1863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
183 
use. It was said " that a person riding by a house 
early one morning, discovered a pair of enormous 
leg6 and I'eet hanging out of the window. On in- 
quiry, it was found that some plaster had accident- 
ally been mixed with the flour for tea biscuits. The 
' fertilizing' effeet6 were so great that the man had, 
during the night, grown so fast as to have his legs 
extend through the windows and bending down at 
the knees, his feet touched ground." They would 
probably have taken root but for the disturbance of 
the early passer by ! This is a fact of course— just 
as much so as one half the stories of the wonderful 
effects of many of the manufactured manures. Ed.] 
To Put up Strawberries, etc. 
We have had all Winter, and are still using, some 
of last year's crop of strawberries, in excellent 
order and flavor. They were chiefly kept in Potter 
& Bodine's Jars, the most convenient, aud every 
thing considered, the best of the tweuty odd kinds 
we have tried thus far. (Many patent jars promis- 
ing well have cost us loss of time, fruit, aud sugar, 
to fiud out that they were poor. The porcelain-lin- 
ed iron jars are the best of all, but are rather too 
costly for general use, though possibly cheapest in 
the long run ) The best plan is, to fill the jars with 
strawberries, then pour in a syrup made by boiling 
)4 lb. to 1 lb. white sugar in a quart of water. The 
Jars are then set down nearly to their necks in cold 
or lukewarm water in a wash boiler, aud the water 
heated to boiling. When the berries have had time 
to barely cook through, the jars are lifted out, and 
one is used to till up all shrinkage hi the others, so 
that they shall be quite full. Wipe the top clean 
with a damp cloth while they arc still hot. The 
covers are then put on and fastened tightly. Set 
into the cellar or any cool room. We put up 144 
quart jars last year, of different kinds of fruit, aud 
only lost by fermentation two bottles of tomatoes. 
When the above, or other good jars, are not acces- 
sible, common juuk bottles, thorougly cleaued, or 
Other glass bottles or jars, may be used, as we 
know by many successful trials. Tightly fitting 
soft corks, tied in, answer well for covers. It is 
best to make these surely air tight, by dipping the 
corks and necks when dry, but still hot, into a ce- 
ment made by melting together an ounce of lard 
and about a pound of rosin. Simple beeswax, or 
grafting wax, will answer.— The fruit may be first 
cooked with a small quantity of syrup, in a por- 
celain lined, or even a tinned vessel, aud then dip- 
ped into the previously warmed jars or bottles, seal- 
ing up as soon as the air bubbles have risen aud 
their place is filled with more cooked fruit. This 
mode is more convenient, but does not preserve the 
shape and flavor of the fruit as well as the other 
way. The smaller the amount of sugar, the better 
will the natural flavor be preserved. We use just 
sugar enough to fit the fruit fertile table. 
The above directions answer for other berries, 
cherries, peaches, and for other fruits, except that 
pears, quiuecs, cherries, etc., require longer cook- 
ing to heat them through. Tomatoes need boiling 
down one half, both to save room and to make 
them keep well. The above method is infinitely 
better and cheaper than the old mode of preserv- 
ing with a large and unnecessary quantity of sugar. 
: That Squeaking Door." 
"Careful! careful! Don't open that door; it 
squeaks [creaks] so, it will wake baby up." This 
was what the writer heard when making a call, the 
other day, and what has been heard in a hundred 
or thousand other houses. Many mothers go on a 
whole year watching the creaking door, lest it 
" wake baby up," or disturb a sick one. It may 
seem a small matter, hut Mr. Editor, please tell all 
such mothers that read the American Agriculturist, 
to take a few drops of oil in a spoon, or a little 
fresh lard, and w:iu the finger rub a trifle upon all 
the door hinges at the points where they wear 
bright, ncu the creaking will be stopped for months 
at least. A minute's time on a door, will save hours 
of time in watching it, or in getting the baby to 
sleep after being waked up. Housekeeper. 
•-. _» ♦»— ,-• 
Vinegar from Clover 
L. C. Cook, Saratoga Co., N. Y., sends the Agricul- 
turist, the following as a substitute for good eider 
vinegar: Take 2 qts. red clover blossoms and 10 
qts. of water, boil five miuutes, strain, and add 1 lb. 
sugar, 1 pint molasses. Put it into a stone jar, and 
when lukewarm, add four tablespooufuls of good 
yeast. Put 2 qts. more of clover blossoms on the 
top of the liquid, cover close, set in the sun, and in 
four weeks you will have a cheap and good article. 
[Spent tea leaves, and indeed almost any kind of 
vegetable material will make vinegar, when mixed 
with sugar aud yeast. The acetic acid, or vinegar, 
is maiuly produced by the sugar, the yeast starting 
the acetous fermentation. The vegetable matter 
affects the flavor, and perhaps the clover blossoms 
may give a flavor pleasing to many persons. It 
will cost little labor or trouble to try it.— Ed.] 
Directions for Curing Beef. 
Contributed to the American, Agriculturist by 
Joseph n. Alexander, St. Charles Co., Mo. "For 
100 pounds of beef, take 10 lbs. salt, 4 ozs. of salt- 
petre, 1 quart molasses, 6 gals, water. Boil the 
mixture, skimming off the impurities; and having 
cut up and packed the beef in a tight vessel, pour 
the mixture on the beef hot, boiliDg hot. The beef 
is ready for use as soon as it is cool. Some recipes 
say take twelve lbs. of salt instead of ten, but from 
actual experience I have become satisfied that ten 
pounds will make the meat more palatable — being 
one pound of salt to ten pounds of beef." 
Clmrlotte Russe Pudding'. — Contrib- 
uted to the Agriculturist by " C. E. M." Heat three 
piuts of milk to near the boiling point. Stir into it 
the yolks of eight eggs, and one large tablcspoon- 
ful of corn starch. Let it thicken a little, and 
sweeten and flavor to the taste. Lay slices of 
sponge cake in a pudding dish, pour over them the 
pudding, add to the top of it the whites of the 
eight eggs well beaten, set it in the oven and let it 
brown slightly, when it is ready for the table. 
Rice Pudding.— Contributed to the Agri- 
culturist by " E. F. S." Boil }{ pint of rice in milk 
until soft ; then stir it gradually, while still hot, 
into the well-beaten yolks of 4 eggs, aud add i ta- 
blespooufuls of sugar, and flavor- if desired. Beat 
the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add to them 
4 tablespooufuls of pulverized sugar, and a little 
flavor, pour over the prepared pudding, and set in 
the oven until nicely browned. 
Apple Pudding'. — Contributed to the Ag- 
riculturist, by Mrs. M. E. Goodwin, Litchfield Co., 
Conn. Fill a dish \}4 inches deep with sour ap- 
ples pared aud quartered. Spread over them a bat- 
ter made of ll.l eupfuls of flour, a little salt, % tea- 
spoonful of saleratus, aud wet with milk (loppered 
milk is best), to make it as thick as the batter can 
be spread. Bake in a quick oven, and when done, 
turn it bottom upward on a platter, and sprinkle 
with sugar, or serve with any sauce. 
Suet. Pudding 1 . — Contributed to the Agri- 
culturist by "E. F. S." 3^ Pint finely chopped suet, 
% pint molasses, }{ pint sweet milk, % pint raisins, 
1 tablespoonful ginger, 1 teaspoonful soda, 2 tea- 
spoonfuls cream tartar, and flour enough to make 
it a little stiffer than pound cake. Boil two hours ; 
eat with liquid sauce. 
Mica Oiiuiueys have been tried for lamps, 
but the smoke and dust collecting on or between 
the laminae soon render them opaque. But for this 
fact, they would be very valuable, as no amount of 
heat would break them. 
To Sweep Carpets. — A Correspondent says : 
Mix corn meal with water to a stiff dough, and 
sprinkle over the carpet before sweeping. It re- 
moves all dust so as to give a beautiful clearness to 
the colors. — We have seen the same " prescription" 
going the rounds of the papers— but it appears 
nonsensical, jjlnless mixed so dry and compact 
to remain in lumps, the meal would sweep into 
carpet, aud literally bedaub it; while if not 
enough to moisteu the fabric, how could it brighten 
the colors? Coarse tea leaves, swept along 
moist, would remove the dust and lint, without 
soiling the carpet.— Ed. American Agrvculhi 
mm 
& 0M1E3L3 5 
Answers to Problems and Puzzles 
in May No. (page 151). No. 37. Illustrated Rebus.— 
" Man W ants butt little h ear below nor W ants T hat 
little 1 on G :" or. Man wants but little here below. Nor 
wants that little long. No. 38. Problem.— Answer: Three 
small yards were made, one enclosing three, another five, 
and the remaining one, seven sheep ; and a fence was 
then built around the whole three enclosures. — No. £9. 
Arithmetical Problem. Answer. A. dug 27.18 rods; B. 
32.48 rods; C. 40.34 rods.— Note. By an error in the type 
the answer to the clock problem (No. 16) on page 151, 
was given as April 15lli ; it should read April lilh. 
The following have sent in correct answers to recent 
puzzles and questions ; the numbers indicate the prob- 
lems answered by each. George Eicock, 33, 36: Wm. 
E. Hower, 06 ; Augustus Reifsteck, 35 ; W. Geo. Waring, 
36: George Seliick, 30; Willie 11. Paine, 35; Frank A. 
Baker. 36 ; Lucy R. Weeks, 35, 36 ; L. O. Gay, 36 ; C. 
Iloagland Jr., 36; H. Bowers. 36; Jersey Blue, 36; G. 
C. Landers, 36; Howard S. Ingersoll, L5, 36; P. If. 
Doolittle, 35; Wiley McCaughey, 36; Daniel S. Carver, 
36; Jno. M. S.,35; Horace M. Deeble, 37 ; W. H. Ad 
ams, 35 ; E. F. M., 37 ; Mary A. Purdy, 37 . A. G. Til 
linghast, 37, 38 ; Pwiford S. Nuble, 37 ; Isaac McGay, Jr., 
37,38; E. Alston, 37, 38; Maggie Whitescll, 37 ; Lima 
Maria Taber, 37 ; James Williamson, 37 ; J. McCulloch, 
39; G. W. Kittermaii, 38; Helen V. Wilson, 35. 3? I 
B. S., 37 ; Fred. E. Parker, 37; Robert W. Vasey. 31 
J. Leander Purdy, 37. 38; E. Knapp, 37 ; Wist C. Wil 
liams, 37 ; Samuel W. Fleming, 38; D. G. Jones, :.7. 6. 
39; Frank A. Baker, 38; J. D. M., 37, 38 ; Henry H. 
Osgood, 36, 37, 3S, 39 , ■• O. K,"37; Charles II. M 
37; George McKelly, 37; Isaac D. Tliarp. 38; Sue R. 
Coles, 37 ; " Hoosier Alice," 37, 38 ; George F. Weekes, 
37; N. E. Anderson, 37 ; W. M. Bowdisli, 87, 33; Ste- 
phen S. Swisher, 37 ; Manie E. Hagerly, 37 ; J. J. Howe, 
37 ; Mary L. Wint, 37 , D. S. Carver, 37 ; E. C. Long. 37 , 
F. C. Smith, 37 ; Mollie Darling, 37, 38 ; C. Iloagland, 37. 
New Puzzles to l»e Answered. 
No. 40. Illustrated Rebus.— A true and pithy saying. 
No. 41. Illustrated Rebus. — A very familiar proverb. 
X 
No. 42. Mathematical Problem. — Two men were equal 
partners In the purchase of 160 acres of land ; the differ- 
ence in quality was such that 60 acres on one side was 
equal to 80 acres on the other side. How many acres 
should each man have, allowing the quality of theii re- 
spective shares to differ in the ahove ratio ? 
No. 43. Riddle. The answer should be full of sen so, 
I'm full of brains, yet never had a mind ; 
I'm higher than Hie creates! of mankind , 
I daily lose my head for honor's sake ; 
Though often in a nap, no sleep I b ke. 
At ease I rest upon the sent of power. 
And to the ladies add a perfect tower ; 
Yet who can tell (for pride must have a fall) 
How long my form shall be discerned ut all. 
