ladies' department. 
35 
in water, the latter of which should be squeezed 
or preyed out again. In another vessel, some 
boiled rape seed should be placed, which has 
been rewashed in fresh water, to take away the 
acidity. Some use crackers instead of bread, 
but this is unnecessary. It is merely requisite 
to see that this soft food does not become sour, 
otherwise it will kill the young, and the cause 
remains unsuspected. Some persons merely 
give them their usual food, intermixing it with 
some finely-powdered crackers and hard-boiled 
eggs, but it has been found by experience, that 
the diet prescribed above is more efficacious, 
especially until the young are fledged. 
It is now that the male takes the chief part in 
rearing the young ; and upon him devolves the 
duty of feeding them, in order to allow the 
female to recover from the exhaustion she has 
received from incubation. 
If it is necessary to feed the young by hand, 
grated roll or pulverized dry crackers is taken, 
mixed with pounded rape seed, and kept in a 
box. As often as it is necessary to feed them, 
a little of it is moistened with some of the yolk 
of an egg and water, and given to them from a 
quill pen. This must be done ten or twelve 
times a-day ; about four penfuls is the quantity 
necessary for each meal. 
Up to the twelfth day, the young remain 
almost naked, and require to be covered by the 
female ; but after the thirteenth, they will feed 
themselves. In cold, dry years, however, it 
sometimes happens that the birds get scarcely 
any plumage at all. When they are a month 
old, they may be removed from the breeding 
cage. With the usual food of the old birds, they 
must be fed for some weeks upon the kinds above 
named ; for, the sudden removal from soft food 
often occasions death, especially in moulting. 
It is asserted, and not without reason, that those 
Canaries which are reared in an arbor, where 
they have space to fly about within an enclosure 
of wire, are longer-lived and stronger than those 
which are reared in a chamber. 
It is a curious fact, perhaps not known to every 
one, that, when there are two females with one 
male in a cage, and one dies, the other, if she 
has not already sat, will hatch the eggs laid by 
her co-mate, and rear the young as her own; 
and, during this foster-mother's care, cautiously 
avoid the caresses of the male ! 
When the young birds can eat alone, say at 
the age of thirteen or fourteen days, and often 
before quitting the nest, the males commence 
warbling, and the females also, but less connect- 
edly, and from this, the sexes may be distin- 
guished. To teach a young Canary to sing, he 
must now be separated from his comrades, as 
well as from other birds, and placed in a small 
wire cage, which, at the commencement, must be 
covered with linen, and subsequently, by degrees, 
with thicker woollen cloth, when a short air, or 
other musical piece, must be whistled to him, or a 
flute or a small organ may be used. This lesson 
should be repeated five or six times a-day, espe- 
cially mornings and evenings, and in five or six 
months, he will be able to acquire the air, accord- 
ing to the power of his memory. — Americanized 
from the German. 
TO OTTRE BURNS. 
Take soot from a chimney or stove where 
wood has been burned, pulverize it finely, and 
mix with lard or any fresh grease in the pro- 
portions necessary to form a soft mixture. Spread 
this on linen cloths and apply without delay, 
carefully covering from the air. The bandage 
may remain until the burn is healed, which is 
generally effected without any subsequent scar. 
When the application is prompt, and no vital 
part affected, the relief is almost instantaneous, 
and the cure speedy and certain. This has been 
tested in numerous cases under our own obser- 
vation, and it has been known to restore to life 
a child who had been scalded from head to foot 
in a steamboat explosion, and who was laid aside 
as a case past hope. Even when the injury has 
occurred a day or two previous to any knowledge 
of the cure, it has proved soothing and effectual. 
Flour spread upon a bandage and closely 
bound over the affected part is recommended by 
the best practitioners. A thick wadding of cot- 
ton is also a good application, though we prefer 
the first to any other remedy. 
If blisters appear, they should be punctured 
with a needle. If the dressing becomes soiled 
from discharges, it must be renewed. If clothing 
takes fire, surround the person with a hearth 
rug, woollen blanket, buffalo robe, or any non- 
combustible to extinguish the flame; and then 
cut, not draw off stockings and clothes from the 
affected limbs. 
NEW FORM OF FLOWER-FOTS. 
One reason why plants, potted the usual way, 
do not flourish well in the house during the 
winter season, is the proper want of leakage, or 
drainage, and a due circulation of air about 
their roots, in consequence of the close con- 
nexion between the bottom of the pot and the 
shelf or bench on which it rests.' 
Mr. M'Intosh, gardener of the Duke of 
Buccleuch, has obviated 
the above objection by 
making his pots with feet, 
as represented in the ad- 
joining cut. By this means, 
the plants get rid of their 
Flower-fot.-Fig. 19. moisture, and freely re- 
ceive air about their roots 
through the hole in the bottom of the pot. 
Beef-Tea. — Cut a pound of solid beef into 
very small dice, which put into a stew-pan with 
a small pat of butter, a clove, two button onions, 
and a salt-spoonful of salt ; stir the meat round 
over the fire for a few minutes, until it produces 
a thin gravy ; then add a quart of water, and let 
it simmer at the corner of the fire for a quarter 
of an hour, skimming off every particle of fat 
When done, pass it through a sieve, which is 
much better than a cloth, as it does not injure 
the flavor. The same, if wanted plain, is done 
by merely omitting the vegetables, salt, and 
clove ; the butter cannot be objectionable, as it 
is taken out in skimming. Pearl barley, ver- 
micelli, rice, &c, may be served in it, if required. 
— Modern Housewife. 
