1882 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
417 
.•a short pipe as seen in figure 2. During a heavy 
shower the overflow runs out of this hole, and into 
a spout provided for it. Figure 2 shows the gener¬ 
al arrangement of the entire apparatus. The bar¬ 
rel has a small shed built over it, to protect it from 
the sun and weather. This shed should open at 
one end, so the barrel can be taken out at any time. 
The top is movable to allow the strainer to be 
cleaned. The lower section of the water-spout 
should be loose, so that it may be moved up or 
down, and turned. In figure 2 the elbow rests on 
.a block, or bracket, and the water flows through a 
hole in the cover of the shed, into the barrel. 
When the cistern is full, the elbow is turned, and 
drops down to a block, and throws the water 
into the spout to be carried away, or into a “ wash 
water” cistern nearby. The above arrangement 
may be modified to suit different circumstances 
and places. When rain water is used exclusively 
for cooking and drinking, it is best to have a cis¬ 
tern for it alone, and a separate one for wash water. 
At the beginning of a storm, it is well to let the 
rain wash the roof for an hour or two, before the 
stream is allowed to enter the cistern. This is es¬ 
pecially necessary where pigeons and other birds 
•collect upon the roofs, as well as to wash off accu¬ 
mulated dust. 
A Convenient Shoe-Box. 
I am a dry goods dealer, and a regular reader of 
the American Agriculturist , having found many 
helps and hints from it for my poultry yard, garden, 
household, etc. I have received much, but given 
nothing, so I will turn over a new leaf, and help 
•others in the same way. In my spare time I love 
to be at work with tools, and generally keep all 
kinds at my store; so when the dull, rainy days 
•come, I tinker away at something, either for house 
or store. I send a description of a home-made 
■'‘Shoe-Box.” I took a light but strong case, two 
aud one-half feet long, nearly two feet wide, and 
one foot deep, removed the top, stood it on edge, 
:and put in partitions [as seen in the engraving]. 
CONVENIENT SHOE BOX. 
With a loll of cotton batting 1 made a stuffed seat 
on top, tacked on a remnant of ticking, and cov¬ 
ered the top and sides with figured cretonne, tack¬ 
ing only at the top edge, letting it hang down to the 
floor. Two pieces make the front, one half over¬ 
lapping the other. It makes a pretty and very 
useful article. It may be covered with any material 
to match carpet or furniture. The expense of this 
was about sixty-two cents. It can be made either 
with or without casters: mine was without. Our 
shoes, etc., are always where we can find them. 
“Home-loving Store-keeper.” 
Sweet Bread. 
BY A MINNESOTA HOUSEKEEPER. 
Having said something about sour bread, perhaps 
I should write about sweet bread, and how to make 
it. There is more than one way, but among these 
ways we ought net to include any that use soda or 
saleratus as a necessary ingredient. Neither should 
one depend habitually upon artificial sweetening, 
as sugar or molasses. These are only makeshifts. 
For sweet yeast-bread, sweet lively yeast is neces¬ 
sary. Fresh home-made yeast is probably the very 
hest. The labor of making this is small, compared 
■with the bother of watching it, and renewing it in 
time. Yeast-cakes from the factories seem to me 
less reliable than formerly, as I have found them 
unnecessarily bitter sometimes, seriously impairing 
the flavor of the bread. If good, they are very 
convenient. In setting the sponge over night, 
there is less danger of souring in hot weather, if 
the flour is scalded with boiling water for the 
sponge. This may be less iu quantity than is need¬ 
ed for the bread, and in the morning more warm 
water may be added, and the whole either stirred 
thickly and very thoroughly with flour (warmed in 
winter, if you would avoid delay), or, in making 
white bread, kneaded well, and left to rise in a 
mass. A very sweet, moist bread is made by scald¬ 
ing all of the flour used for the sponge, and knead¬ 
ing this when light, without dilution with more 
water. It should rise again, in the mass (if made 
of white flour), and be well kneaded again when 
made into loaves, to rise the third time, prepara¬ 
tory to baking. This scalded fine flour sponge, 
when light, may be stirred thickly and thoroughly 
with either cold-blast flour, entire wheat flour, or 
graham, and kneaded once lightly, and put directly 
into the bread pans. This will make sweet bread 
without the use of sugar, provided the yeast is fresh 
and good. I mean that it will have a decidedly 
sweet taste. Fresh yeast seems to be more neces¬ 
sary for the brown flours than for the white. The 
sponge for bread, made of “ Entire Wheat Flour,” 
may be made of either the brown or white flour, and 
so far I like it best with the sponge scalded. But 
there is danger of scalding the yeast too, in which 
case the bread will either not rise at all, or rise 
very slowly and imperfectly, as it does when kept 
too cool. When the flour is scalded, either let it 
stand until' cool enough, or oidy put in boil¬ 
ing water to make it up into a stiff dough, and 
gradually thin this with cold water until it is cool 
enough. Try it with the finger after stirring it up 
well from the bottom, and do not add the yeast 
until the batter is not above blood heat. 
But such bread does not depend upon scalded 
flour, if the flour and yeast are both good. A sim¬ 
ple batter of lukewarm water or new milk (scalded 
and then cooled sufficiently,) and flour, and fresh 
yeast (half a cup for three loaves), if not allowed 
to go a step beyond the proper (the vinous or alco¬ 
holic) fermentation into the acetic or vinegar fer¬ 
mentation, will be sweet, and nutritious in propor¬ 
tion to the nourishing properties of the flour. It 
may rise so light that all of the sweetness and 
nourishment seems to be fermented away without 
becoming positively sour ; or if any of the sweet¬ 
ness of the wheat kernel is left in the dough, its 
taste may be concealed by excess of salt. Yeast 
contains considerable salt, and many bread-makers 
add none to the sponge or dough, preferring the 
flavor of wheat to that of salt. Others believe that 
the bread is whiter and “ nicer ” for the addition of 
salt to the dough. 
It is a favorite method with some to scald a part 
of the flour for the sponge with the water poured 
off from the boiling potatoes at dinner, adding two 
or three mashed mealy potatoes. Very nice bread 
is made in this way. 
Another good method is to make a thin gruel of 
corn meal (or a cupful of com meal, well scalded 
with three cups of boiling water, stirred smoothly), 
and use this, when cool enough, for the bread mix¬ 
ing. This would make only two loaves. Of course 
yeast is added, in any method of making yeast 
bread, or “light bread,” as many call it. 
When poor materials aie used, or when mixing 
with sour milk, or using baking powder, a little 
sugar improves the flavor of the product, or helps 
to conceal any unpleasant taste. If the sour milk 
or buttermilk is fresh, and just the right propor¬ 
tion of soda is used, the flavor may be good enough, 
but most baking powder has a “tang,” more or 
less disagreeable. In all this baking powder war¬ 
fare, it is pleasant to know that good, light, sweet 
bread can be made with no artificial rising what¬ 
ever, if one has good flour and fresh water or sweet 
milk—just two materials, and a hot oven and good 
care or skill. In making white flour gems, or sweet 
milk gems of any kind, I find it better to add a 
well beaten egg and a little salt. 
Preserving and Canning Green Corn. 
In the July number, we requested any one who 
had successfully canned green corn and green peas 
in the family, to give us an account of the method. 
Several have responded as to canning corn, but 
only one mentions peas. A number use some pre¬ 
servative, such as Salt, or Tartaric Acid, while but 
one cans corn by exclusion of the air, without any 
addition. Among those using salt, is Mrs. “ S. H. 
M.,” Blue Ball, Pa., who says : “Place in a pre¬ 
serving kettle, seven pints of green corn, cut from 
the ear, one pint of salt, and water enough to cover 
it. Boil for five minutes, and place in glass jars 
the same as in canning fruit. For use, put the 
corn to soak in water the evening before. Prepare 
for the table by heating and seasoning.” Mrs M. 
says, if properly done, it is as good as fresh corn. 
From Mrs. “C. M. Me.M., ’’Denver, Ill., we have 
the following : “ The corn should be well filled, but 
not too hard. Cut the kernels to remove about 
half of their length, and scrape with a knife to 
remove the rest, and all the milk, leaving the hulls 
on the cob. For each quart of corn, add one pint 
of water, and cook until done. Have ready a solu¬ 
tion of one pound of Tartaric Acid, in one gallon of 
water. When the corn is done, add of this Acid 
solution, four tablespoonfuls to every quart of 
corn, let boil for three minutes, and put into new 
tin cans, and seal tight. Corn will not keep well 
in glass jars. Instead of the sealing-wax sold at 
the stores, I use a wax made of Rosin, toughened 
by adding to every pound of Rosin, a bit of Lard, the 
size of a hickory nut. To prepare this corn for the 
table, open the can, taking care that no sealing 
wax gets in ; turn the corn into an earthern dish, 
add to it one good teaspoonful of soda, and let it 
stand an hour. Then place it on the back of the 
stove, and let it come just to a boil; season with 
butter, salt, and pepper, and one or more table¬ 
spoonfuls of corn starch stirred in a little cream. 
Taste before serving, and if sufficient soda has not 
been used, add a little more. This process has had 
a faithful trial of three years in our family. Last 
year we put up 50 quarts, not one of which spoiled.” 
Doct. C. N. Diller, Carroll Co., Md., directs the 
use of six quarts of corn, and water enough to 
cook it; one ounce of Tartaric Acid, dissolved in 
boiling water is added while cooking. When done, 
can in tin or glass jars. In preparing for table, the 
acid water is poured off and saved; enough fresh 
water is added to cook it, and a small teaspoonful 
of soda ; let it stand for a few minutes, before put¬ 
ting it over the fire. While cooking, add a tea¬ 
spoonful of sugar. If the corn turns yellow, too 
much soda has been used, the natural color may be 
restored by adding a little of the sour water saved 
for the purpose. Season as for fresh corn. 
Corn is successfully put up without the use of 
salt or acid, by the Rev. J. H. Magoffin, Washte¬ 
naw Co., Mich., who says : “ After stripping off the 
husks, and picking off the silk, slice off carefully 
about half or two-thirds of the corn, with a sharp 
knife; then, with the back of the blade, press or 
scrape off that part of the kernels left on the cob. 
This prevents cutting of the cob. Fill the can a- 
bout one-third, and with the other end of a potato 
masher, or other stick, gently pack it down; put 
in more corn and pack again, and continue until 
the can is full to the very top. Put on the rubber, 
and screw the top on very tight. Put some cloth, 
hay or straw in the bottom of the wash boiler and 
on it set (or lay) the filled cans. Fill the boiler 
with cold water, being careful to cover the cam with 
it: set over the fire, and boil for three hours or 
more. Do not fear that the.cans will burst, even if 
very tightly screwed down. When you take them 
out, try if it is possible to screw the cover on more 
securely. After the jars are cool, wrap each one in 
paper, and set away in the dark. This is essential.” 
Mr. M. writes, that in his family, this process 
“succeeds perfectly, absolutely without a failure,” 
he adds; “ Succotash is put up in the same way, 
and so are green beans, and string beans. Peas 
you cannot pack—shake down very closely—put 
on rubbers, screw on cover, and boil in the same 
manner as directed for the com. They will 
shrink in the can—corn will not if packed hard.” 
