1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
53 
Garden Seeds— Look Out for Them Now. 
Every good gardener should now be looking 
after the seed Ihat he is to sow next spring. Of 
the imported varieties, the supply will probably 
be much less than the demand, and even of 
home-grown seeds the stock frequently gives 
out by planting lime, as was the case with onion 
seed last year. It is scarcely necessaiy to in- 
sist upon the importance of good seeds — good 
not only as being of a good sort or strain, but 
good as to their germinating power. Old seeds 
are often a source of great loss and disappoint- 
ment, and many are sold each year which are 
only fit to be thrown into the fire. It is espe- 
cially difficvilt to procure at a distance from 
seedsmen of reputation, seeds on which one can 
rely with confidence. Seedsmen put up their 
boxes of seeds with a flaming printed label, 
" Warranted Fresh." All very true and fair for 
the first year ; but when these boxes of seeds 
are brought out year after year for many years, 
it is neither true nor fair. Many kinds of seeds 
will not vegetate after the first or second year. 
The only honest way is for the dealer to label 
his boxes with the year in which they were put 
up, leaving it to the purchaser to decide for 
himself whether or no they are "fresh" enough 
for his use. Test by sprouting a.few of each lot. 
Propagating Hyacinths, 
■ — • 
Hyacinth bulbs are imported from Holland, 
where large fiirms ai'e devoted to their propa- 
gation. Our correspondent, F. Scholer, of Long 
Island, states that he can raise bulbs as good 
as the foreign ones, and nearly as cheaply as 
onions. Having some bulbs in which the heart, 
or central bud had decayed, he planted them in 
autumn, and found in spring, that numerous 
small bulbs were formed around each old one, 
in one case to the number of 34. These when 
taken up in .July were found to be about the 
size of one's thumb; they were planted again in 
autumn, and the following summer when they 
were lifted, were found to be equal in size and 
quality to the imported ones. Acting otl this 
hint, he afterward removed the central bud from 
bulbs by means of a knife, and succeeded in get- 
ting a crop of small bulbs. The experiment is 
easily tried, and we see no reason why, if suffi- 
cient pains be taken, good bulbs may not be 
as easily grown in our own gardens as abroad. 
How to Begin Housekeeping 
" Molly Homcspuu " writes to the American Ag- 
yiniltnrisl : " Something more is required in honse- 
kceping than recipes for civkcs and cookies, though 
tlicse arc very good, but rattier costly these times, 
with sugar at 30 cents a pound. I write for young 
housekeepers, and commence with the kitchen, 
the most necessai-y room in a house. Before going 
to housekeeping, the young wife should know just 
how much can be afforded to furnish the house with, 
and then commence at the kitchen, instead of the 
parlor; and every mcirricd woman, rich or poor, 
should know what is needed there for order and 
despatch. The kitchen should be as large as can be 
.iflforded. Nest, have plenty of good soft water, if 
you can get it. Have a pipe come up over the top 
of the sinlj, with a faucet to draw the water from. 
Let the sink be large, aud on one cud have three or 
four slats nailed crosswise, to set dishes in to drain. 
This will save many hours labor in the course of a 
year, besides the wash and wear of a dish wiper, 
^MgBhllMiilllii^miia.i 
iaiiiaai/mniainidSI, 
A CONVKMENT KllL'IIKN SKvK, 
the w.ishing of which is quite an item, if it is 
alw.ays kept clean ; and allow anything else in the 
kitchen rather than a dirty dish-wiper. Have a 
board on one side of the siuk to put the dishes ou 
after draining. This will also be convenient for 
dishes while serving up a dinner, and will answer 
every purpose of a table to mix and iron on, and 
for many other little things which require a table." 
Our artist has sketched such a convenient ar- 
rangement, with one ortwo .additions. Two faucets 
are represented above the siuk. In many dwellings, 
arrangements are made for a flow of either hot or 
cold water, which is greatly desirable. A shelf un- 
der the siuli is convenient for pots and kettles, aud 
a small cupboard under the draining board will not 
come amiss. The waste pipe uaderneiitb has an 
" S " curve, or trap, to prevent a draught of foul 
air rising through the drain. The entrance to the 
waste pipe in the sink should be covered with 
wire netting, or perforated metal not easily rusted. 
»-< ■■■ •-• 
Economical Cooking. 
How to live cheaply and at the same time health- 
fully, is a problem which many would be glad to 
solve. A few hints in this direction may be of ser- 
vice. Flour or some equivalent is an essential, but 
superfine wheat ilour, for constant use, is not essen- 
tial, and quite an item may be saved by purchasing 
whe.at,instcad of barreled flour, and having it ground 
without bolting. The use of this wheat meal a 
portion of the time, will conduce to health, and 
perhaps save another item in the doctor's bill. 
Uye flour is not near as expensive as fine wheat 
flour, and corn meal is considerably less also ; 
it will pay therefore to use to some exteut the good 
old fashioned rye and Indian bread. A very sweet 
bread may be made of com meal alone, with no 
addition but pure water, if baked quickly in thin 
sheets. If you have milk to use with it, there are 
many excellent ways of preparing corn and corn 
meal, to accompany it, and this grain m.ay proper- 
ly be used largely in winter. Many have forgotten 
how people used to hull corn by the use of we.ak 
ley, and what an amount of good solid food may 
be prepared thus from two or three quarts of corn. 
New Dent corn makes excellent hulled corn, and 
eaten with cream and maple sugar, or with milk, 
or milk and butter, or cream alone, is good enough, 
and very nutritious. Butter and lard are very high ; 
it may interest some to be reminded that butter- 
milk with a slight addition of butter or other short- 
euing— that which comes from boiled beef should 
not be overlooked— makes a healthful and very 
good pie-crust. For pics, if apples are scarce, re- 
member the pumpkins and squashes ; good pump- 
kin pies can be prepared without eggs, by making 
the milk used, or a portion of it, into a flour por- 
ridge before stirring the 
pumpkin into it. Custard 
pie m.ay be made without 
eggs also, from milk flour 
porridge, by adding the 
necessary pastry and sea- 
soning. Custards may he 
made in the same way, 
or with Irish moss, or ren- 
net. Samp from Indian 
meal makes a very palat- 
able pie in imitation of 
rice. B.aked apples are a 
good and most wholesome 
substitute for pics, and 
they save sugar. Good 
cake may be made with 
thin sour cream and soda, 
without eggs, or butter- 
Mince pies, to be very 
good, need not have all 
the customary ingredients 
—dried berries may he 
substituted for raisins, 
and if you have blackberry 
pickles, try them — they 
are good. Grecu Hub- 
bard squashes prepared as pumpliins are fixed 
for pies, are relished by some, and it is a very 
good way to use them up. Rutabagas cost much 
less than potatoes, per bushel, and are certainly 
good food. Beaus are high, but they give more 
nutriment for the same money than many lower 
priced articles of food. Onions eaten with pota- 
toes are a good substitute for meat. With plenty 
of vegetables, milk, and fruit, meats are not essen- 
tial. Health and strength can be maintained with- 
out pork, notwithstanding the high opinion many 
have of its strength-producing quality. 
How to Make Good Bread. 
The subject of making good bread was pretty 
thoroughly discussed in the Ameriran AfjrtcuUurtst 
last year, by various correspondents. But as we 
can scarcely have too much light ou such a subject, 
and especially for the bcneflt of thousands of new 
subscribers, we iJublish the following plain aud 
practical hints contributed l3y a lady who has always 
made her own bread, and made it good, for years : 
"Of course we want good flour to begin with, 
and I always want some good potatoes, and hops 
■also. Then I make what I call ' stock yeast ' which 
I always take rare to keep on hand, as it will keep 
good from four to six weeks — aud I have kept 
it eight, but think it better not quite so old — it is 
easily done. It is made as follows : Boil two or 
three handfuls of loose hops in two quarts of water, 
one and one half hours, then strain the liquor ou 
two tablespooufuls of Hour previously wet with 
cold water, to prevent its lumping ; stir well aud 
let it stand until milk warm. Add two thirds of 
a cup of yeast, let It ferment twelve or fifteeu hours 
In a warm room, then bottle for use. Any sweet 
hop ye.ast will do to start the above, after which 
brew before you are out, and start from the same. 
Sh.ake this yeast well when wanted to use. 
I then malie a ferment which I use to raise the 
bread, as follows: Wash clean, .and boil soft, say 
two quarts of potatoes, mash fine with one half the 
quantity of flour while hot, reduce with cold water 
so as not to scald, add half a cup of stock yeast and 
let It ferment eight or ten hours or until It begins 
to fall at the top, when it is ready for use. It may 
be strained before or after fermentation. I usually 
strain It through a colander. It will be about as 
thick before fermentation as dough prepared for 
fritters. We may use any quantity of this we choose, 
as it has no bitter or unpleasant haste, of course 
the more we use, the quicker the bread will rise. 
This will keep in cold weather about two weeks, 
In summer not as long. Yeast and ferment should 
always be kept in a cool place ready for use ; freez- 
ing or scalding will entirely destroy their virtue. 
In the evening I Lay my sponge, using one third 
