AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
Q49 
The extension table, like the one represented in 
the engraving, is the most desirable for the dining 
room. By the addition of leaves, this can be 
made as large as you wish foryourroom. Do not 
select a table with corners, but if you have it, and 
cannot do better, then be thankful for what you 
have. The dinner will taste just as well, even if 
the table on which it is placed does not quite 
suit you. 
The white “ French China ” is the most eco¬ 
nomical for use, when it can be afforded. It is 
neat and delicate, and if any pieces are broken, 
there is no difficulty in replacing them. If it is 
“ chipped,” it shows but little, as it always re¬ 
mains white—unlike the common stone china. I 
prefer oval dishes for the meats and vegetables, 
to those that have sharp corners. They affect 
the eye more pleasantly, as the curved line is 
more graceful than the straight. 
Do not, in going to the table or in leaving it, 
on any occasion send your guests in advance of 
you, as you would “show ” a flock of turkeys, 
but yourself precede them. It is exceedingly 
awkward for a stranger to be thus thrust for¬ 
ward in another person’s house. 
(To he Continued.) 
-— -—B-®B--- 
Preserving Fruits fresh, in Glass without 
Corks. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
In the July Agriculturist, you gave some time¬ 
ly and valuable suggestions respecting your own 
method of preserving fresh fruits. With regard 
to some of the details, my wife thinks she has “a 
more excellent way.” Acting as her amanuensis, 
I will endeavor truly to “ define her position.” 
With us, the larger-mouthed glass bottles, without 
corks, are the cheapest cans. As our family is 
small, we get the quart bottles, chiefly. All you 
say about the preferableness of fruits in a fresh 
state, over those that; are “ preserved,” is, with 
us, perfectly orthodox. Using, as we do, glass 
bottles, of course the fruit has to be cooked in a 
kettle, before it is put into the vessels in which 
we design to keep it. Respecting the pits of 
peaches and cherries, we have come to regard 
the flavor (hydrocyanic acid) that is imparted by 
their retention as abundantly compensating for the 
.oOm they require. As with you, our method is 
to cook and sweeten as if for immediate table use. 
When the fruit is cooked, being careful, if of 
the smaller sorts, not to cook too much—having 
previously put the bottles on the stove hearth 
where they could heat up gradually—close the 
doors and windows so that no cold current of air 
shall blow upon and break them, and fill them 
carefully while still remaining on the stove hearth. 
It is not necessary to put the bottles in water at 
all. With large mouthed bottles, and a fruit fun¬ 
nel, it is an easy matter to fill them. Now, in¬ 
stead of a cork, which is difficult to adjust nicely 
and quickly—have drilling or new cotton cloth all 
ready cut into round pieces,and amply large enough 
to come down over the rim of the bottle, and tie 
firmly with a cord. For cheapness, as a sealing 
wax, nothing is superior to the common resin — 
having a little tallow melted in, and thoroughly 
mixed with it. The dish containing this is al¬ 
ready on the stove, so that it is melted and ready 
for use. As soon as a bottle is filled, put one of 
the pieces of cloth on the stove hearth and with 
an iron spoon dip on enough of the wax to coat 
over thoroughly—smoothing it down with the 
spoon, and immediately place the coated side 
down, directly over the mouth of the bottle. Press 
down firmly, tie, and with the spoon dip enough 
of the melted wax on the upper side of the cloth, 
to cover that also. Now, you have an air-tight 
bottle. Set in a cool place—we use the cellar— 
and the fruit will keep for years. When we used 
corks, we lost some, but have not in this way. 
Late in the season, we use jars, and stone churns, 
even, for keeping larger fruits, as pears, quinces, 
&c., and with perfect success—when put up in 
this way. 
One thing we have learned about tomatoes. 
Scald, so that the skin can be taken off, throwing 
away all the juice that escapes in this process. 
Stew in as large pieces as you can readily get into 
the bottle, and when cooked for use the following 
Winter or next Summer, you will find that you 
have “fresh tomatoes.” Most people cook them 
too long, and put up too much juice with them. 
Self-sealing cans we have tried, but prefer the 
large open-mouthed bottles, even at the same 
price. Another advantage is—it is no trouble to 
open them for use. L. G. 
Milan, O., July 8, 1858. 
Remark.— The above plan appears feasible and 
good—and we intend to try it—but shall continue 
to use the air-tight tin cans mostly, because we 
prefer to cook the fnyt within them, in order to 
preserve its flavor as much as possible.— Ed. 
-«g» < — lll j ^ gl ■ ' 9 » - 
How to Preserve Papers. 
The value of agricultural papers depends very 
much upon the use we make of them. The 
mere reading of them gives us a good many prac¬ 
tical hints, and helps our cultivation, even if they 
are thrown among the waste paper. But there is 
better use you can make of them. An agricul¬ 
tural journal that is the exponent of the practice 
of the best farmers of the country, is to be re¬ 
garded very much as a lawyer regards his reports 
of the courts. It is a monthly or weekly book of 
casts, to which the farmer has frequent occasion 
to refer in his own practice. The memory cannot 
retain everything at a first reading, and yet it will 
retain enough to give a clue to the information 
that is lacking. If this information is preserved 
in an accessible form, it will be frequently referred 
to in all doubtful cases. 
It is some trouble to preserve the papers, and 
yet it can be done without <. oenny’s expense to 
anybody. Of course it is the nest way to patron¬ 
ize the bookbinder, if you are near the city, 
and have the means. But the great majority of 
our readers are at a distance from the village, 
and they know more about the raw material of 
sheep-skins than of using them after they are 
tanned. 
Each Agriculturist, as it comes stitched, may 
be tacked on to its predecessor, and laid upon the 
shelf where it can be reached in any odd mo¬ 
ment. Or they may be filed in order upon a thin 
slip of wood. A slip of maple or hickory, five- 
eighths of an inch square, and made smooth, will 
do. Make it four or five inches longer than the 
paper you wish to file, so as to leave a convenient 
handle at the bottom of the page. Bore holes, 
with a gimlet or awl, so as to insert two or 
three straight bits of wire, at distances con¬ 
venient to hold the papers fast. The wires should 
be about three inches long, and sharpened at one 
end. When-the paper is read it can be filed upon 
these for a whole year. At the close of the year 
when the Index comes, the volume can be sent 
to the binder’s, or be bound with stout twine and 
wrapping paper at home. A series of these home- 
bound volumes of a good agricultural journal will 
he a treasure in any farmer’s family. Preserve 
the papers. 
“ Cholagogue ” for Ague-and-Fever. 
Who has not heard of the widely advertised 
“Indian Cholagogue,” of which some millions of 
bottles have been sold at the West as a specific 
for fever-and-ague. (The word cholagogue liter¬ 
ally signifies a remedy for derangements in, or 
rather a surplus of the bile). Well, here is a 
prescription for making a cholagogue which has 
been much used by friends and acquaintances at 
the West, for fever-and-ague, and numerous bil- 
lious complaints—with the happiest results, they 
all say. We suspect that if not the same as the 
so-called “Indian Cholagogue,” it is quite as good 
and vastly cheaper. To make it: 
Take 24 grains of Sulphate of Quinine; 1 table¬ 
spoonful of Barberry Bark: 1 tablespoonful oi 
Turkey Rhubarb, powdered ; 1 ounce of Winter- 
green ; 1 pint of Molasses, and 1 pint of good 
Brandy. Put these all into a bottle, and shake 
well. Take a tablespoonful three times a day, say 
one hour before each meal... .This is a tonic (or 
strengthening) medicine, and may be very good. 
Indeed, we will about warrant it to cure, provid¬ 
ed the person will eat broiled beef-steak or roast 
beef in fair quantities, and sparingly of vegetables, 
remembering to have all the food made very fine 
before swallowing, as recommended for children 
on page 214 of last number. Take notice that 
we do not warrant the medicine without the diet¬ 
ing, while the dieting will go a great way towards 
a cure without the medicine. If you want any 
kind of Cholagogue, however, try that recom¬ 
mended above, and save the dollars now paid out 
for the patent article. 
--- 
The Very Best Washing Recipe- 
Put the clothes in water, to which a little soap 
has been added, and soak them overnight, or long¬ 
er. This is one great “ secret ” of the success of 
nine out often ofthe washing “ fluids,” mixtures,” 
and “ machines ” which have been sold over the 
country for ten years past. They nearly all pre¬ 
scribe previous soaking of the clothes. If people 
pursuing the old-fashioned mode of washing, will 
simply take the precaution to throw all the cloth¬ 
ing to be washed into water ten or fifteen hours 
before beginning operations; they will find half 
the labor of rubbing and pounding saved, in most 
cases. Water is of itself a great solvent even ol 
the oily materials that collect upon clothing worn 
in contact with the body —but time is required tn 
effect the solution. Every one is aware of the ef¬ 
fect of keeping the hands or feet moist for a few 
hours. The entire external coating of secretion, 
is dissolved. The same effect is produced by soak 
ing for a few hours garments soiled by the excre¬ 
tory matter of the skin. 
A Pie Preparation and a ‘ Last ’ Response. 
—A horticulturist at Lafayette, Ind., advertised 
that he would supply all trees and plants, especi¬ 
ally “pie-plants of all kinds.” A gentleman 
thereupon sent him an order for “ one package of 
custard-pie seed, and a few dozen of mince-pie 
plants.” The gardener 1 romptly filled the order 
by sending him four got ^e-eggs and a small dog.” 
-*» --«»»■-- —- 
“Cuffy, why don’t you kick that dog 1” “ What 
am the use of kicking every cur what snarls at 
you 1 Don’t you know dat am de way he wants 
you to bring him into notice 1” 
All curs do not walk on four legs. 
Punctuality begets confidence find is the path 
to honor and respect. 
