348 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
Fig. 8, is an InBide view. See description in the text 
passes up through a hole in the cover. The coil 
spring, _D, supports the frame at any desired hight, 
and is adjusted to a heavy or light weight above, 
by turning the ratchet wheel at C, which is ac- 
cessible by pulling out the drawer (F, Fig. 1.) 
As will be seen by the engravings, all the 
apparatus can be taken apart readily ; and nearly 
all but the horse can be packed into the Ottoman. 
This is 32 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 15 inches 
high. With the shaft lowered, it answers as a 
seat or Ottoman, (fig. 5,) and is therefore a conve- 
nient as well as neat piece of house furniture, with 
no cradle rockers projecting and always in the way. 
The pictures, with the explanations given, will 
readily show the utility of the apparatus. It is 
made in different styles, from very plain up to the 
highest finish, and varies in price from $22 to $100 
or more, according to circumstances and taste of the 
purchaser. The different styles of finish are Bhown 
in the different figures ; thus one in the style of 
fig. 4 is $25 ; fig. 2 is $30 to $35 ; fig. 3 is $42 to $45 ; 
and so on. — The weight of the whole, packed up, 
is about 100 lbs. The horse (fig. 7) is $4 to $6 extra. 
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Household Notes for December. 
"Molly Greenfield" contributes the following 
to the American Agriculturist: "Let every boy 
and girl have some regular work to do before and 
|after school, aud see that it is done well. Let it be 
" the business of one to cut the wood, of another to 
bring it up, another to milk the cow, take care of 
the poultry, 6hovel the snow-paths ; one daughter 
should wash the dishes, another sweep chambers, 
and when old enough, each take turn as mistress 
of the table, cooking, etc. Make them understand 
that only an extraordinary occurrence will excuse 
them from their daily duties. Do this for their sake 
as well as to aid in the work. Industrious habits 
are of great value. On the other hand, allow them 
ample time for play, lest they find home a dull 
place. Begin to eat the first meal before daylight, 
or adopt the two-meal-a-day system. A woman 
can do little else if she cooks three meals between 
daylight and dark, and the stomach has not time to 
digest one meal before another drops in. Avoid 
late suppers. For supper never eat warm bread, 
soups, or anything else not easily digested. The 
nightmare isn't always pleasant. Get the little ones 
to bed early, that they may form habits of early 
rising, and accustom them to obedience to the first 
call in the morning Good health and vigor are 
far more valuable than pleasing the eyes of vain 
people. Therefore do not send the little girls to 
school with thin stockings and short pantalets, 
or low-necked and short-sleeved dresses. Let their 
limbs be warmly clothed with thick flannel or knit 
under-drawers, woolen stockings, and stout calf- 
skin boots. Have a flannel wrapper for the chest, 
with long sleeves buttoning at the wrist, and,— 
please allow me to say it— do dispense with the 
hoops for these little ones until summer suggests 
them as a means of comfort. Do not house them 
toe closely. Provide hoods, mittens, leggins, and 
overcoats, and let them have a chance to play out 
of doors, as well as the boys Make good use of 
the evenings. Do not allow the boys to roam in 
the street. Provide good society and entertain- 
ment for the children at home. If possible buy 
books of games, puzzles, dissected maps, a micros- 
cope, and drawing and painting materials. If prac- 
ticable, get a chest of tools, or let the boys earn it 
in some way themselves. Let them exercise their 
ingenuity in making footstools, picture-framc6, 
doll-cradles, 6leds, rustic work, etc. The girls may 
make needle-books, vases, fancy worsted work, 
shell and cone work, feather flowers — anything of 
the kind to interest them and make home the hap- 
piest place in the world. Be sure they have knit- 
ting work for spare moments ; teach them that it 
is womanly to knit their own stockings, and a 
great privilege to present a little brother with a 
warm pair of socks or mittens. Let the boys learn 
to use the needle, and to knit too if they like. Let 
every boy and girl feel interested in making home 
pleasant and family friends comfortable. Encour- 
age them also to spend an occasional evening for 
the soldier. Cultivate a taste for systematic read- 
ing and investigation. Give your child a book that 
he can read easily, and that will interest him ; en- 
courage him to read it thoroughly, and then to give 
an account of what he has learned. Give particu- 
lar attention to History, Travels, and the Natural 
Sciences. Establish a family Post-Offlce, and let 
the different members write letters as from differ- 
ent parts of the world, with descriptions of scenery, 
employments, etc., gathered from reading. Drop 
in a letter yourself occasionally. Never let a child 
become weary of home, when there are so many 
ways of attaching him to it." 
Make the Homestead Attractive. 
It need not cost much money to adorn the place 
one lives in. Begin by digging out the briers and 
thistles of the door yard. Plant a few trees ; then 
add several flowering shrubs. Perhaps that will 
answer for one year. Next year, make a gravel 
walk or two, and set a few flowering plants by their 
sideB. Tour wife and daughter will sow some flower 
seeds, if yon will only prepare a neat border for 
them. Look at these few improvements, some 
bright morning next June, and we guarantee you 
will be glad you made them. And these labors, so 
rewarding, will lead on to others. The fences and 
buildings will be kept in repair. Trees will be set 
out along the roadside. The house will have win- 
dow blinds, the rooms will be papered and painted ; 
good furniture will be provided, and books and pa- 
pers will not be missing. All these things will be 
regulated according to one's ability. And, as a 
general rule, whatever our means, it is better to 
make improvements by degrees, from year to 
year, than to do them all up at once, "by the job." 
Be assured this is the way to find the most happi- 
ness in home adorning. And, remember, the influ- 
ence of such improvements does not end with the 
individual family. They tell silently, but with 
great effect, upon society. Every neighbor and 
every passer by feels them, and many are led by 
such examples to go themselves and do likewise. 
Ask Your Wife. 
" Oh ! what do women know about business ?" 
impatiently asks Mr. Crusty. Not as much as they 
ought, in many cases, and this is one reason for 
urging that they be consulted in matters affecting 
their husbands' interest. To say nothing of the 
aid which a wife's counsel and suggestions may 
give, it is unjust to keep her in ignorance of busi- 
ness. Want of a little knowledge of such matters 
renders many a widow an easy prey to sharpers, or 
at best greatly adds to her cares and perplexities. 
A woman needs to know the state of her hus- 
band's affairs in order to exercise proper economy 
in the household, avoiding what would be mean- 
ness if his income were ample, or extravagance 
when his resources are diminished. The credit 
of thousands of merchants has been seriously im- 
paired by the high style of living adopted by their 
families, who are foolishly kept ignorant of the 
real condition of their finances. On the other hand, 
we have known men caring more for money than 
for home comforts, who have studiously concealed 
their gains, and the wife and daughters have been 
forced in self defence to a hundred little decep- 
tions by which to obtain even the decencies of life. 
Most of a man's thoughts must be upon his bus- 
iness plans, while he is achieving success; if his 
wife is not permitted to share his counsels, at least 
in a general way, she is necessarily Bhut out from 
much of sympathy with him, and one of the great 
sources of happiness is thereby seriously diminish- 
ed. And let not the lords of creation despise the 
counsels which woman's naturally quick percep- 
tions may suggest : a well timed word from this 
source may at times be like the railroad switch 
to turn the train from running quickly to ruin. 
■ I ■■ > IM » m 
Ahout Cooking Oysters. 
" Ostrea," from "Out West" writes: "Now 
can't the Editor of the Agriculturist, tell us some- 
thing about oysters. Thanks to railroads, we get 
oysters here in the winter which look as good as 
those I have seen in your city, but they do not taste 
as good after they are cooked, and they shrivel all 
to nothing. Do they send different oysters here, 
or is there some secret in cooking them ? They are 
not so very dear that one can not afford an occa- 
sional luxury." — Oysters iu the city are, as far as 
we know, not different fi-om those sent inland ; the 
trouble everywhere is in cooking them too much. 
For a "plain stew", put the oysters with their 
liquor into a saucepan, with a lump of butter, and 
pepper to taste; then just let them boil up once and 
they are done. Most people however like a little 
different stew : Put the oysters, liquor and all, into 
a saucepan, heat them gradually, and as soon as the 
"eyes," (as the round thick muscle is called) turn 
white, and the gills, or ruffled margin, appear stiff, 
skim them out and set in a dish in a warm place. 
Add to the liquor an equal quantity of milk (or 
more if you wish more broth), about a tablespoon- 
ful of finely powdered cracker for each quart of 
broth, a little pepper, and let the whole boil. Re- 
move the scum which rises, add butter, return the 
oysters and let them remain just long enough to 
get warmed through again, but not to boil. A few 
bits of mace boiled in the liquor gives a flavor 
much relished by many persons. Oysters treated 
in this way will not shrivel. 
For Fried Oysters, the largest 6hould be chosen ; 
drain them thoroughly upon a colander or sieve and 
it is all the better if they are dried with a towel. 
Powder a sufficient quantity of cracker by means 
of a rolling pin, and beat up an egg. Dip the oys- 
ters one by one in the egg and then in the powdered 
cracker, rolling them about to make as much as 
possible of the cracker adhere to them. If the 
oysters are small, two or three of them can be ce- 
mented together by means of the egg and cracker, 
so as to appear like one large oyster. Put the pre- 
pared oysters into a frying pan with a few lumps of 
butter here and there, cook over a brisk fire until 
of a light brown, then turn and do the other side 
in the same manner, and serve. There should be 
just butter enough to cook the oysters, but not have 
them swimming in it. They are much better in 
this way than when fried in a large quantity of lard. 
Broiled Oysters are considered preferable to fried, 
and when well done they are perfection, in the 
oyster-line. Prepare the oysters as directed fo' 
frying, place them upon a wire gridiron, of the kinc 
made for broiling fish and other purposes, having 
two halves hinged together which hold the oysters 
between them. The oysters, prepared as for frying, 
are to be broiled over a bed of lively coals until 
they are slightly browned, turning the gridiron so 
as to do both sides. Serve on a hot plate, with 
some melted not "drawn" butter poured over them, 
Javelle Water.— This preparation under 
the French name of Eau de Javelle, is sold to a eon 
siderable extent in New-York City to laundresses 
who use it to bleach clothing and produce the ex- 
traordinary whiteness upon which they pride them- 
selves. Its frequent use can not be commended, as 
it injures the fabric, but it is an exceedingly conve- 
nient article for the removal of fruit and all other 
vegetable stains from linen and other white clothes. 
It is readily and cheaply prepared, and will keep in 
a well closed bottle for any length of time. Mix 
half a pound of chloride of lime with half a gallon 
of water, in a deep jar. Add the water gradually, 
stirring with a stick bo as to break up the lumps. 
Let it stand for a day or so, and then pour off the 
