64 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[February, 
cool and fresh night air. I can agree with all that is 
said about going to bed and dressing in warm rooms 
—this plan certainly is best when one can accomplish 
it reasonably, and it is worth trying hard for. But 
when you are once in bed, well covered with bed¬ 
clothing, you have a fine opportunity to ventilate 
your blood with pure air, and to invigorate the 
system by cool air that does not chill. Every one 
ehould have a habit of sleeping with the mouth 
shut, and if the hair is thin and the head is cold in 
the night, a night-cap of cotton or flannel should 
be worn. Then the cold air does you no more harm 
than when out walking or riding, and in all ordinary 
winter weather, even in Minnesota, I am convinced 
that there is a decided advantage in sleeping with an 
open window. If you can afford an open fire too, 
all the better for the ventilation. A fire is some¬ 
times necessary, also, to keep the frost from doing 
damage by freezing water and other liquids. 
■Window-Gardening- Overdone. 
A few clean, thrifty house-plants are such a cheer¬ 
ing addition to a family room, and are capable of 
affording so many lessons for all, that one ought 
not to say a word to discourage their introduction, 
but I am sometimes more annoyed than pleased by 
my friends’ house-plants. The uses of windows are 
chiefly to give us light in our rooms and to afford 
an opportunity for looking out. When the cheeri¬ 
est window in the room is so crowded with plants 
as to darken the room and to shut out from view 
the pleasant outside prospect, I think the plants 
have become a nuisance. The little children, and 
the children of a larger growth too, need light and 
sunshine even more than house-plants do, for 
plants can be put away in the cellar during the 
winter and children cannot I look forward to a 
time when I can have a blooming rose, and a leafy 
rose-geranium, and a cnlla and ivy vines to brighten 
and embellish my rooms, and every fall I speculate 
upon the subject and decide that I cannot afford to 
give up to plants my own and my childrens’ window 
privileges. Sitting by our big south window in the 
family sitting room, we can see far up and down 
the Mississippi River, see the sun rise in the south¬ 
east, and set a little while after (so it seems in these 
short December days, in this far northern State) 
behind the city lying to the southwest of us. 
Tastes differ. Some who call, go straight to the 
window and say, “ What a broad and magnificent 
prospect! ” Others say, “ What a fine place for 
house-plants ! ” It is from this same window, wide 
open at night, that four members of the family, 
sleeping in a large room adjoining, get their pure 
night air, and when the window is closed as the 
morning fire is built, there is a plentiful supply of 
clean air in the room with which to start the day. 
My acquaintances who crowd their windows with 
plants, no doubt wonder at our fondness for little 
flowers that grow on our hills and road sides— 
flowers just as sweet and pretty as many exotics in 
their pots and vases, only “common,” and therefore 
“ weeds,” whose names few people care to know. 
People who can have almost everything they 
want, can, of course, have room windows enough 
for plants, without interfering with outer prospects 
and pure air and sunshine, as needed by the family. 
Mittens for Hanging- Out Clothes. 
Don’t go out bare-headed to put your wet clothes 
on the line in winter weather. It is a foolish and 
unnecessary tax upon the system, and injurious to 
the hands. Gloves and mittens worn on ordinary 
occasions are apt to be more or less soiled—and are 
not suitable for handling clean clothes. Have a 
pair for this very purpose. You can cut them from 
clean flannel (white seems the most suitable), and 
line them with another thickness of flannel—or 
make them double—if the flannel is thin. These 
should be kept in a clean place, ready for this par¬ 
ticular business, and nothing else. A good and 
handy place to keep them is in the clothes-pin bag. 
Match finds Dangerous.—The parlor match¬ 
es in such general use afford the readiest possible 
method of striking a light, but the very ease with 
which they are set off makes them dangerous. Seri¬ 
ous accidents have occured from treading upon 
them ; they inflame at once, and in several cases 
women have been severely burned by setting their 
clothing on fire in this manner. One can not be 
too careful with them. In striking a match, the 
wood being poor, it sometimes breaks off, and the 
phosphorus end falls to the floor. When this oc¬ 
curs, always search for and find the piece. If left, 
some one may set it off by treading upon it, and 
there is danger that a painful disaster may result. 
Icing and Ornamenting Cakes. 
Fig. 1. 
A house-keeper writes to remind us that we 
once promised to tell “how wedding and other 
cakes are so beautifully frosted and ornamented.” 
We are glad that our friend takes the trouble to 
write us, and would say just here, to new readers 
as well as old, that we are always glad to have them 
inform us how we can best help them. The lady 
has, no doubt, in mind those elaborately orna¬ 
mented cakes that arc sent out by city confection¬ 
ers and bakers. The same kind of cake may be 
had with merely a plain icing, or 
frosting—both names being used—or 
the surface may have on the margin a 
wreath or scroll-work with a neat 
figure in the centre, and there is every 
degree from this simple ornamenta¬ 
tion up to the most elaborate, when 
the surface of the cake becomes a 
work of art, and if for special oc¬ 
casions, has monograms, figures, 
emblems, and whatever taste may 
suggest, all wrought in sugar. In 
first-class establishments decorators 
are employed who do nothing else,and 
these acquire a skill that others can not hope to 
equal. To excel in such work, as in any other 
decorative art, requires taste and skill in handling 
the materials ; those who have the happy knack of 
“ doing things ” will succeed with home-made cake 
decorating; those who lack this should content 
themselves with plain icing. All that we can do in 
the matter is to describe the process as we have* 
seen it done by artists in this particular line. 
The Icing— Whateverthe decoration, the cake has 
first a coating of plain icing as a foundation. This 
preparation is merely the white of eggs and 
powdered sugar beaten together; as 
eggs differ in size, and as the tem¬ 
perature has an effect upon the icing, 
no rigid rule can be given. It should 
be of a consistence that can only be 
learned by practice ; it should not be 
thin enough to run, nor should it be 
so thick that,on standing, the surface 
will not settle and become smooth. 
The usual rule is : One pound of 
powdered sugar to the whites of 
four eggs; if lemon juice or extract 
•trig.. <4 0 f lemon or vanilla is added for 
flavoring, more sugar will be required to make 
up for this added liquid. The whites 
being placed in a shallow bowl, a 
little sugar is added, and the two 
are beaten with a whisk or wire egg- 
beater ; the beating is kept up reg¬ 
ularly, adding the sugar by degrees. 
If the eggs are large three will be 
enough for a pound of sugar. The 
beating and addition of sugar must 
go on until the icing is of the 
right consistence—and only experience and judg¬ 
ment can decide just what the proper stiffness is. 
To apply the Icing.— The inexperienced should 
wait until the cake is cold, but those who are skilled 
apply the icing while it is still quite warm. The 
side of the cake is iced first; a piece of card-board, 
not too coarse and stiff, but about like Bristol-board 
will be required, as this may be curved to suit the 
surface of the cake ; it should be about 4 inches 
long, and of convenient width to handle ; the icing is 
to be applied to the sides with a knife, and smoothed 
and spread evenly by the use of the card-board, 
carrying the icing well up to the edge. For the top, 
place what may be required in the centre and spread 
it down towards the edges, by means of the card¬ 
board ; if the icing is very stiff it may newd to be 
to mali 
V 
gill, 
Fig. 3. 
smoothed by the use of a broad-knife dipped in 
water. Those who are sufficiently skilled to apply 
the icing to a warm cake, find it hard by the time 
the cake has cooled, but that on a cold cake must 
be dried by setting it in a warm place, or in the sun. 
Ornamentation. —The materials used for orna¬ 
menting the surface are of two kinds: 1. The 
icing itself; and, 2d, sugar paste, to be presently 
described, from which ornaments not possible with 
icing, may be made to be attached to the surface. 
The Use of Icing depends upon the skilful direc¬ 
tion of a small stream of the material; syringes are 
sold at the furnishing stores for this purpose, but 
the regular decorators use a very simple affair. A 
coil is made of stout, well-glazed writing paper, 
(fig. 1), like a confectioner’s or grocer’s horn, or 
Fig. 4.— A WAVED LINE. 
cornucopke; this should be made very narrow at 
the point, and the paper go around two or three 
times. A quantity of the icing is placed in this, and 
the top edges are folded over as in fig 2 ; of course 
a pressure upon this will force the icing out at the 
point below, and great care must be taken to regu¬ 
late the size of the hole there ; the point is made 
purposely long, and by cutting off a bit of the 
paper at the end, the opening may be gradually en¬ 
larged. One of the commonest ornaments is the 
“ drop.” Squeeze out enough icing to form a 
drop, say the size of a pea, touch this to the iced 
Fig. 5.— UP AND DOWN SCOLLOPS. 
surface of the cake, and lift the horn, and it will 
leave a neat drop, shaped as in fig. 3. By squeez¬ 
ing gently the top of the horn, a continuous stream 
will be forced out; this may, by moving the horn 
along, be laid straight, or by giving it a regular 
side to side motion it will form a waved line as in 
fig. 4. By giving the stream an up and down motion, 
a line like that in fig. 5, will be the result. 
By combining these simple elements, the drop, the 
straight line, the waved line, and what we may call 
the furrowed line, fig. 5, a great variety of orna¬ 
ments may be made, in the hands of an in¬ 
genious person all that may be desired in a home 
product. The line may be run to form a great 
variaty of figures, such as hearts, leaves, initials 
and monograms, etc. Fig. 6 shows a very simple, 
but quite effective border; the waved line is 
run all around the edge of the cake, and a drop 
placed in each curve. By having two horns, one 
giving a larger and the other a very fine stream, 
very pretty effects may be produced. Suppose a 
heart or a star has been made with the larger stream, 
then take the other, which should have a very fine 
point, and give a thread-like stream, and run lines 
across within the figure, very near together, in one 
direction, then cross-wise at right angles ; this will 
give the effect of lace-work. Sometimes the whole 
Fig. 6.—A SIMPLE BORDER. 
surface of the cake is covered with lace-work in this 
manner, and the larger figures laid over it. 
Precautions to be Noted. —Have the icing 60 stiff 
that when it runs out of the horn it will retain its 
shape. In using the horn always press from the 
upper part downwards, as the icing is used up 
the top of the horn may be rolled down towards 
the point. Recollect that it is much easier to en¬ 
large the hole at the point, than to contract it. Try 
first any new design upon a piece of clean paper. 
Ornaments with Sugar Paste.— The paste is a 
