was a variation of 
J.J to ^{ incli iu the length of the neck biudiug. 
Again, a diflerence is made in gathering ; and tlic 
amount of sttircbing varies the ease of setting. 
Too much starch and wrinlcled edges or folds will 
make a close fitting shirt neck verj' uncomfortable, 
which would feel easy if lightly starched .and 
smoothly ironed. Still again, if the shirt is tight 
and draws behind the shoulders, it may i^ull hack 
the neck binding, and make one very uncomfor- 
table, especially when perspiring a little, so as to 
cause the shirt to stick and draw more than usual. 
I have found relief from former trouble, after get- 
ting one shirt to lit : 1st, by copying it with special 
care in cutting to have the pieces of exactly the 
same size, looking after the stretching of the fabric 
when laid down lor cutting, etc. ; 2d, by cutting.the 
back and shoulders so that they cannot draw upon 
the noek ; 3d, care not to over-wrinkle or contract 
the binding iu gathering it on ; 4tb, rare to have 
the ueek baud but lightly starched and uniformly 
ironed smooth on the inside " 
x\uother urges us to publish anonymously her 
side of the subject, which we will do, though under 
protest, for the whole force of it seems to us to lie 
in the last sentence. Our observation is th.at those 
people are the happiest and get along best, who 
never say or feel "I won't yield." The best way 
is to harbor not so much as a tliought about man's 
rights or woman's rights. These thoughts are al- 
ways the beginnings of sorrow. The man and wife 
become one, and if they feel this, they will have no 
disputes about mine nnd thine, but consider each 
the others pleasures and miseries as ours. Well, 
here is the letter : 
" I cannot claim to have had the supervision of a 
man's wardrobe quite 13 years, but would not the 
experience of a womau for ll);^ years be of a little 
value ? I think your extract was very properly 
taken from ' Hours at Home,' for I should certain- 
ly thinli a wom.au with such an experience, would 
b.ave found it very necessary to devote quite a num- 
ber of her hours to her home. 1 think the fitting 
of that shirt was the fault neither of the garment, 
nor of the maker, but simply of the wearer him- 
Belf There is surely no inherent wickedness either 
in cotton or woolen cloth. 
In Adam's foil We shinetl all ; 
but most certainly sin docs not (in tia's manner) 
entail upon the manufaelures of our hands. When 
in the garden our first parents sewed fig leaves to- 
gether and made themselves garments, it is no 
where recorded that Adaiti^s did not fit him. I 
think, therefore, that although originally woman 
was equally guilty with man, yet during the Lapse 
of ages, man h;is gradually gained the ascendency 
iu wickedness, and the excess of the evil iu his 
nature manifests itself specially in animadversions 
upon his luckless shirts. IIow rarely you hear of 
a very great or good man spending his time moan- 
ing over the fit of such a garment. I really think 
"Washington, Lincoln, Napoleon, etc., had a few 
other matters that demanded and received a sm.all 
share of their attention. But seriously, /have had 
uo trouble. To be sure every one can not expect 
to possess such a husband as 1 have. I h.ave made 
and altered a great many shirts, but not more than 
I have other garments. 3fij husband never invites 
me to ride, in order that he may ineideutally 
grumble about his shirts ; and I insist upon it, the 
trouble is in the men and uot in the garment. Of 
course it requires skill in cutting and making, 
patience in altering when necessary ; but none the 
less does it require in the weaier the manly quality 
of being satisfied with a really good fit. Does 
man, imperfect man, alone, expect perfection ? 
"Women do not. I do not say they do not wish it. 
(I certainly sliould think the one that had the 
trouble ^vith that shirt would.) Simply they do not 
crpect it. I am willing to cut, fit, make, unmake, 
and remake garments both for myself .and husband, 
but when a reasonable amount of time and atten- 
tion have been given them, if they will not fit nicelj', 
we wear tliem as they are ; neither of us grumble. 
M;/ husb.aud is unselfish ; he thinks it equally im- 
portant that his wife's bonnet and dress should fit 
tolerably, as well as his own shirts fit to a T; .and 
I think my husband's pauts, coats .and vests should 
require equal attentiou with his shirts. JSy hus- 
band (I speak uot boastingly) has known no hand 
but mine to make his clothes since first I claimed 
his name, to say uothinu: of my -own garments. 
Now where should I find the time for all this, if 
my whole life had been devoted to fitting and re- 
fitting shirts. It is simply a morbid feeling, and a 
true wife's duty not to yield to its demand." 
Husk Mattresses — Cheap, Comfortable, 
and Healthful. 
Our rural friends are very hospitable, when we 
visit them they treat us during the day with the 
greatest kindness, but they are often cruel to us at 
night, and most always consign us to a feather bed, 
iu the smothering depressions of which we pass a 
sleepless night. Th.at a feather bed is a fit thing 
to sleep upon, is an idea rapidly dis.appearing, we 
are happy to say ; yet iu many communities feath- 
ers still prevail, and they are looked upon as silk 
dresses are, in some measure an indexof the weiilth, 
or competence of the owner. It is quite time th.at 
all this was changed, and comfort and health con- 
sulted, rather than show. "We say comfort, — for 
uo one after having slept for a few weeks on a hard 
bed, would willingly return to feathers. Curled 
hair makes the very best mattress, but is exjien- 
sive ; the next best thing is corn husks, a cheap 
material, .and accessible to all. The inuer husks, 
or shucks, as they are called iu some places, allow- 
ed to curl uj) a little, are often used without auy 
preparation. A softer bed is made by slitting the 
husks in strips, half an inch or so iu width ; a fork 
may be used to facilitate stripping. The bcsthusk- 
bed we ever saw was made from the husks of green 
corn, shredded by drawing through a flax hatchel. 
Husk-beds should be opened about once in six 
months, the husks shaken out from the fine par- 
ticles and dust, be sprinkled, and allowed to lay iu 
the sun for a while. Treated in this way the husks 
will be almost as good as new. "We give this timely 
hint, in order that at husking time, those who 
would enjoy the luxury of a husk bed may t.ake 
measures to secure the necessary material. 
Original Contributions to tlie American Agriculturist. 
Hints on Cooking-, etc. 
Chess Pie. — For two pies of common size, 
take 4 eggs, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup cream, % cup but- 
ter, 1 tablcspoonful flour, and flavor with nutmeg. 
Cover the baking plates with crust, pour in the 
mixture, and grate nutmeg over it. There is no 
upper crust. "When a pretty brown, try with a, 
spoon as for custard. This is the best pie we ever 
ate. — Mrs. Sainud P. May, Grimes County, Texas. 
Apple PiitldinsT. — Beat 2 eggs well with 3 
tablespoonfuls of sugar ; add butter the size of a 
Avalnut, or 3 tablespoonfuls of cream, and 1 pint 
buttermilk. Add flour sufiicicut to make it a little 
thicker than for griddle cakes. Take one small 
teaspoonful saleratus, dissolve in a little warm 
water, and put iu with about 4 large ajiplcs sliced 
(sour apj)les) ; stir it together well, turn it into a 
pudding pail (or some p:ul with a cover), and set in 
a kettle of boiling water, covering the kettle ; boil 
hard 3 hours; serve warm with sweetened cream, 
or milk, or sour s.auee. — " ybvice," Ihrtage Co., 0. 
A Clicjip Tea talce. — Take 1 cup sour 
cream, 3 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 even tea- 
spoonful soda, flavor with vanilla. Beat the whole 
well together, and bake in a quick oven. — Mrs. M. 
Inijalls, Muscatine, Iowa. 
Delicate Cake. — T.ake 1 cup flour, 1 cup 
white sugar, Jo cup butter (stirred to a cream with 
the sugar before using), whites of 3 or 4 eggs stir- 
red in last. Flavor with vauilla, rose water, or 
lemon.— J/J-s. M. ImjaUs. • 
Cream Cakes.— Take 3 cups flour, 1 cup 
butter, }{ pint water; boil water and butter to- 
gether, and stir in the flour a little at a time while 
boiling. "When cold add 5 eggs beaten, and stir iu 
J^ te.aspoonful soda. Make into cakes }4 inch thick 
and 3 or 3 inches in diameter, and bake in .an oven 
ready hot, not disturbing them until of a light 
brown. For inside or cream, beat together 3 eggs, 
1 cup white sugar and J. 2 cup flour, and stir in 1 
pint of boiling milk, flavoring with lemon. Split 
the cake partly open with a knife, and put the 
cream inside. — Name of writer unknown. 
" Tomato "Wine.'"- To "Old Subscriber," 
Newark. We seldom notice any letters not accom- 
panied by the real names of the writers. You mis- 
take ; the Aynculturist (vol. 16, p. 336) did uot s.ay 
of the tomato wine or cordial made by the follow- 
ing recipe, " that it would puzzle the best judges 
to tell the diflTerence between it .and the best ma- 
deira," as you quote, but simply said, "to one 
skilled, even in grape vines, it is diffltult to dis- 
tinguish its oH^iH." The directions are: "Select 
and mash leell ripened fruit; press out the juice; 
add 1 pint water and 1 lb. sugar to each quart of 
the juice, and set away in a partially filled vessel to 
ferment similarly to grape wine. After fermenting 
sufficiently, put in tight liegs and keep in a cool 
dry cellar until spring, when it may be carefully 
drawn off and bottled, adding a small piece of 
ginger root to each bottle. When opened for use, 
a brisk effervescence takes place." [The " piece of ' 
ginger," if lai'ge enough, may make it a ginger 
wine, or ginger alcohol.— Ed.] 
ITIakiiig Pickles. — General Hint. — From 
an examination of a considerable number of the 
recipes most highly commended, and those found 
most ViiUiable iu our own experience, it appears 
that .almost all kinds of pickles keep far longer and 
are better, if the first pickle be poured off .after a 
week or two, and a new hot pickle be substituted. 
The first liquor extracts the disagreeable aud easily 
fermenting and molding proi^erties of the fruit or 
vegetables to be preserved. 
Svrcet Pickles. — Venj CoorZ.— The follow- 
i.ig directions, furnished to the American Agricul- 
tu, ist by Miss S. C. S., have been tested by us for 
several year's, and are well approved : For Sweet 
Apples, Pears or Quinces. — For }:{ peek of fruit, 
pared and cored, m.ake a syrup of 1 pintof vineg,ar 
and 3 lbs. of white sugar, aud cook the fruit ia it 
