1878.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
4 ,73 
and Hie house none the warmer for the Are, the sur¬ 
plus heat all escaping through the broad chimney. 
“ The cooking place and doors of the straw stove 
that heats the building, are all in the base of the 
chimney, which is eight feet square, with a stone 
floor ; the walls are vertical for about 8 feet, when 
they are gradually brought in, reducing 
the interior of the chimney to about 12 
inches at the comb of the roof. Figure 
3 is a lengthwise section of a house of 
this kind. The upper portion of the 
chimney is the family smoke-house, in 
which are stored hams, shoulders, sides, 
and festoons of sausages hung on poles, 
permanently set in the walls, access be¬ 
ing had to them by a ladder. On one side 
of the base is a large cauldron, for wash 
days, set in a furnace of adobe or sun-dried bricks ; 
■on the other side the cooking-range, also of adobe, 
having a sheet-iron top, with holes cut for the pots 
and kettles; both ranges, that for washing, and the 
one for cooking, have a flue of adobe four feet high. 
“The heating stove, seen in section in fig. 3, 
and in the ground-plan, fig. 2, is 9 feet long, 8 ft. 6 
in. high, and nearly 3 ft. wide, and forms part of 
the partitions of the three rooms heated by it. 
The ovens in this stove are formed at top and bot¬ 
tom of narrow plates of rough cast iron, set loosely 
in the stove walls, to admit of expansion and con¬ 
traction, the doors are of sheet iron, and the walls 
two bricks thick. In ordinary winter weather, fire i 
is made in the stove every morning, when two good j 
armfuls of straw is consumed in from 20 to 30 min¬ 
utes, this heats the stove sufficiently for the whole 
day; in very cold weather, the fire is made two or 
three times each day, burning an equal amount of 
straw at each firing. So soon as the fire is out, 
the flue connecting the stove with the chimney is 
carefully closed by a damper, in order to retain the 
heat. Bread is baked in the ovens, and also in the 
Are chamber of the heating stove, where it is placed, 
immediately after firing, on a wrought iron stool, 
which will keep it above the'ashes of the straw. 
“ The most primitive cooking arrangement was 
seen in Harvey Co., it being a ‘ hearth,’ like that in 
figure 4. This is merely a block of adobe or ma¬ 
sonry, two feet high, built in the base of the ordi¬ 
nary style of chimney. The cooking is done on 
this by building a fire with straw and corn-cobs 
under each cooking vessel, much the same as with 
persons camping out. The material used in the 
construction of these straw-burning stoves is brick, 
stone, and adobe; brick is preferred, next stone 
and adobe for economy in the first construction. 
Household Notes and Queries. 
“ Scouring-Balls Ox-gall. — Mrs. “ V. L. 
A.,” Akron, O. These are very old affairs, much 
more used in England than with us, where they 
have been superseded by various liquid cleansing 
compounds. The cheaper kinds are simply Fuller’s 
Earth, but the best are made of Fuller’s Earth, 
soap, and ox-gall, made into balls, and dried. The 
active ingredient is ox-gall, which is quite as well 
used alone. It is an excellent article for removing 
Fig. 1.—DESIGN FOR TRIMMING A ROOM. 
all grease-spots from silks, etc., as it will unite 
with the grease without injury to the fabric. It 
may be used fresh, as obtained from the butcher, or 
the “ prepared gall ” may be had at the drug stores. 
Polishing Collars and Bosoms.— “ M. J,,” Hot 
Springs, Ark. No “recipe for starch” will be of 
much use in polishing linen, without the right kind 
of an iron rightly applied. A small lump of sper¬ 
maceti or white wax, 
or a little gum arabic, 
added to the starch, 
is thought to help, 
but the polish mainly 
comes from the iron. 
What are known as 
polishing irons have 
rounded corners, and 
the surface has a high 
polish ; hard rubbing and repeated 
of the starched linen with these 
brings the smooth shining surface 
seen in new shirts. Irons of this 
description are kept at house¬ 
furnishing and hardware stores. 
Salt Raising. —This must be set 
very early in the morning, if it is 
wished to bake the same day; set 
a sponge as follows : one quart of 
warm water, or milk and water; 
one tea-spoon salt; one-half tea¬ 
spoon soda; flour to make a soft 
batter; let it raise four hours ; 
then sift two quarts flour into a 
pan and pour the sponge into the 
center, add one quart warm milk, 
i and mix in flour enough to stiffen. Let it raise 
one hour—mould into loaves. Let it raise once 
more and bake in a rather moderate oven. 
White Sponge Cake, by Mrs. “S. A. R.”—The 
whites of 11 eggs beaten to a stiff froth, li glass of 
white sugar, 1 glass of flour, 1 teaspoonful cream 
of tartar ; flavor with lemon, to taste ; bake in half 
an hour ; sift the flour two or three times, so as to 
have it light as possible. Do not grease the pans 
you bake in, but when the cake is well baked, turn 
the pan top down, supported by something, and 
the cake will drop out in a short time. We sup¬ 
pose from directing Cream of Tartar, the omission 
of soda was accidental; either half as much of this 
should be added or the Cream of Tartar omitted. 
Christmas Decorations at Home. 
Tlie remarks last month on Christmas Decorations had 
special reference to beautifying churches, but much that 
is said there as to ways and means will apply equally well 
to home decorations. Whatever may be done with the 
church, where the work, however elaborate, will be seen 
for but a few hours, let the home by all means be made 
bright and cheerful in this holiday time. 'Whoever visits 
New York City within a week of Christmas should not 
fail to make a tour of the streets near Washington Mar¬ 
ket, and see the immense quantities of evergreens on 
sale. There are great piles stacked in the streets and on 
the walks, and the whole neighborhood has for the time 
an unwonted fragrance of the woods. The purchaser can 
find large and small trees, short and long wreaths, witli 
ready-made rings, crosses, stars, and many other devices. 
The decoration of the house may be as simple or as 
elaborate as one chooses ; some do nothing more than to 
place a green wreath at each window facing the street, 
while others make carefully wrought designs for the 
principal rooms. Slender wreaths may be used in a great 
variety of tasteful decoration ; the best material for these 
is the Lycopodiums or Club Mosses, especially the one 
known as “Ground Pine” or “Bouquet Green,” as its rich 
dark color and finely divided branches especially adapt it 
to this use. Suggestions for making wreaths were given 
last month ; they may be hung over pictures, festooned 
along the cornice, and be worked into numerous tasteful 
shapes. In towns and cities the room is usually lighted 
with gas, and the chandelier forms a central point for 
decoration which should be treated with special care. 
But every farm-house can have some cheerful natural 
ornament, even if it be but branches of evergreens. 
LETTERS FOR MOTTOES 
are cut out of stiff brown paper, and- should be ot that 
style of letter known to printers ns gothic, the forms as 
seen in this specimen,are very SIMPLE, and may be 
cut out by those who have little skill in lettering; they 
appear distinct and bold when covered with green. 
Holly, the best material for covering letters, is very rare 
with us, except in a few localities ; small twigs of Arbor 
Vitae and Box may be used, as may the leaves of Lanrel 
(Kalmia), Rhododendron, Inkberry, or whatever broad 
leaved evergreen the locality may afford. The green is 
to be sewed to the paper pattern with dark green or black 
thread, and the edges kept very even to preserve a well- 
defined outline. Sometimes it is desirable to use white 
letters on a back-ground of green or other dark color; 
these may be cut from stiff white paper or card-board. It 
is recommended to cover the letters with mucilage of 
gum Arabic, and sprinkle them thickly with rice grains. 
This is said (we have not tried it) to give the letters a 
rich appearance. Miss Ilassard, who is the greatauthorily 
on floral decoration in England, makes use of perforated 
zinc as the foundation for her 
MORE ELABORATE DESIGNS, 
figs. 1 and 2 being from her work on “Floral Decorations.” 
Perforated zinc is sheet zinc filled with small holes, after 
the manner of perforated card-board, which allow the 
leaves to be sewed to it. The engravings represent de¬ 
signs to go around the upper part of a room, along the 
cornice, or over a large doorway. Another of Miss H.’s 
designs is given in figure 3; this is also made on a foun¬ 
dation of perforated zinc. Such figures as this may be 
hung against the bare wall between pictures, over the 
mantle-piece, or wherever there is suitable space. 
PICTURE AND MIRROR FRAMES 
may be ornamented by placing a wreath to cover the 
cord (it may be tied to it if necessary), and long enough 
to hang down the sides of the frame. A very pretty effect 
is produced by making a frame of light lath, and neatly 
covering it with evergreens, bound on as directed last 
month for wreaths. This should be of the proper size to 
slip upon the frame, and it may be held in place by a fine 
wire and small tacks, which may be driven into the back 
of the frame without injury. If preferred, a frame of 
green may be made, to be suspended in front of and quite 
hide the proper frame of the picture ; fine wire will come 
in play here as in many other cases... Where living 
plants are at command, they may be introduced as a part 
of the decoration with good effect, and for this purpose it 
is not necessary that they should be in flower. 
FRUITS, FLOWERS, ETC. 
Bits of color may be introduced in contrast with the 
green, and for this purpose bright colored berries seem 
more appropriate to the season than flowers. Berries oi 
Fig. 4.— mennonite woman cooking at a hearth. 
