1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
265 
TOE IHOTSmQLB. 
SW (For other Household Items, see " Basket " pages:) 
A Jelly Bag. 
The brilliancy of jellies is secured by careful fil- 
tering through a flannel bag. The old chemists 
under the name of Hippocrates 1 sleeve made use of 
the same thing that we call a jelly bag. It is a 
conical bag of stout flauuel, shaped 
as in the figure, stretched upon a hoop. 
One 14 inches deep, and Y inches 
across the month, is a convenient size 
for ordinary use. The seam should be 
double stitched to make sure that no 
liquid will pass through it. As the 
bag requires to be washed, it ought 
not to be permanently attached to the 
hoop. A broad hem may be made at 
the top into which a wire or whale- 
bone hoop may be inserted, or the 
mouth of the bag be finished by sewing 
a cord to it to make a strong edge. It 
can then be easily sewed to a hoop eacli time it is 
used. Iu straining jellies which solidify when 
cold, the bag should be hung near the fire. The 
first portion which runs through will be turbid, 
aud should be poured back into the bag. 
About Canning Fruit. 
So much has been said about preserving fruit iu 
air-tight cans or jars, that we are surprised that the 
inquiries still come for descriptions of the process. 
As our circle of readers widens, it each year in- 
cludes new ones who do not seem to have practised 
this admirable household economy. Only a short 
time ago a letter came from Africa, saying that the 
writer had seen peaches from America put up in a 
thin liquid, and asking if we could find out how it 
was done. Iu our own families the canning of fruit 
is a matter of course, and we advise all who have 
never tried it to do so once ; thej" will be sure to 
keep up the practice afterwards. 
The Principle should be understood, in order 
to work intelligently. The fruit is preserved by 
placing it in a vessel from which the external air is 
entirely excluded. This is effected b\ r surrounding 
the fruit by liquid, and by the use of heat to rarify 
and expel the air that may be entangled iu the fruit 
or lodged iu its pores. The preservation does uot 
depend upon sugar, though enough of this is used 
in the liquid which covers the fruit to make it pal- 
atable. The heat answers another purpose ; it de- 
stroys the ferment whicli fruits naturally contain, 
and as long as they are kept from contact with the 
external air they do not decompose. 
The Vessels iu which fruits are preserved are 
tin, glass, aud earthenware. Tin is used at the 
factories where large quantities are put up for 
commerce, but is seldom used in families, as more 
skill in soldering is required than most persons pos- 
sess. Besides, the tius are not generally safe to use 
more than once. Glass is the preferable material, 
as it is readily clcaued aud allows the interior to 
be frequently inspected. Any kind of bottle or jar 
that has a mouth wide enough to admit the fruit 
aud that can be securely stopped, positively air- 
tight — which is much closer than water-tight— will 
answer. Jars of various patterns and patents are 
made for the purpose, and are sold at the crockery 
and grocery stores. These have wide mouths, 
and a glass or metallic cap which is made to tit 
very tightly by an India-rubber ring between the 
metal and the glass. The devices for these caps 
are numerous, and much ingenuity is displayed iu 
inventing them. We have used several patterns 
without mucli difference iu success, but have found 
there was some difference in the facility with which 
the jars could be opeued and closed. The best are 
those iu which atmospheric pressure helps the 
scaliug, and where the sole dependence is not upon 
screws or clamps. To test a jar, light a slip of pa- 
per and hold it within it. The heat of the flame 
will expand the air and drive out a portion of it. 
Now put on the cap ; when the jar becomes cool 
the air within will contract, and the pressure 
of the external air should hold the cover ou so 
firmly that it cannot be pulled off without first let- 
ting iu air by pressing aside the rubber or by such 
other means as is provided in the construction 
of the jar. When regular fruit jars are not used, 
good corks aud eemeut must be provided. 
Cement is made by melting 1}{ oz. of tallow with 
1 lb. rosin. The stiffness of the cement may be gov- 
erned by the use of more or less tallow. After 
the jar is corked, tie a piece of stout drilling over 
the mouth. Dip the cloth on the mouth of the jar 
into the melted cement, rub the cement on the 
cloth with a stick to break up the bubbles, and 
leave a close covering. 
The Process. — Everything should be iu readi- 
ness, the jars clean, the covers well fitted, the fruit 
picked over or otherwise prepared, and cement aud 
corks, if these are used, at hand. The bottles or 
jarsiare to receive a very hot liquid, and they must 
be gradually warmed beforehand, by placing warm 
water in them, to which boiling water is gradually 
added. Commence by making a syrup in the pro- 
portion of a pound of white sugar to a pint of wa- 
ter, using less sugar if this quantity will make the 
fruit too sweet. When the syrup boils, add as 
much fruit as it will cover, let the fruit heat iu the 
syrup gradually, aud when it comes to a boil 
ladle it into the jars or bottles which have been 
warmed as above directed. Put iu as much fruit 
as possible, and then add the syrup to fill up all the 
interstices among the fruit ; then put on the cover 
or iusert the stopper as soon as possible. Have a 
cloth at hand dampened in hot water to wipe the 
neeks of the jars. When one lot has been bottled, 
proceed with more, adding more sugar and water 
if more syrup is required. Juicy fruits will di- 
minish the syrup much less than others. When 
the bottles are cold, put them away in a cool, dry, 
aud dark place. Do not tamper with the covers 
iu any way. The bottles should be inspected every 
day for a week or so, in order to discover if any are 
imperfect. If fermentation has eommeuced, bub- 
bles will be seen iu the syrup, and the covers will 
be loosened. If taken at once, the contents may 
be saved by thoroughly reheating. — Another way 
is to prepare a syrup aud allow it to cool. Place 
the fruit in the bottles, cover with the syrup and 
theu set the bottles nearly up to their rims in a 
boiler of cold water. Some wooden slats should 
be placed at the bottom of the boiler to keep the 
bottles from contact with it. The water iu the 
boiler is theu heated and kept boiling until the 
fruit in the bottles is thoroughly heated through, 
when the covers are put on, and the bottles allow- 
ed to cool. It is claimed that the flavor of the fruit 
is better preserved in this way than by the other. 
What mat be Preserved. — All the fruits that 
are used in their fresh state or for pies, etc., aud 
Rhubarb, or Pie-plant, aud Tomatoes. Greeu Peas, 
aud Corn, cannot be readily preserved iu families, 
as they require special apparatus. Strawberries. 
Hard-fleshed sour varieties, such as the Wilson, are 
better than the more delicate kinds. Directions 
for these, as well as for Raspberries will be fouud in 
a Basket item. 
Currants need more sugar than the foregoing. 
Blackberries and Huckleberries are both very satis- 
factorily preserved, aud make capital pies. Cher- 
ries aud Plums need only picking over. Peaches 
need peeling aud quartering. The ^kiu may be 
removed from ripe peaches by scalding them 
in water or weak lye for a few seconds, and 
theu transferring them to cold water. Some ob- 
tain a stroug peach flavor by boiling a few peach 
meats iu the syrup. We have had peaches keep 
three years, and were then better than those sold 
at the stores. Pears are pared aud halved, or 
quartered, and the core removed. The best, high- 
llavored aud melting varieties only should be 
used. Coarse baking pears are unsatisfactory. 
Apples. Very few put up these. Try some high- 
flavored ones, and you will be pleased with 
them. Quinces. There is a great contrast be- 
tween quinces preserved in this way and those 
done up in the old way of pouud for pound. They 
do not become hard, and they remain of a fine 
light color. Tomatoes require cooking longer than 
the fruits proper. See directions for these among 
Basket items. Any intelligent person who un- 
derstands the principle upon which fruit is pre- 
served in this way, will soon find the mechanical 
part easy of execution and the results satisfactory 
Sleeping and Eating as related to Health. 
BT FAITH ROCHESTER. 
How many healthy men aud women can you 
count on your fingers ? — grown up persons who 
have no dyspepsia, rheumatism, bowel diseases, 
headaches, nervousness, nor any other of the long 
list of ills that flesh is heir to. These " visitations 
of Providence" are penalties for violating the laws 
of health ; or, they are the harvest that results from 
the sowing of bad seed in the way of wrong habits. 
For the old sinners there is not much help nor hope ; 
but how shall we save the children from the dis- 
eased and enfeebled condition of their parents ? It 
is time for American womeu to take the matter in 
hand. It would be ludicrous if it were less sad, — 
the idea of such a set of feeble and nervous crea- 
tures as American women generally are, setting 
themselves up as the guardians of health ! But all 
must agree that this properly falls withiu the 
natural "sphere" of woman. It is a household 
matter. For, you see, we womeu almost have it in 
our power to make or ruin the health and useful- 
ness of the best aud wisest citizens by our manage- 
ment or mismanagement of our homes. Mental 
and moral power depend largely upon the physi- 
cal condition ; and this depends upon the food we 
eat, the rest and exercise w r e take, the air we 
breathe, and the cheerfulness of our homes. Good 
sleep is essential to health. Both brain and body 
need plenty of rest to keep them iu good working 
eoudition for a series of years. Nothing makes 
young women, grow old-looking so fast as keeping 
late hours. • Nine o'clock is the old-fashioued, 
country bed-time ; aud it is the best bed-time in a 
majority of eases. Of course the little children 
should go earlier. If they go to sleep in a happy 
frame of miud it will help much toward refreshing 
slumber. A cheerful "good night," and au affec- 
tionate kiss (if there is sufficient spontaneity about 
it to make it worth anything) arc decidedly health- 
ful for the little ones. 
The skin is full of pores, through which impuri- 
ties are thrown off from the system. This exhala- 
tion goes ou more rapidly during sleep than at any 
other time. For this reason, if for no other, the 
body should be washed after a day of sweating 
work or play in the dust. Attention to this will 
do much in the way of preventing bowel diseases 
and fevers. On account of the exhalation of im- 
purities through the skiu duriug sleep, the bedding 
should be well aired, each day, before making up. 
I have nothing to say about feather-beds. Noue 
of our family like them ; but I would willingly pro- 
vide one for any elderly person to whom habit had 
made it seem a necessity. The spring mattrass 
is generally satisfactory, but it needs a warm 
mattrass over it iu winter. For my own use I 
should not ask anything better than a bed of well- 
cured corn-husks, or, a good straw bed covered with 
a rather thin cotton mattrass or a thick comforter. 
Such a mattrass cau be easily washed. Corn-husks 
wear longer than straw, make less dust, and are 
more clastis. A clean hair mattrass is an excellent 
bed ; but it seems desirable to use bedding that can 
be cleansed without much trouble. The hair of a 
mattrass can be washed in cool water, dried iu the 
suu, and put back in a clean tick. With a board 
frame the size of your mattrass, fastened up like a 
quilting frame, aud with au upholsterer's needle, 
you cau make, or remake, your own mattrass. We 
made one so ; but I always dread to take hold of the 
thick heavy matt rasscs in taking care of sleepiug 
rooms. Feather pillows remain in favor after the 
pretty general "going out" of feather-beds — which 
is unreasonable, since the head should always be 
kept cool. An evenly-tacked, hair pillow suits me 
