206 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[May, 
THE H©p§EH(D)LlDo 
For other Household Items see “ Basket ” pages. 
Oyster-Can “ Pigeon Holes.” 
A place for small articles such as letters, 
valuable papers, seeds, etc., is very important 
in every house. Such small places of safety 
are called “pigeon holes,” and are usually 
made of thin boards, dovetailed or other- 
Fig. 1 .— a “pigeon-hole” bracket. 
■wise fastened together. Mr. E. Z. Fahs, Jer¬ 
sey Co., Ill., sends drawings of a case of 
“pigeon holes,” which he has made of old 
oyster cans—the square 
kind—usually found in 
great numbers about 
hotels, restaurants, and 
some dwellings in the 
interior portions of the 
country. The cans be¬ 
ing thoroughly washed, 
the end of each is melted 
out and the edges ham¬ 
mered down and smooth¬ 
ed with a file. Figure 1 
shows a bracket shelf 
with a rack beneath, 
upon which a number of 
these cans are placed 
side by side. The shelf 
may be arranged for the 
cans to have the open 
end in front, so that the 
contents may be taken 
out or put in without 
moving the can. Some 
may prefer to have the 
open end at the top, when 
each can must be taken 
out as the contents are wanted. Labels, 
as “ Letters,” “ Circulars,” etc., may be put 
on the cans as desired. Mr. F. has arranged 
one side of his book-case as shown in figure 
2. A thin strip is nailed to the side—the 
width of the cans from the book-case—and 
in this space a number of the cans are placed, 
one over the other, with the open end out¬ 
ward. A case devoted entirely to cans may 
he made as ahown in figure 3. Such a case 
need not be heavy, and may be put against 
the wall as a bracket, or placed on the rear 
of a stand or table. Oyster cans of the square 
kind arranged in any of the ways here sug¬ 
gested will be found very convenient, and the 
cheapness should recommend these “pigeon 
holes ” to every one having papers and other 
small articles to preserve for ready reference. 
Home Topics. 
BY FAITH ROCHESTER. 
— 
Eating: Between Meals. 
This habit should always be discouraged. 
Three regular meals are enough for almost 
every one. I cannot think of any case where 
a person of average health, or a child old 
enough to talk plain, can habitually need 
more frequent meals, if these three are of 
good wholesome food. Eating lunches be¬ 
tween meals is a habit easily acquired, but 
troublesome and unhealthful. To keep lit¬ 
tle children from acquiring this habit, see 
that they have plenty to eat at their regular 
meals—plenty of good, nourishing food. 
Many seem to suppose that if the stomach is 
filled with something at a meal, especially if 
that something be made to “taste good,” it 
matters little what the filling may be. People 
speak of an empty stomach as the one great 
evil in case of delay about meals. Genuine 
hunger is the real need of the body for more 
building material. Hunger is often fancied 
(more often than genuine hunger is felt) by 
those who have plenty, because there is a 
sense of emptiness in the stomach which is 
kept so constantly filled as to have little 
chance for rest. My baby’s case convinces 
me that eating between meals is mostly a 
mere habit. He has always been well nour¬ 
ished. I found that he was more con¬ 
tented and slept better at night when he had 
good full meals—mostly sifted Graham gruel 
and milk, or bread and milk, after weaning, 
for a few months—and he always expected 
to finish his meal before he turned to any¬ 
thing else. Before he was a year and a half 
old it was quite noticeable that he hardly 
ever wished for anything between meals, 
even when others around him were eating. 
Some who had a theory that children should 
eat little and often, felt sure that he ought to 
have something between meals; but if they 
can show me a stronger, plumper (not fat), 
or more rosy-cheeked, healthy fellow of two 
years, I should like to see him. 
Children’s Under-garments. 
I do not know why so many people imagine 
that little boys need less clothing in cool 
summer weather than girls do. Mothers who 
would never think of allowing little girls to 
go with only one thickness of cotton over 
most of the body, let little boys go through 
the cool summer mornings and evenings, and 
through those days when they put thick 
clothing on themselves, with nothing under 
their unlined cotton trousers, perhaps with 
no clothing on except a waist and trousers 
buttoned together. This is well enough on 
very hot days and nights, but all little boys 
ought to be provided with thick cotton under¬ 
drawers, a little shorter than their trousers, 
to wear all summer except in the hottest 
weather. Often it is advisable to put a second 
pair either of drawers or trousers, between 
the inside and outside layers of clothing, 
unless the thin trousers are exchanged for 
thicker. I have seen considerable of this 
neglect to provide children with sufficient 
clothing in summer, where there was no ex¬ 
cuse except ignorance or carelessness. 
For children of both sexes, the combined 
waist and drawers is the most convenient 
fashion for under-garments. In summer it 
is more convenient to have them made in. 
two parts, buttoning together around the 
waist. I find it best to provide long-sleeved, 
high-necked, thick cotton waists for the 
spring and fall, and cool summer days, and 
other thinner ones with low neck and short 
sleeves for hot weather. This leaves no 
necessity for shirt or chemise, and at night a 
night-gown is the proper covering. It is 
best to take off all of the clothing worn dur¬ 
ing the day, and give it an airing at night. 
I see patterns for children’s waists in the 
pattern books. They cannot be so useful and 
healthful as the plain waist with sleeves 
either long or short. Whatever a woman 
must come to in the way of absurd and un¬ 
reasonable clothing, let the little girls be as 
equally covered as possible. 
The Use o t Spices. 
Opinions would differ about the real use of 
spices in our food. More than one family 
has learned to do without spices almost en¬ 
tirely. A little now and then is the general 
rule among enlightened people. Professional 
cooks and teachers of cookery caution us 
against too free a use of spices, if we would 
regard the health of our families. Ignorant 
cooks seem to think that if a little of any¬ 
thing is good, more must be better. It seems 
to me to be with spices as with perfumes— 
the use has been mainly to cover up some¬ 
thing wrong. If good materials are used in 
cookery, especially good butter and sugar, 
there is no need felt for strong seasoning. 
But spices are said to be good for provoking 
an appetite. That shows that something is 
wrong with the one who eats. So far as I 
have observed, a healthy person who eats 
regularly and temperately of plain and 
nourishing fare, has no need of a special 
appetizer. He cannot help relishing good 
food well cooked, though plainly seasoned, 
if he has a suitable variety to supply his 
needs. If the appetite fails, better begin at 
the other end to mend matters. Try a little 
fasting, or greater moderation in eating. 
A ]Un<l Msit.—Next to dust, mud is the 
housewife’s great trouble, and especially in 
the spring. It is impossible to prevent mud 
from getting upon the boots, and unless re¬ 
moved it will be carried into and distributed 
in larger or smaller quantities throughout the 
house. A mud mat and a scraper will do 
much to keep the mud out of the house, pro¬ 
vided they are used. There should be one of 
each at every entrance door. A ready made 
scraper can be bought for a small sum at any 
hardware store, but for this there need be no 
outlay ; a piece of old saw-blade, or even a 
bit of iron hoop can be so readily converted 
into a scraper that it needs no illustration. 
The scraper is for the purpose of removing 
mud, etc., from the boot or shoe ; the impor¬ 
tant points to be observed are : to put it in a 
convenient place for use, and where the mud 
that is removed will fall in a place where it 
will be out of the way, and not be taken up 
again by those who enter the house. A mat 
for the removal of the coarser mud from the 
boots and shoes can be readily made as fol¬ 
lows : Procure a number—20 or so—of inch- 
square fence pickets, and bore four holes 
through each, one near each end, and two be¬ 
tween. String these on four stout wires,. 
Fig. 2.—CANS BY SIDE 
OF BOOK CASE. 
