220 
December, 1890. 
/ ORCHRRD V GARDE N 
J 
Apples. 
Even though apples be scarce and high, 
the economical housekeeper will not be 
without a barrel. Her family must have 
fruit, and what fruit is there which can be 
served in such a variety of appetizing ways? 
An exchange lately printed eighty recipes 
for the use of apples: and. although no one 
person would care to try them all, yet the 
majority were wholesome and toothsome 
dishes. 
For the ordinary housekeeper, more im- 
portant than this great variety is the ability 
to make first-class apple sauce, and apple 
pies. When traveling for several weeks 
and staying only a day or two in one place 
the writer once determined to make a study 
of the apple pie, by taking a piece at every 
place where it was provided. The result 
was amusing, but not satisfactory. There 
were no two pies alike; yet, though they 
varied from “very bad" through many de- 
grees, there was not one really good one. 
Several of them needed to be labeled, and 
only two or three preserved the flavor of 
the apples. The best apple pies are un 
doubtedly those made in a deep dish, with 
a top crust only, baked in a slow oven till 
the apple has turned a rich red and the 
crust a light coffee brown. There should 
be plenty of thick, jelly-like juice, with the 
distinctive flavor of the apple retained. To 
concoct this delicious dessert, it is only nec- 
essary to slice good tart apples, adding a 
generous cup of sugar and half a cup of 
water. Sprinkle a little flour over the apple 
before covering with the crust, also nutmeg 
or cinnamon if liked for flavoring. Covering 
with a plate, instead of a crust, this may 
be served as apple sauce, than which no 
better could be desired. 
Apple snow is a trifle more delicate and 
is made from the pulp of baked or steamed 
apples. To three good-sized ones, add a cup 
of sugar and the beaten white of an egg, 
then beat hard ten minutes. Flavor to 
taste. 
There are two or three points in regard to 
the cooking of apples, which may seem 
foolish to those of vigorous appetite and 
strong digestion, but which are really of 
great importance to persons of sensitive 
taste and delicate stomach. First, apples 
should never be cut with a steel knife. 
Every one notices how quickly the steel be- 
comes discolored, though all may not detect 
an unpleasant flavor in the cooked apples. 
A sharp steel knife, plated with silver, is 
the very best for this purpose, as the ordi- 
nary fruit knives are too dull for quick 
work. Having cut the apples carefully, they 
may yet be spoiled by being cooked in tin. 
An earthen, porcelain or granite-iron sauce- 
pan should be used, and even in baking 
apples, the same precaution is necessary. 
Even a slight flavor of steel or tin is suf- 
ficient to ruin the fruit for many people: 
and, as one way is just as easy as the other, 
it is wise to accustom ourselves to the very 
best way in this, as in other things. 
Suggestions for Christmas. 
To the busv mother, whose hands are al- 
ready more than full, the Christmas cele- 
bration often seems like the “last straw.” 
The practice of making elaborate gifts for 
all one’s friends and relatives is certainly a 
very foolish one; yet we cannot afford to 
let the day pa?s without some notice. 
A Christmas tree always delights the 
children and one may be very prettily trim- 
med at a slight expense. If there are older 
children in the family, it is a good plan to 
call upon them for this work. Then, by 
beginning early, most cf the decorations 
may be made at home. Little balls of 
waste paper, cotton or any scraps, covered 
with tin foil, and suspended by colored 
twine, glisten beautifully in the evening. 
Stars cut from silver paper, cornucopias, 
and lace bags of candy; popcorn balls and 
strings of popccrn; oranges and red apples, 
with the various little gif's are sufficient to 
make a very pretty tree. If little candles 
are used, they must not be placed near any- 
thing inflammable, as many sad accidents 
have been caused by carelessness in this 
particular. 
The provident mother will keep a box in 
which to put tinfoil, bright paper, &c., as 
she comes across them from time to time 
throughout the year, so that the materials 
may be at hand whenever there is a rainy 
day or leisure for the work. The great 
trouble with most of us is that we leave all 
these things till a day or two before Christ- 
mas, when the hurry and confusion are so 
great that we tire ourselves out, get cross 
and discouraged, and forget the true mean- 
ing and significance of the day. 
To Make New out of Old. 
During the winter, almost every woman 
of moderate means finds it necessary or 
advisable to make over some old wool or 
silk gown. Of course she wishes to make 
it look like new, and perhaps she is at a loss 
how to accomplish this. 
One of the very best methods of freshen- 
ing old materials is by the use of soap-tree 
bark. It can be bought at any druggist’s, 
and ten cents’ worth will be sufficient. A 
pail full cf boiling water, (soft if possible), 
should be poured on the bark, and a lather 
made by vigorous stirring. When cooled 
sufficiently to hear the hand, strain, then 
put in the goods and wash thoroughly. 
Another pail full of hot water should have 
been poured on the bark, after straining; 
this, again stirred to a lather and strained, 
like the other. The material, which has 
been throughly washed in the first suds, 
should now be washed in the second, and 
then carefully rinsed in luke-warm water, 
and hung out to dry. While still quite 
damp, roll smoothljq and leave for half an 
hour. Then press on the wrong side. 
If properly done, all grease and stains 
will be lost, without injury to the fabric, 
which has gained a freshness that makes it 
look “like new”. 
A Magazine Cover. 
To keep “Harper’s” and “The Century” 
fresh and free from “dog’s ears” till the 
whole family has read it, make a pretty 
cover in this wise. Take two pieces of stiff 
card-board a little larger than the mag- 
azine. Cover with the linen stiffening used 
by tailors. On one cover, etch the name of 
the magazine in fancy letters; on the other, 
etch or paint some simple decoration. 
Punch holes through the back edge of both, 
and lace with bebe ribbon. Fasten securely, 
and leave, at top and bottom, sufficient 
ribbon to tie in the middle of the magazine, 
thus holding it in place in the cover. Ela- 
borate silk or plush covers are often made,-' 
but the linen is much more serviceable and 
appropriate. 
A Pretty Photograph Case. 
Since albums are no longer used for pho- 
tographs, every one needs two or three 
fancy cases for the rapidly accumulating 
“counterfeit presentments” of friends and 
acquaintances. One of the simplest and 
most tasteful is made entirely of ribbon. 
Two widths will be required; half a yard, 
two inches and a quarter wide, and one and 
two-thir l yards, an inch and a half in width, 
those with fancy edge bring preferable. 
The wider ribbon forms the center, and 
should have the narrower sewed to it, on 
both sides, throughout its length. Make a 
narrow hem at one end, then fold over six 
and a half inches and sew the edges, thus 
forming a case just the rightsize f r cabinet 
photographs. Draw up the other end, and 
make a graceful bow of the remainder of 
the narrow ribbon. This turns down over 
the case, making a pretty finish, and keep- 4 
ing the dust from the pictures. 
Acceptable Gifts. 
Many women and girls spend time, 
strength, eye-sight, and money in fashion- 
ing useless ornaments which are only an 
embarrassment to the recipient. They 
give as an excuse, that they have so little 
money to spend that they cannot afford to 
buy their gifts outright. Let all such, this 
year, try an experiment. Make a careful 
estimate of the expense of each of these 
fancy articles, and instead of making them, 
expend the money in flowers or plants. A 
cyclamen, just coming into abundant flower, 
will delight its p< sscrssor for weeks; a box 
of sweet-scented violets, roses, or what you 
know to be your friend’s favorite, cannot 
fail to be acceptable; while a bulb of the 
Chinese lily, “for her very own v will de- 
light your little niece or cousin far more 
than any trifle you can make, and will be a 1 
charming reminder of your love. 
Remember what Poor Richard says, “Buy 
what thou hast no need of, and ere long 
thou shalt sell thy necessaries.” 
