146 
[April, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
We give here sketches of the two articles usually 
chosen by the inexperienced as most easy of con¬ 
struction, and requiring but little ornamentation, 
viz., the Wall-Pocket (fig. 1) and the Bracket (fig. 2). 
The Wall-Pocket (fig. 1) is much the simpler and 
is very easily put together. Half-inch boards will 
Fig. 1.— CARVED WALL-POCKET. 
he required for these—a little heavier for the s-helf 
of the bracket and its support—the wood chosen 
to be at the option or convenience of the worker. 
Black-walnut is always desirable, as being most 
easily worked and the most satisfactory when fin¬ 
ished. Cherry is handsome—of a rich, deep red 
when oiled, but tough and hard to work, and apt 
to crumble under the tool. Oak should never be 
attempted by the inexperienced. For economy, pine 
or any other cheap wood may be used, and stained 
after carving, but this is not desirable when it can I 
be avoided. Ebonized wood is, however, very ef¬ 
fective when an incised pattern only is desired, the 
pattern to be marked off with gilt or touches of 
paint, and the effect will be greatly enhanced by a 
spray of flowers neatly painted upon the black 
back-ground. Full instructions in staining, ebon- 
izing, aud gilding, will be given later; with direc¬ 
tions for making some simpler articles of furniture. 
A bench to work upon will be found useful, and 
is easily made ; but any old table or shelf of a suit¬ 
able hight may be used. Upon this the material 
to be carved must be laid, in the most suitable 
position to get at the part to be worked, and kept 
Fig. 2.— A CARVED BRACKET, 
firmly in place by wooden blocks nailed tightly to 
the table, on each side of the piece, leaving the 
worker’s hands free. After having drawn the 
pattern—those who can not draw may use tracing- 
paper—with the point of the carving-knife held 
straight down, you cut all around the edge of the 
pattern; then sloping the knife a little you cut 
around once again, thus 
removing a narrow slice 
of wood, windy will 
leave the pattern quite 
distinct and clear, care 
being taken that the 
edges of the leaves are 
sharp, and that the slop¬ 
ing cut is taken from 
the back - ground and 
not from the pattern. 
Ali this may he done 
with a V chisel or dividing 
tool, but it is a dangerous instrument in the hands 
| of the novice, and one slip may ruin all. The vein- 
, ing of the leaves is done with a little instrument 
| called a veining tool, which must be handled eare- 
i fully, as an unlucky slip will make a cut that can 
not be repaired. A line should be drawn all around 
the wall-pocket or bracket about i inch from the 
edge, and cut away with the knife as above de¬ 
scribed, thus leaving a border or frame for the 
i carved picture already made. Then with a stamp- 
j ing or fretting tool you roughen the back-ground, 
leaving the pattern smooth, and stamping carefully 
between the leaves and 
stems. This is a very 
Fig. 4.— edge of bracket. s ' m P^ e process, and is 
done by holding the 
stamp in the left hand and striking it a quick blow 
with a mallet, the impression of the pattern on the 
underside of the stamping tool beingleft in the wood. 
The necessary tools required for this work are 
gouges of four different sizes, and as it will be 
Fig. 5.— KNIFE. 
found that the round bladed or U shaped gouge 
will be equally as necessary as the flat. It will be 
best to get four of each, and chisels, both straight 
and bent, with edges varying from the smallest 
procurable to an inch in width. A knife of the 
shape in the sketch (fig. 5) will be found an abso¬ 
lute necessity, and if not to be purchased else¬ 
where, will be sent by mail from the Cincinnati 
School of Design. An oil-stone is most suitable 
for repairing edges dulled by work, but a small fine 
grindstone should be kept at hand for the breaks 
that will occur; it must be used very carefully. 
“ Custard‘Fish” or “Fish Custard.” 
Names often go a great ways in deciding likes 
and dislikes. A Frenchman invited a friend to 
partake with him a “fricassee of boned robbins’ 
legs.” The friend pronounced it exquisite, and de¬ 
termined to introduce so delightful a dish at home. 
Imagine his disgust, his upheaval of—feeling, on 
happening to gather from a remark of a servant 
that he had just eaten a fricassee of frogs' legs. Re¬ 
cently, when breakfasting at a “ boarding school,” 
the young ladies were helped to a dish called 
“custard fish” or “fish custard,” and they seemed 
to like it. Though a nice steak was offered us as 
a visitor, our curiosity prompted a request for some 
of the “ custard fish.” The first taste showed that 
it was our favorite preparation of salt codfish. 
There is in many families a decided repugnance to 
the use of codfish; it is considered plebeian, as 
only fit for those too poor to have anything better. 
Yet it is one of the most wholesome, nourishing 
foods, is economical, and if rightly prepared, is very 
palatable. It supplies excellent nutriment both for 
the brain and muscles. An eminent literary friend 
of ours used to say that, as his wife prepared it he 
wanted it “ eight mornings in a week.”—From the 
hurried manner of curing and drying codfish dur¬ 
ing large catches, it often happens that they are 
not uniformly salted and cured throughout. The 
smallest portion neglected may injure the taste of 
the whole fish and of others packed with it. This 
has had much to do with creating a dislike for this 
food. In purchasing codfish, it is well to examine 
them carefully, and select only those of uniform 
color throughout, and having no tainted odor at 
any point. Those of medium size are preferable— 
the smaller ones being too skinny, and the larger 
ones too coarse grained. There is now to be gener¬ 
ally obtained what is called “bone-less codfish,”' 
at a slightly higher price, yet cheap as compared 
with meat or most other fish. From those well 
cured, the vertebra and chief bones, the skin and 
fins, are removed, aud only the clear white portions 
are put up in boxes—a nice article ready for im¬ 
mediate use.—A great point in preparing codfish 
is to have it well soaked to remove all excess of 
salt, clear through. Two or three waters should he 
used. It is best to pick it finely, pour off one wa¬ 
ter, aud let it stand in plenty of fresh water over 
night, or several hours. If too fresh, which is sel¬ 
dom the case, salt is easily added. This thorough 
soaking after it is picked fine, makes a marked dif¬ 
ference in its flavor. 
For “Custard Fish,” boil the soaked fish in 
water until tender; then pour off the water and 
pick it very fine; have ready a quart of hot milk for 
three-quarters of a pound of fish, and put into it 
the fish, and a tablespoonful of butter; stir until it 
boils; then stir in well a heaping tablespoonful of 
flour, and cook it five minutes. Let it cool a little, 
and then stir into it two well beaten eggs without 
further cooking. 
For Nice Fish Balls, soak the fish in warm 
but not boiling water for an hour, and repeat this 
twice; boiling water toughens it. Pour off the 
last water so as to leave it nearly dry, and chop it 
fine in a chopping bowl. Mash the boiled potatoes 
separately, aud mix about one part of fish with two 
parts of potato, putting in about a tablespoonful of 
butter to a quart of the mixture, and adding salt if 
needed. Make into balls or cakes. This can be 
done the night before. Fry in lard or drippings, 
using only enough to keep them from sticking to 
the pan. Some prefer them fried swimming in 
lard, but they are less digestible. If the balls are 
first dipped in beaten egg, they will take up little 
of the cooking fat, and are very good. When well 
made thus, they are palatable, easily digested, and 
nutritious as well as economical. 
An Easily made Country Chair. 
It is curious to notice how different persons will 
hit upon the same device. Many years ago, a young 
surgical friend of ours had an operation to per¬ 
form, which required a chair that would allow 
him to put his patient in a more or less reclining 
position. He did not wish to give up his patient, 
and could not afford to pay $50, more or less, for a 
regular operating chair. He applied to us in his 
dilemma, and at the expense of less than a dol¬ 
lar for lumber we made a chair, to the covering of 
AN EASILY MADE CHAIR. 
which he devoted his traveling shawl, and the thing 
was complete. There now comes from “ G. W. A.,” 
Lennox, Mass., a drawing of a chair, which embod¬ 
ies our first, and only attempt, at chair building; 
this is fixed—ours had the parts movable, was upon 
a wheeled platform, and so arranged, that it could 
be inclined in any needed position, but essentially 
the same chair. Our friend commends his chair 
Fig. 3.— DESIGN FOR 
CARVING. 
