1878 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
225 
Closet consists of a receptacle to hold the deposit, 
a place to hold dry earth, and a mechanical contri¬ 
vance that, by pulling a handle, will allow a por¬ 
tion of dry earth to fall upon and cover the deposit. 
Now a soap box will answer to hold the deposit, 
another soap box will hold the dry earth, and a 
scoop (an empty fruit-can, if nothing better), will 
answer in place of the machinery for dropping the 
earth. These articles, if bought, need not cost 25 
•cents ; but they, or something that will serve, may 
be picked up on almost any farm. Having these, if 
one can not arrange them with reference to a 6eat, 
in a convenient manner, he must be quite lacking in 
tact. This outfit will be quite as efficacious as the 
most costly “Commode” ever made, in every re¬ 
spect, save one—some persons will be so indifferent, 
lazy, or obstinate, that they will neglect to apply the 
earth. This is a matter which must be insisted upon. 
A contrivance of this kind may be put in a place 
partitioned off in the wood-shed or other building, 
and one should also be made at the bam for the 
farm hands. If the receptacle is small, it should 
be made the business of some one to empty it daily, 
throwing the contents upon the manure heap. 
Several inquire whether the “ night-soil ” is not 
thus injured for use as manure. Not perceptibly, if 
placed upon the manure heap; it is only when it has 
been kept mixed with dry earth for a long time, 
and in a dry place, that it is dissipated. But this 
is of not the least consequence. The value of the 
night-soil, of a whole family for all time, is not to be 
offset against a single fit of sickness, to say nothing 
of a death. Many will find it convenient to convert 
their present out-building into an earth-closet, and 
as a hint to this end we give the engraving preced¬ 
ing, from a drawing by our correspondent, Mr. L. 
D. Snook, Yates Co., N. Y. The old vault is to be 
first filled up, and the building may stand in its 
original location, or elsewhere, as may be most con¬ 
venient. As, when properly managed, no odor 
whatever is given off, the structure may be placed 
as near the house as desirable. In the engraving a 
portion of the house is removed to show the 
arrangement of the interior. A strongly made box 
is provided, of such a size as will pass easily under 
the seats Two joists are laid down to support 
wooden rollers, with iron pins for journals, upon 
which the box may run, and if large, the box should 
have ring-bolts, to allow a horse to be hitched to it 
when carried away to be emptied, in which case it is 
well to provide it with runners. If not too heavy, it 
may be moved by two men, with the aid of loose 
rollers. The engraving sufficiently explains itself. 
Gathering the Dry‘Eartli. 
In a dry spell, scrape up the dry surface earth, 
from the garden or plowed field, or use road dust 
if not sandy. By capillary attraction the surface 
earth is never completely dry. Harrow a space 
thoroughly, and throw the dry surface earth upon 
a platform of boards laid down for the purpose. 
The hot sun will soon make it completely dry ; 
cart it in before night-fall, or if it must be left 
over night, cover it from the dew with boards 
or other material. Store in a dry place. It is 
well to collect enough to last a year, and pass it 
through a screen to remove stones and lumps. One 
more point to be remembered. Coal ashes are 
quite as efficient an absorbent as dry earth, and 
may be conveniently used, especially in winter. 
Finally, let the master of the house (or the mistress) 
insist upon two things—that the scoop and dry 
earth shall he used, and that no slops of any kind 
shall be poured into the receptable. Chamber slops 
are of sufficient value for it to pay to carry them 
daily to the manure heap. 
Household Recipes. 
The following come from housekeepers of ex¬ 
perience and judgment, who have thoroughly test¬ 
ed and approve them. 
“Boston” Brown Bread. — One pint each of 
Indian and Rye Meal; I cup of Molasses ; II pint 
Milk or Water; 1 teaspoonful Soda; 1 teaspoonful 
Salt. Steam three hours, and then place in the 
oven and bake until well browned. 
GirsY Pudding.—C ut stale sponge-cake into 
thin slices, spread them with currant jelly or pre¬ 
serves, put two pieces together like sandwiches. 
Fill a dish with these; make a soft custard, pour 
over the cake while hot, and let cool before serving. 
Pop-Overs.— 1 pt. Flour ; 1 pt. Milk ; 2 Eggs. 
Eggs beaten to a froth, mix quickly, and bake in 
hot buttered cups. Serve with hot sauce. 
Coffee Cake.—O ne cup very strong Coffee; 1 
cup Butter; 2 cups brown Sugar ; 3 Eggs ; II pint 
Flour; II teaspoonful “Royal Baking Powder,” 
(or I teaspoonful of Soda, and 1 do. of C. Tartar); 
1 cup stoned Raisins ; I cup chopped Citron ; 1 tea¬ 
spoonful of Nutmeg, and one of Alspice ; I cup of 
sweet Milk. This will make two good-sized loaves. 
Citron Cake.—II cup Butter; 2 cups Sugar ; 6 
Eggs ; 1 teaspoonful “Royal Baking Powder,” (or 
I teaspoonful of Soda, and I do. Cream of Tartar); 
1 pint Flour: 1 cup Citron, cut in thin slices. Rub 
the butter and sugar to a smooth cream, add the 
eggs two at a time, beating 5 minutes between each 
addition. Sift the flour and baking powder, add it 
to the butter and sugar, with the citron. 
Crullers.— 1 quart Flour; I cup Lard and Butter 
in equal parts ; 1 cup Sugar; II teaspoonful of “Bak¬ 
ing Powder ” (or Soda I teaspoonful, Cream Tar¬ 
tar 1 teaspoon ful); I pint Milk ; 2 Eggs. Flavor 
with Nutmeg. Sift flour, sugar, and powder to¬ 
gether, rub in the lard and butter, and add the 
beaten eggs and milk. Mix to a dough and fry. 
Washington Cake—S t. Louis, 17S0.—2 cups of 
Butter; 3 cups Sugar ; 4 cups Flour ; 2 tcaspoonfuls 
of “ Royal Baking Powder ” ; 5 Eggs ; 1 cup Milk; 
1 cup Stoned Raisins; I cup Currants; I cup 
chopped Citron. Flavor with Nutmeg and Cinna¬ 
mon, one teaspoonful each. 
Sponge-Cake.— 6 Eggs ; 3 cups powdered Sugar ; 
4 cups sifted Flour; 1 teaspoonful Soda; 2 of C. 
Tartar ; 1 cup cold Water, a pinch of Salt. 
HOTS <k (miLS’ 
The Young Blicrosieopist’s Chill. 
Now that you have learned to notice little matters, you 
will see many tilings that you have passed by without 
even a thought. On the leaves of various trees, and other 
plants, you will often find swellings, and sometimes they 
will he “ broken out” as if they had a had skin-disease. 
While some of these are mere irregular swellings, others 
are singularly regular and some quite beautiful. These 
are really puffs, as those swellings on plants, caused by 
an insect within them, arc called. The “Oak-Apples,” 
which almost every youngster knows, are very large 
galls, caused by various little gall-flies. 
These Deaf-Galis 
are sometimes produced by a small mite, sometimes a 
plant louse, or one of the two-winged or four-winged flies. 
The way leaf and 
other galls are pro¬ 
duced is this: The 
fly, or mite, lays 
an egg in the sub¬ 
stance of the leaf, 
bud, stem, or wher¬ 
ever it may be, and 
the part soon 
swells up, just as 
your finger will 
swell and become 
sore if you do not 
remove a splinter 
that has entered 
the flesh. The egg 
hatches, the little 
grub or larva 
grows, and feeds 
upon this nest that the swelling makes for it; in time the 
creature makes its growth, and comes out in its perfect 
state, like the parent that laid the egg. You will find 
Ou the Grape-Vine, 
almost anywhere, one or more kinds of leat-galls. What 
is very curious, the galls produced by the eggs of dif¬ 
ferent insects, mites, etc., will cause the leaf to form—on 
the very same plant, galls quite unlike in appearance; in¬ 
deed you migh tell them apart by feeling them only. 
Figure 1 shows a hit ol a grape-vine leaf, with what are 
called “ Nail-Galls.” One of these is shown cut open, 
with the larva inside, in figure 2 ; this, when ready, 
Fig. 1.—“ NAIL-GALLS ” ON LEAF. 
would come out a little gnat-like fly. In figure 3 is a bit 
of another grape-leaf, with pretty scolloped galls, the 
work of a louse, that, minute, but very destructive creature 
which you must have read of, 
The Dreaded. Phylloxera, 
which has quite ruined some of the vineyards of Europe. 
There are two “ types,” or styles, of this louse, one of 
which—the most injurious—attacks the roots of the vine, 
and this one which attacks only the leaves. I have 
been asked to say something about 
“The” licit Douse. 
Unfortunately for the fowls, I can’t describe "the" 
lien Louse, for there are so many of them—half a dozen 
or more. Here is a port rait, figure 4, of one of the easiest 
to find, as it is one of the largest, being nearly a line 
or V 12 -inch long. Unless spe¬ 
cial care is taken, little chicks, 
when they are first hatched, are 
sadly afflicted ; and the feathers 
on the head are all alive with 
them. It is well to remember 
that lard or oil will kill them. 
Not only common fowls, hut all 
other domestic birds, including 
the delicate pels, such as the 
canary, and the wild birds from 
the largest to the smallest, tire 
infested by parasites —as ani- 
mals and plants that live upon hen-i.ouse. 
other animals and plants are called. When any unusual 
birds are shot, it is well to examine them for these. 
Lice are true insects, hut mites are also found on birds. 
If you have house-plants in a warm dry room, the leaves 
of such plants as Camellias may become brownish, and 
the leaves of more delicate plants may appear blotched, 
and begin to drop. And after searching for the cause, 
if you take some leaves and go to an experienced gardener, 
he will very likely say, after a glance at the leaves. 
“Pooli, Ked-Spider, I?Iy Young Friend.” 
You go home and look for spiders, and find none. In 
hot summer days, when it is dry as well as hot. ;he leaves 
of the pear-tree, so bright and fresh but awhile ago, be¬ 
come brownish and look in a had way, and some one who 
knows about trees is asked to tell what is the matter. 
He will very likely say, “ Ah, Red-Spider—you have it 
bad.’’--You look all around and find no “Red." or any 
other spiders. Yon will he told that the Lindens and 
some other shade trees, have “ The Red-Spider.” If you 
are much among gardeners you will learn from their talk 
that this “Red-Spider” is an important fellow,and won¬ 
der why, with all the mischief that is charged upon it, 
you do not find this remarkable “Red-Spider.” There 
are several reasons, the principal being that 
It Is Not Usually “Rcd, ! > aud Is Not a 
“ Spider,” 
these joined to the fact, that it is so very small as to be 
barely visible, are good reasons why you failed to find it. 
So much is said of it by 
gardeners that persons who 
do not know it, expect to see 
some large creature. It is 
not a proper spider. The 
spiders have their abdomen, 
or belly portion, joined to 
the body proper by a narrow 
portion (like a waist), but t his 
insect is in one pice; hence 
is classed as a mite, and be¬ 
longs to the spinning mites, 
as it makes a web finer than 
that of any spider. Tlteu 
they are of different colors on 
different plants, and at dif- jrjg_ 5 — red spider— 
ferent ages, and are green- YOUNG 
ish, brown, rust-colored, and 
sometimes bright red ; for this reason the name is mis¬ 
leading. When full-grown, this mite is about half a line 
(or ‘/si °f an inch) long, but they are usually much. 
