1882 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
377 
with hot water.’ Canning fruit is hot enough work 
without any hot water or hot jars around. Instead 
of this, wrap the jars with a towel saturated with 
cold water, and pour in your hot fruit. Any one 
who has not tried it will naturally say, ‘ that is the 
sure way to break the jars.’ I would say, just try 
one jar and see. We have canned hundreds of 
jars, one and two quarts, and have never broken 
one in filling. I can’t explain why, but simply 
know that it is the fact.”—[We have had the same 
suggestion from others, and we give the above 
without having tried the method ourselves.— Eds.] 
Wheel-barrow Needle-book. 
The parts of the needle-book represented in the 
engraving, are made of light paste-board, covered 
neatly with drab velvet. A small drab-silk wire, 
wound with the finest of blue chenille cord, is 
sewed around the bottom, and Is bent at the proper 
intervals to form the handles, legs and support for 
the wheel. To the back of the barrow on the in¬ 
side, are fastened three flannel leaves for needles, 
red, white, and blue in color. A bow of narrow 
blue ribbon covers the stitches which secure them, 
and finishes the places where the legs meet the bar- 
row. A spool of cotton may be deposited in the 
center, and the whole makes a convenient and or¬ 
namental article for the sewing table. Aunt Ida. 
Frame for Cooling Pies, Cakes. Etc. 
Every house-keeper knows the consequence of 
letting pies, tarts, or cake stand on a solid surface 
while cooling. The pie-crust, which should be 
flaky and light, becomes soggy and moist, and the 
bottom of the brown crusty cake soaks and loses 
its delicious flavor. Some kinds of fruit pies are 
so juicy that they have to be put on a plate when 
removed from the tin, but unless that renders it 
necessary, they should never be put on a plate un¬ 
til cold. 
The frame shown in the engraving is made of 
strips of pine, 3 feet long and 21 feet wide, and 
covered with gauze wire, such as is used for sieves. 
At each corner, blocks are fastened for feet, to 
raise the frame three inches from the table, so the 
A COOLING-FRAME FOB PIES AND CAKES. 
air can circulate freely beneath it. The wire is 
fastened to the frame by small tacks. The frame 
is so simple that any one handy with hammer and 
saw would have no trouble in making it. L. F B. 
Some Hints About Pickles. 
Something was said about pickles last month (p. 
336), but that article does not meet all the inquiries 
on the subject that have come to us. While the 
majority agree that pickles are not really foo'd, in 
the sense of being nutritive, most persons prepare 
and serve them upon their tables. Whether pickles 
are nutritive or not, people in general like them, 
and so long as this is the case they will be made— 
and it only remains for us to endeavor that they be 
made as wholesome, or as little harmful, as possi¬ 
ble. At the best, a pickle is a condiment; of 
whatever it may be made, it is merely a convenient 
vehicle for conveying Acetic Acid (in the form of 
vinegar) together with various aromatics or spices 
into the system. The material of the pickle may 
be looked upon as a sort of sponge to allow us to 
partake of vinegar, either plain or spiced. The 
vinegar, while it allows us to preserve the articles 
used for the pickles from decay, at the same time 
renders them so indigestible that the chief effect to 
be expected from eating them is from the vinegar 
and the spices. A glance at the list of the many 
vegetables used as pickles shows that but very few 
have any marked flavor of their own, but derive 
their taste from the vinegar and spices. The chief 
exception to this general statement is the Olive, 
which is imported preserved in brine ; this, from 
the quantity of oil it contains, may be somewhat 
nutritive, though it is consumed solely for its appe¬ 
tizing qualities. 
The leading pickle—in this country, at least,—is 
the Cucumber, with a decided flavor of its own, as 
has the Capsicum or Pepper and the Onion, also 
often pickled. To these may be added the Black 
Walnut and the Butternut, both of which, when 
taken very green, make an excellent pickle, with a 
characteristic flavor, much like that made from the 
European or English Walnut. Among the articles 
with little character of their own but often pickled 
are : String-beans, Cauliflower, Cabbage, green 
Tomatoes, unripe Musk Melons and the rind of 
Watermelons, Martynias, Beets. Indeed almost 
any tender vegetable may be used for the purpose. 
Pickles may be divided into four classes. 1st, those 
in which the vegetables are preserved in vinegar 
only. 2d, in which spices of various kinds are 
added to the vinegar. 3d, mixed pickles in which 
several vegetables are used and surrounded by a 
thick sauce of which mustard is an important in¬ 
gredient. 4th, sweet pickles, which are preserved 
in a thin syrup made of sugar and vinegar, usually 
highly spiced. For pickles of this class, Peaches, 
Pears and other fruits are often used, and they 
have become of late years very popular 
We call attention to what was said last month on 
the improper greening of the showy pickles offered 
for sale. The colorless whiskey vinegar can now 
be had in all large places under the name of 
“ white-wine vinegar.” This may be used, if de¬ 
sired, as it is quite wholesome, but without the 
pleasant flavor and odor of the dark-colored cider 
vinegar. We also refer to that article upon the 
salting of the different vegetables before they are 
put into vinegar. With most vegetables, unless 
they are first properly salted, the vinegar will not 
penetrate them in a satisfactory manner; but be¬ 
fore they are placed in the vinegar the salt must be 
nearly or quite all removed by thoroughly soaking 
them in successive changes of pure water. 
Spiced Pickles 
are merely pickles of any kind to which aromatics 
have been added; these are usually boiled in the 
vinegar for a short time, and the vinegar thus pre¬ 
pared is used instead of the common article. A 
skilled housekeeper needs no special recipe, as she 
adds such spices as she thinks will answer, knowing 
that if the pickles are only pungent they will be 
acceptable. One recipe gives for each quart of 
vinegar: Black Pepper, 2 oz.; Ginger Root, 1 oz.; 
Allspice, 1 oz. Bruise these in a mortar, and sim¬ 
mer gently for a few minutes. If an enamelled 
vessel is not at hand put the ingredients in a glass 
or stone jar, place this in a vessel of water and 
keep hot upon the stove, not boiling, for a day or 
two. Afterwards strain and use like ordinary vine¬ 
gar. If a more pungent vinegar is desired, add a 
teaspoonful of Cayenne. 
Sweet Pickles. 
These are made from Peaches, Pears, Plums, 
Apples and other fruits, ripe but not too mellow ; 
over-ripe Cucumbers, Watermelon rind and other 
fruits are also used. The article to be pickled is 
first cooked in water until a straw will pass through 
it. The vinegar is prepared thus : To each quart 
of vinegar add Brown Sugar, 3 lbs.; Stick Cinna¬ 
mon, 4 oz.; Cloves, 2 oz. Bruise the spices, tie in a 
muslin bag and boil with the vinegar and sugar for 
five minutes. Pour the liquid over the fruit or 
other material placed in a jar. For three days in 
succession, heat the liquid to the boiling point, 
with the bag of spices, and pour over the fruit. 
“Chair” Made from a Packing Box. 
A very comfortable and handsome “ chair ” can 
be made from an ordinary packing box. The box 
should be about 11 foot wide by 2 feet long, and 
not more than 14 inches deep. If deeper it will 
make the “ chair ” too high, and so take away 
much from its ease. A caster should be fastened 
firmly to each corner ; after which the box is ready 
to cover. Cut from large-flowered chintz as many 
breadths, sixteen inches deep, as are necessary to 
go around the sides of the box three times, run 
them together, make a hem an inch deep around 
the bottom, and pleat into 11 inch side pleats. Let 
the lower edge of the flounce come slightly below 
the bottom of the box, and lay the extra length 
over on to the top of the box, where it is fastened 
with small tacks, so that when the cushion is on 
the tacks will be covered. To make the cushion, 
cut two pieces of strong muslin, or partly-worn 
ticking, the size of the top of the box, and a piece 
three inches deep, which is to be sewed between 
the top and bottom of the cushion as for a mattress. 
One side should be left unsewed until the stuffing 
has been put in. For this hay or straw can be 
used, or worn-out comfortables or quilts. Enough 
of whatever is used must be put in to fill the 
cushion tight. Cut from the chintz a piece the 
size of the top of the cushion and make a strip five 
inches deep, and long enough to go once and a half 
around the cushion. Gather this strip and sew one 
side to the piece of chintz. Draw overthe cushions 
and sew the other edge of the puff to the underside. 
The cushion can be tacked firmly to the box along 
the front, by holding it up from the back and 
catching the tacks through the edge of the puff 
where it is sewed to the cushion. For the back 
make a pillow four inches less in length than the 
box, and not quite as broad as long. Feathers 
make a good stuffing for this, or it may be filled 
with whatever is used for the cushion on the liox. 
Cover the pillow with chintz, and put a ruffle of 
the chintz two inches wide around it. The ruffle 
looks better if made double instead of hemmed. 
Three loops of cord are sewed to the top of the 
pillow, one at each corner and one in the center, 
far enough below the edge to keep them from 
showing above the ruffle, and by these the pillow 
is hung on nails against the wall back of the cov¬ 
ered box. This is one of the most satisfactory of 
home-made “chairs.” Mrs. Busyhand. 
Gems,— “A. W.” writes us : “I would like to 
suggest to a ‘ Londoner,’ as well as others, that 
there is less difficulty in making good gems, if eggs 
are used. One egg,' well beaten, one cup sweet 
milk, a little salt, and sufficient Graham flour to 
form a rather stiff batter, will make excellent 
gems. The gem-pans must be heated well, greased 
thoroughly, then filled even full with the batter, 
and put into a very hot oven to bake quickly. 
