AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
in variously sliaped flaslcs and bottles, as well as in 
large jars ancrijarrcls. With us its use as food is 
mainly confined to dressing salads, ete., but in 
Europe, it is largely employed for most of the pur- 
poses for which we use butter and lard. The infe- 
rior kinds of oil are consumed in large quantities 
for burning, for oiling machinery, and for other use. 
Cheese from a few Cows. 
The communication from a " Farmer's Wife," 
upon making cheese from a few cows, published 
last June, seems to have mot the wants of a num- 
ber of our readers. Mrs. Ellen Whiteomb, of Del- 
aware Co., Iowa, writes a pleasant account of her 
success, and as her ingenuity in overcoming some 
difficulties may be of use to others, we give the 
following extract from her letter : 
" I quite disagree with the ' Western Boy,' in s.ay- 
ing the Aiji-icitUurist is not adapted to the West. I 
think wherever people are, whether East or West, 
they may learn some thing. I have all the love for 
the West that any one can boast, still I have learned 
a great many things from the columns of your pa- 
per, indeed I could not do without it. As I .was 
putting my cheese to press this morning, I thought 
I would write and tell you how much benefit your 
paper was to me, and perhaps my experience 
might help some one else ; and also to express 
my thanks for the timely assistance in making my 
cheese, derived from it. This spring I said I want- 
ed to make cheese with two cows, my neighbors, 
who thought they must have sixteen or twenty, 
laughed, and guessed I would make a largo cheese 
with two cows, one of them being farrow, and we 
have a jiet lamb that drinks four or five quarts a 
day. I did not like to give up, but never having 
seeu a cheese made, and not liking to ask them 
how, I was still undecided, when the June Agyi- 
euUurlst came with those plain and sensible direc- 
tions. Now, I said, I will have a cheese. My hus- 
band said he would li.x a press if I would try to 
make one. I got a peclc measure for a hoop, and 
the rennet from a neighbor, but then I had no 
linen cloth for a strainer; never mind, some old 
thiu cloth would do for all I should make. The next 
ditliculty was, we had no cheese basket — well, the 
eolander \vuuUl do, and now I was ready. The first 
cheese being too salt and rather thin, I then thought, 
to put three curds into one, I tried it, jjuttingeach 
curd into the jn'ess, and pressing lightly, so that it 
would not sour, then the third day I crumbled the 
too first with last, and pressed them all together, 
and a very nice cheese was the result, and you may 
well believe I was proud of it. Now I have three, 
and they all admit I can make cheese from two 
cows, for which I thank the paper and the lady 
who wrote for it." 
New and Beautiful Embroidery. 
The growing appreciation of elegant embroidery 
as a means of beautifying and enriching garments 
and fabrics, is an evidence of increasing refinement 
in taste, which all lovcr»of the natural, as developed 
in the artistic, must rejoice to see. Not a little of 
this interest and appreciation is owing to the new 
methods of accomplishing the work, rendering it 
infinitely more effective, as well as greatly abridg- 
ing the tediousness of the process. A few years 
ago, embroidery was never seen excei^ting upon a 
few articles of clothing, or household adornment, 
belonging to the very we.althy. Ladies could not 
even afford to hire it done, so costly was it, on ac- 
count of the length of time consumed in its pro- 
duction. What their own industry .and skill could 
not .achieve in the art of ornament.al needle-work, 
they were obliged to do without ; but so highly 
prized were the comparatively crude results of their 
dainty fingers, that the most valued gift a lady could 
bestow on her lover, was a scarf embroidered with 
her own hands. Could the bright eyes that grew 
dim during the months, and even years, that were 
frequently occupied in M'eaviug solemnly grotesque 
roses and most alarming leaves on silk or wool, 
have seen the brilliant and graceful shapes which 
grow into life with the rapidity of thought in these 
latter days, through the instrumentality of the 
Grover & Baker Sewing Machine, they would have 
looked with disgust upon what h.ad before been a 
source of much satisfaction, and believed that the 
magic of the past had been transferred to the future, 
and instead of Jhe lamp of Aladdin, found its home 
in the modern sewing-machine. 
The facility with which the most diCBcult and 
elaborate patterns are executed by this machine, 
added to the exquisite beauty of the workmanship, 
h.as m.ade it the most fashionable of decorations, 
not only for children's garments and morning 
wrappers, but for dresses of rich materi.al, and the 
finest of carriage .and opera cloaks. The carriage- 
rug of the Princess of Wales, displaj'ed every day 
in her rides in Hyde Park, is embroidered in white 
silk, in the Grover & Baker stitch, which, accord- 
ing to the QiKCH and other English fiishion journals, 
is exciting a furore abi-oad. A great advantage in 
embroidery is the union of strength and elasticity, 
for which the sewing of the Grover & Baker Ma- 
chine has alw.ays been famous, and which renders 
it smooth, even, and perfect, without irregularity 
or liability to rip. Altogether, this embroidery 
promises to take a distinguished pl.aee in ornamen- 
tal workmanship abroad as well as at home, and 
must greatly add to the esteem in which this 
favorite machine has always been held. 
A Libel on the Tomato. 
The following precious nonsense is going the 
rounds of the agricultural and other papers : " A 
good medical authority ascribes to the tomato the 
following very important medical qualifications : 
1st. That the tomato is one of the most powerful 
aperients of the liver and other organs ; where 
calomel is indicated, it is one of the most effective 
and the least harmful medical .agents known to the 
profession. 3d. That a chemical extract will be 
obtained from it that will supersede the use of cal- 
omel in the cure of diseases. 3d. That he has suc- 
cessfully treated diarrhoea with this article alone. 
4th. That when used as an article of diet, it is al- 
most sovereign for dyspepsia and indigestion," ete. 
This we regard as a sort of double-header, being 
a wrong to the medical profession, and a libel upon 
our most excellent friend the tomato. No " good 
medical authority " ever wrote himself down such 
a stupid as to accuse a tomato-vine of being an 
apothecary's shop, or a pair of Doctor's saddle- 
bags. Just think what a condition our livers must 
be in .at the close of the tomato season, after being 
so powerfully " .aperiented," to say nothing of the 
" other organs." The whole thing savors of the 
most arr.ant quackery. The tomato extract dodge 
was tried years ago, and we had " Tomato pills, 
will cure .all ills," as the quack epidemic for its 
day. Let no lover of the delicious tomato be de- 
terred from enjoying it for fear of taking anything 
bearing the slightest resemblance to calomel or 
any other medicine, but eat as many .as he likes 
without thinking of his liver or the doctor. 
To get Rid of Flies.— R. F. Watson con- 
tributes to the Agriculturist the following simple 
method of destroying flies without poison. Nearly 
fill a common tumbler with strong soap suds. Then 
nail a small board on the end of a pole long enough 
to reach the ceiling. Place the tumbler on the 
bo.ard and keep it in place by three nails, or pins 
inserted in holes around it. Then in the evening, 
make the room rather dark, and when the flies have 
settled on the ceiling, clap the tumbler over them ; 
they will fiy into the suds, and make a good 
breakfast for the chickens. 
Xo RemoTe Ureen Com from the 
<j"ol>. — H. G. Bulkley writes to the American Aijri- 
ddturisi : " If you would leave as much of the hull 
.as possible on the cob, take a piece of sheet iron, 
say 3x6 inches, and cut or file some teeth in one 
edge. Let the teeth be 3-10 in. in length, and a little 
less distance apart. Then set the car on end, and 
with the teeth scrape from top to bottom two or 
three times, which thoroughly splits the kernels, 
and with the b.ack edge scrape it clean. This can 
be done with great rapidity, whether the corn is 
previously boiled or not. Some prefer to fasten 
the iron to a firm block, aud then move the ear first 
over the teeth, aud then over a smooth edge, 
(listened near by." 
^Vliat to do ^vith Old Itoot I^cg^s. — 
"F.armer" writes to the Agriculturist: "Old boot 
legs are worth very little as mending material. 
The best use that I h,ave found for them is, to cut 
the legs off low down, draw the legs on, put on 
your shoes, letting the legs come low down ovet 
the shoes. If plowing, or walking through mud, 
wet grass, etc., put your pants inside, and the leg- 
gings will answer about as well as a jiair of boots 
entire, and cost about half as much." 
Hints on Cooking:, etc. 
Itread at Sea. — A correspondent at sea, on 
the U. S. Steamer, Fort Jackson, inquires how to 
make good bread there, where no yeast can be ob- 
tained. Will some capable landswoman please in- 
form him. The same instructions ^^'ill also be wel- 
come to several, who ask how to make yeast when 
one has none to start with. 
Chi-istina»« Piiddlug"«vithoHt Egfg-s. 
— 1 lb. of raisins, stoned, 1 lb. of currants, washed 
and dried, 1 lb. beef suet, shred very fine, 1 lb. 
brown sugar, 1 lb. flour, sifted, Jo lb. candied orange 
peel, 6 ozs. bread crumbs, 1 teaspoonful of mixed 
si>ice, }i pint of milk, 1 teasiioonful salt, the out- 
side rind of two large carrots scraped fine ; all to 
be well mixed together, and poured into a mould 
and covered with thick paper, then with a good 
cloth and tied tight, plunged into boiling water 
and kept boiliug six hours. To insure a pudding " 
turning out whole, it is a good plan after taking it 
out of the boiling water to dip it instantly into cold. 
Hard jVIolasscs Gingerbread. — Take 
"Ja cujjs molasses, ^g cup of shortening, butter is 
preferable, fill the cup with boiling water, stir un- 
til the bntter is dissolved, a tablespoonful ginger, 
a teaspoonful soda, stir quickly ; knead with flour 
enough to make it hard, roll thin, bake in a quick 
oven twenty minutes. 
moIas.*>es Sponge Cake. — Mix 1 cup of 
molasses, 1% of flour, 3 eggs, and a teaspoonful of 
soda. Bake in a quiclc oven. 
To Clean <Scesc. — A farmer's wife says, 
after pulling off the feathers, put the goose in a 
tub, pulverize some rosin and rub a little into the 
down ; then pour hot water upon it and rub off the 
down with the hand. Proceed in this way until 
all the down is removed. 
Rest Method for Keeping' Reef.— 
Cut up the meat in pieces as large as you desire. 
Pack it in a barrel, or cask. Then make a brine as 
follows : IJ^ lbs. salt to 1 gallon water, 1 oz. salt- 
petre to 100 lbs. beef, 1 tablespoonful of ground 
pepper to 100 lbs. beef. Put in the salt and salt- 
petre and heat it boiling hot, skim it, then add the 
pepper. Pour it on the beef boiliug hot and cover 
closely. Tour meat will be good and fresh any 
time. The philosophy is this — The hot brine closes 
the pores on the surface, preventing decay aud the 
meat from getting too salt. Try it. If necessary 
scald the brine over in the spring, or put on a new 
bi-ine. Farmers can in this w.ay have fresh meat 
nearly all the time. The meat should be taken as 
soon as it is cold, before it has acquired auy old 
taste by exposure to the atmosphere. 
Another good '*Vaj" to heep Meat.— 
Cut it in slices ready to broil or fry for the table. 
Then putting down in a jar one Laying of meat, 
sprinkle with salt .and jiepper, aud so continue till 
the jar is filled, cover closely and set in the coolest 
part of the cellar. It will keep a long time, for 1 
and my neigbors have tried it. — A Country Womari, 
