220 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jtjne, 
may be fastened by .1 single strap under one side 
and a button, or by narrow tapes. Oat straw is the 
best. It is more soft than wheat or rye straw. To 
make it lie evenly, do not be contented to pull the 
straw up light, simply, but pull it from the higher 
parts iuto the lower one?, until the bed is of even 
thickness in different parts. It is aggravating to 
Cud the same hollows in the same spots night after 
night. Never fill them up by stuffing pillows or 
other articles under the mattress or under the lower 
spots in the bed, as I have seen bed-makers do. 
There is no trouble in making an even bed, if care is 
taken in stirring it. A mattress, ora comforter, or at 
least a bed-quilt, should lie between the straw bed 
and the sheet. Husks are preferred to straw by 
many; they are cleauer and more durable, but 
nervous people are sometimes much anuoyed by 
the rustling of the husks. 
Children's Bibs. — Common napkins do not 
serve the needs of children under six or eight years, 
at table, so well as bibs that may be tied or buttoned 
around the neck. They should be long enough to 
tuck under the table, or to cover the child's lap. 
A small gore in front, with a baud of right length, 
secures a good fit around the neck. I give a pattern 
(fig. 2), for those who need it. 
Bibs much like this are used for teething children. 
They are usually made of marseilles, or diaper- 
linen, and are lined. They may be scalloped and 
embroidered, or simply bound with braid. Some 
babies have them pinned down in front and behind 
with pretty little gold or fancy bib-pins. Hero also 
is a pattern (fig. 3), for the baby's bib, but it admits 
of variation. The table bib may be kept with the 
table napkins. A child should be encouraged to 
keep its bib clean and neat. 
Floating Island. — Having just learned a new 
wrinkle in making this ornamental and delicious 
form of custard, I am led to give the full recipe 
here, as I do not see it in any late numbers of the Ag- 
riculturist, and am not sure as it has appeared there. 
One quart of good milk. Heat this, add sugar 
" to the taste," and when nearly boiling, pour in 
the yolks of six eggs, thoroughly beaten, stirring 
briskly until the custard is cooked. Flavor as you 
like. Turn this into a suitable deep dish, and set it 
in a cool place. Beat the whites to a very stiff froth, 
turn them into a colander (here you have the " wrin- 
kle " which was new to me, but is old to some), 
and pour boiling water through the foam, shake it 
together, and turn it carefully upon the custard. 
Tou may scatter bits of jelly overthis, ornot, as you 
please. All custards should be cold when eaten. 
To separate the whites from the yolks is a tedious 
process, unless you know how. Then it is simple 
enough. Break the egg through the middle with 
a quick rap against the edge of the dish. Holding 
it over the dish, put your thumbs into the crevice, 
and pull the egg open into two cups. The yolk 
settles itself iuto one, a part of the albumen or 
white spills into the dish, and you can easily pour 
the rest off, turuing the yolk from one shell-cup to 
the other, beiug careful not to break it, until it is 
free from the white. Then turn it into the dish in 
which you will beat the yolks. Many persons have 
no idea what a " stiff froth " is, and stop beatiug 
the whites when they have just begun to foam. 
About using the Mop. — Mrs. L. H. 0., Wayne 
Co., N. Y., writes: Where one has a hard-wood 
oak or maple floor, strong hot soapsuds may be 
freely used. If, on the contrary, the floor is pine 
and nicely painted, it will need painting two or 
three times a year, if hot or even cold strong soap- 
suds is used. Hired girls and washerwomen often 
make sad havoc with the paint, soaping and even 
scouring with hot ashes. With a clean mop and 
clean soft warm or hot water, first run the mop 
all along the mop-boards, in the corners, on the 
thresholds, over the oilcloths and zincs, in the 
pantry, and all the particular places. Change the 
water before it assumes a muddy appearance. Draw 
out the table a little, and run a clean mop behind 
that. There is no need of breaking one's back, 
stooping down, if both mop and water are quite 
clean. It is the sign of an untidy woman to see 
grimed, dirty thresholds, mop-boards, and corners. 
It was the custom of the Dutch women living in 
those counties in the eastern parts of New York, 
and bordering on the Mohawk, to wash the floor on 
their hands and knees, with a lineu bag. This 
laborious manipulation was called "filing." Whole 
houses of uncarpeted floors were thus made to 
shine and gli6ten by these industrious women. 
Another Flour-Box. 
In March last we gave a plan for constructing a 
flour-box. One suggestion of this kind is quite 
sure to bring out others, and we have received from 
"L. B. H.," Bryan, O., an account of the manner 
in which he fitted up two flour-boxes in a house 
that he recently furnished. He sends us sketches 
and the following description : 
I first formed a base, 5 iiiches high and 1T_, 
inches wide. I placed one standard between the 
SH ELF ABOVE BO X 
>?! 
Ddi 
M 
Fig. 1.— DIAGRAM OF FLOUR-BOX. 
boxes and one outside of the two boxes ; they 
were 17 inches wide, 26 inches high, upon which I 
placed a shelf, 18 inches wide, which formed the 
base of a cupboard. I cut the end pieces (fig. 2) of 
the boxes 26j^ inches long and 16 inches wide. I 
made a line, }{ inch above the bottom end, and on 
that line, h% inches from the front edge of the 
board, made a point and struck an inch circle, to 
form a foot (a) to hold the box in place. I measured 
up the front edge from the line mentioned 3% 
inches, and made a point 
(6). I drew a line from 
that point to the center 
of the inch-circle ; I 
sawed it to the circle, 
and sawed also from 
the back edge on the 
line first mentioned to 
the circle, leaving a foot 
1 inch wide by % long. 
I cut a furrow across 
from the two lower cor- 
ners on the inside of 
the end-pieces, to re- 
ceive the bottom. From 
the top on the back 
edge of the end-piece I 
measured down \% 
inches, and rounded the 
end to that point. I used 
% lumber for front and back, rabbeting it to J- 3 ' iuch. 
I measured from the front of the dividing stands 
in 6 inches, and with an iuch-gouge I cut a socket 
or place for the foot to rest in the base-shelf, being 
particular about bringing the face of the box and 
the dividing stand even when the box was shut. 
Cast handles were put ou with screws, the feet were 
placed in the sockets, and the boxes were com- 
pleted. The boxes will stay open or shut, as desired. 
— — • — ■ « » »-• 
Cocoanut Pudding.— By Lizzie H — Grate one 
cocoanut, and mix with five rolled crackers ; pour 
over this mixture a pint and a half of scalded milk, 
add one pint of cream, six eggs— whites and yolks 
t«R5VJ 
Fig. 2. — END-PIECE. 
beaten separately — and sugar to taste. Eat cold, 
with cream and sugar. Nice for Sunday's dinner. 
How to Use Strawberries. 
The strawberry is a fruit of such delicate flavor 
that it is best enjoyed fresh from the vines, cither 
with sugar alone, or in the favorite form of straw- 
berries aud cream. All forms of preserved and 
canned strawberries are in point of flavor so much 
inferior to the fresh fruit, that they are among the 
most unsatisfactory of preserved or canned fruits. 
For the full enjoyment of strawberries, they should 
be allowed to remain upon the vines until thor- 
oughly ripe ; hence those purchased in market 
are seldom in their best condition. To allow them 
to bear transportation they must be picked as soon 
as they are colored, and before the slight softening 
that indicates full ripeness takes place. It is ouly 
those who grow their own fruit that can have them 
in this condition. After picking, the berries should 
be placed in a refrigerator to become somewhat 
cool, though not too cold. The fruit for the table 
should never be washed. Straw should have been 
placed around the vines in sufficient quantity to 
keep the fruit perfectly clean. Strawberries that 
have to be washed are only fit for preserves. 
Canned or rather bottled strawberries, while 
never good representatives of the fresh fruit, can 
be made much superior to those generally met with 
by a little care in the selection of the varieties. The 
Wilsou, on account of its acidity and firmness, is 
better than any of the soft varieties, and its defl 
ciency in flavor may be iu part overcome by using 
the juice of Russell's Prolific, Brooklyn Scarlet, or 
other high-flavored variety for the syrup. 
Strawberry Ice-Cream is liked by many, aud it 
allows the fruit to be used in a form which presents 
a pleasing variety. A quart of berries is sprin- 
kled over with half a ponud of flue white sugar. 
After standing for three hours, the berries are 
mashed aud the juice strained. Add another half- 
pound of sugar to the juice, and a quart of fresh 
cream stirred in gradually. Freeze in the usual 
manner. This may be varied by adding to thc- 
cream when it is partly frozen a pint of uusugared 
berries, and when this is done it is necessary to add 
an extra enpful of sugar to the juice that is pressed 
from the first berries, aud mixed with the cream. 
Strawberry Shortcake is generally popular, 
and we have heretofore given recipes for it. We 
now give one from Marion Ilarlaud's "Common- 
Sense." We have not yet tried it, but we have gen- 
erally found her approved recipes excellent. She 
takes 1 quart flour, 3 table-spoonfuls butter, 1 large 
cup sour cream or very richloppered milk, 1 egg, I 
table-spoonful white sugar, 1 teaspoonful soda 
dissolved in warm water, 1 saltspoon of salt. Chop 
up the shortening in the salted flour as for pastry. 
Add the eggs and soda to the milk ; put all together, 
handling as little as may be. Roll lightly and 
quickly iuto two sheets, the one intended for the 
upper crust fully half an inch thick, the lower less 
than this. Lay one crust upon the other, and bake. 
While warm— not hot. — separate them. Lay upon 
the lower a thick coating, several deep, of straw- 
berries ; sprinkle powdered sugar over them ; cover 
with the upper crust. 
Keeping Hams. — "E. R. A. S.," Hardinsburgb, 
Ind., sends the following: After your meat is well 
smoked, procure some clean, dry ashes, and have 
some water handy ; take down the hams, moisten 
them a little so that the ashes will stick, put the 
ashes on them, and give them a good rubbing, and 
hang them up agaiu. Any person trying this will 
find that the meat will keep sweet and nice, and 
will not be troubled with any insects on the hams. 
I have put mine up in this way for three seasons, 
and find it docs well. 
Orange Pie.— By Lizzie II.— Take the pulp and 
juice of two oranges, with a little of the grated 
peel, three eggs, one cup of milk, and one of sugar, 
Stir the sugar with the yolks, and add to the orange 
juice ; next add the mill;, and then whites of cl':^< 
