1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
3G9 
slipped through a buckle which was sewed 
in the folded middle of a narrow doubled 
drilling strap, about ten inches long. On 
each end of this strap was strongly sewed 
a button. This, of course, was a home-made 
imitation of the patent stocking suspenders, 
and much better than those which fasten 
only on one side of the stocking. The strap, 
which buttons at each end to the stocking, 
one on the inside, and one on the outside of 
the leg, is folded in the middle at a rather 
acute angle, so as to spread naturally to each 
side of the leg at the top of the stocking. 
This buckle is for the purpose of lengthen¬ 
ing or shortening the suspender, as the length 
of the stockings makes necessary. Two 
loops of strong cord are sewed to the top of 
each stocking. After considerable practice 
and experimenting, these suspenders and 
their fastenings seem to me the easiest, 
cheapest, and most economical arrangement 
that I know of for fastening up children’s 
stockings. As I used old vest buckles, the 
present cost was five cents a pair. 
Household Notes and Queries. 
The Pickle Question comes up every au¬ 
tumn as regularly as the season comes around. 
The purport of a large number of letters is : 
“ How can we put up pickles to look like 
those in the stores ? ” We have stated a num¬ 
ber of times, and our letters of inquiry make 
it necessary to state again, that the fine ap¬ 
pearance of the pickles sold in glass jars is 
due to two tilings. First, the “greening” 
of the pickles, and second, to the use of color¬ 
less vinegar. If people will buy veiy green 
pickles, they do so at the risk of copper 
poisoning. The bright green is produced by 
the use of copper in some form. The salted 
cucumbers are freshened by soaking them 
out in blood-warm water in a copper kettle ; 
but the more common method is, to freshen 
the cucumbers by soaking them in luke-warm 
water, which is changed every 24 hours. 
Then to harden them, they are soaked in 
alum water, an ounce of alum to every five 
gallons, and to green them, an eighth of an 
ounce of verdigris is added to each five gallons 
of the alum water. Mind, we do not advise 
the use of verdigris in pickles. We prefer to 
take our verdigris without any pickles, but 
we give the method as stated in the works 
upon the subject. So far as we are aware, 
there is no method of having very bright 
green pickles without the use of copper in the 
form of verdigris, or by using copper vessels. 
Colorless Vinegar, the second condition 
upon which the fine appearance of the 
“store pickles" depends, has nothing un¬ 
wholesome about it. This vinegar, though 
sold as “white wine vinegar,” is really made 
from whiskey. It is not possible to produce 
vinegar except from alcohol in some form ; 
it is the alcohol in cider, wine, beer, etc., 
that is converted into vinegar, and weak 
whiskey and water will, under the proper 
conditions, form vinegar. Such vinegar, 
while without the pleasant fragrance of that 
made from cider, is just as wholesome as any 
other, and is the kind used by the manu¬ 
facturers for the pickles put up for sale. 
For Home Pickles, why care if they are 
green or not? It is the taste, and not the 
eye, that is to be gratified, and so long as the 
green color can only be had at the risk of 
poisoning by copper, let it be understood that 
all intensely bright green pickles are suspi¬ 
cious, and are to be avoided as unwholesome. 
Stuffed Pickles may be made either from 
unripe melons or from the very large peppers 
that are grown for the purpose. Melons thus 
pickled are called Mangoes, and in every 
melon patch there will be a number that will 
not ripen before frost, that may be used for 
the purpose. Those of the size of a large 
orange are best; cut out a piece from the 
stem end, large enough to admit a spoon to 
remove the contents ; when this has been 
done, put the plug back in place, and secure 
it by a wooden pin. The melons thus pre¬ 
pared should be placed in a stone or wooden 
vessel and covered with brine, in which they 
are to remain for 24 hours. The stuffing is 
to be made ready according to the materials 
at hand; green tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, 
green peppers, onions, and the like, are to be 
chopped small; shredded horseradish, mus¬ 
tard-seed, and any desired spice may be 
added. Take the melons from the brine, 
rinse them well, and fill them with the stuf¬ 
fing, securing the plug to each by means of 
wooden pins, or by sewing with coarse 
thread. Place the stuffed melons in a jar, 
and pour scalding vinegar over them. Pour 
off the vinegar the next day, scald and re¬ 
turn, and do this for three or four succes¬ 
sive days. Peppers can be treated in a sim¬ 
ilar manner, but with these it is better to 
make an opening in the side. The stuffing in 
either case may be varied according to fancy. 
Fungi for Wall Brackets. 
The various kinds of hard “shelf ” fungi, or 
“bracket toadstools,” as they are sometimes 
called, are attractive in themselves, and sug¬ 
gest by their shape the use as wall brackets, 
for which they are frequently employed. 
Figure 1 shows a group of one of the more 
common of the fungi, as it is found upon the 
trunk of a tree. These fungi grow with the 
smooth surface upward, frequently being 
bright-colored, and sometimes covered with a 
natural varnish. An attractive form of one 
of the fungus wall-brackets is shown in fig. 
2, taken from Mr. Batty's new work, “Prac¬ 
tical Taxidermy and Home Decoration.” The 
Fig. 1.— A GROUP OF BRACKET FUNGI. 
fungus has been inverted, thus bringing the 
level under surface to the top, and a thin 
board, cut to' an attractive form, is glued 
upon the back, by means of which the bracket 
can be hung to the wall, either by means of 
a nail through a hole in the back, or suspended 
from above by a cord. The adornment of 
this shelf allows of the display of consider¬ 
able taste. The one shown in the engraving 
is devoted to wild ferns, the fine forms of 
which may be arranged with a very pleas¬ 
ing effect. Fine grasses, and hard, bright- 
colored, and durable berries may be added. 
Fig. 2. —A FUNGUS WALL-BliACKET. 
The great tendency in all adornment is to 
overdo, crowding together a mass of good 
things, thus injuring the effect of the whole. 
Summer Complaints. 
Our readers are well aware that we do not 
advocate promiscuous dosing. Still every 
family, especially those living in the country, 
has its domestic remedies, and every mother 
is, or should be, able to treat those troubles 
that occur in her household, that are not 
sufficiently grave to warrant the calling of 
the family doctor. At this season, one of 
the most common troubles is diarrhoea, or 
looseness of the bowels. It is not only very 
common, but with children is often con¬ 
cealed from the parents, and thus becomes 
established. Complaints of this kind usually 
yield to some mild form of astringent. For 
such troubles there is everywhere at hand a 
most excellent remedy in the form of the 
root of the common Blackberry,' whether of 
the upright or the creeping form, it makes 
no difference. The roots of one or the other 
kind are to be had everywhere in the coun¬ 
try, and a decoction or tea made from them, 
is regarded by our best medical men as a 
most useful remedy in nearly all forms of 
what is popularly known as Summer Com¬ 
plaint. As the plants are everywhere, the 
remedy is always to be had. A decoction 
made by boiling an ounce, more or less, in a 
pint and a half of water down to a pint, is 
the usual method of administration. Of the 
tea thus prepared, a wine-glassful is the usual 
dose for a grown person, and a teaspoonful 
for a small child. The testimony from all 
parts of the country is in favor of the efficacy 
of this remedy for old and young, and in 
recent and prolonged cases. In the obstinate 
army diarrhoea, which gave so much trouble 
in our camps, this was found to be a most 
useful remedy. As its effect is that of a 
pure astringent, it may be taken without 
reference to any exact amount, and, if de¬ 
sired, may be rendered more palatable by the 
use of aromatics. It will be well, when the 
growing season is over, and before the ground 
is closed by frost, to dig a supply of the roots 
to be kept on hand for use in an emergency 
