AMEBIOAK AGEIOULTtJEIST. 
25 
i8fi4.] 
Wooden Fruit Knives, etc. 
Those who can afford it and do have the silver 
cr plated fruit knives now common, need not read 
A WOODEN KNIFE. 
this. -Any unplated steel knife is blackened by the 
acids of fruits, but housekeepers prefer a sharp 
steel knife for paring apples, pears, peaches, etc., 
and cleaning it before it rusts, to using the duller, 
thick-edged plated knives. And, by the way, the 
modern silver-plated knives are to be charged with 
no little dispepsia and indigestion; they are too 
nice to be sharpened, and so the stomach is taxed 
with wearing down large pieces of tough meats 
which ought to be cut fine with a good old-fash¬ 
ioned sharp steel blade. Such meats none but the 
best molars can reduce to a proper condition for 
dissolving in the gastric juices, even if, in our fast 
eating age, the owner of such teeth stops to use 
them, which, unfortunately very few will ever do. 
Men folks who pare fruits, and whose incisors, 
if they have them, do not easily break into the side 
of a large hard apple, resort to the pocket knife. 
But it goes against the grain to cut fruit with a 
blade which has just cleaned a hoof, skinned an 
animal, and often been used for other unclean op¬ 
erations. Here is a remedy. Any bit of hard 
wood whittled to a sharp edge, in half a minute, will 
pare and cut an apple, however hard, almost as 
well as a steel blade. It can be thrown away, or 
easily washed, or cleaned by taking off an extra 
shaving, and when dulled be sharpened in the same 
way. The sketch shows an extempore knife made 
of a stick from t^;le kindling wood box, with three 
strokes of a pocket jack-knife, and in ten seconds. 
It has pared, cut and cored a number of quite 
hard apples very effectually. Boys, or men, can 
quickly “whittle” out a stock of them in quite 
artistic forms—say for evening use, when the fine 
toothsome apples and nuts go merrily roond. 
A Glove Case. 
A convenient article, and one easily made, is 
shown open in the engraving. It is simply a piece 
of plush twelve inches square, on which are sewed 
two pockets of silk or plush of a contrasting shade. 
The outside of the case is plain, but on one pocket 
is embroidered a spray of flowers, and on the other 
the initial letter of the last name of the person for 
whom intended. The edge of the pockets and the 
case is finished with a silk cord. Ribbons are sewed 
to the front for tying it when closed. One ribbon 
should be the same shade as the outside of the 
case, and the others the shade of the pockets. 
Sally Itiiiiiii. —Break one or two eggs into 
a tea-cup of milk, sweet or sour, (sweet is best); 
add a table spoonful of lard, and two tea spoonfuls 
of sugar; beat all well together with one pint of 
flour. If the batter is not quite thin, add a gill of 
TWO S.VTIN PANELS. — Drawn and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
cold water, which will keep the bread from being 
tough. After thorough stirring, add two table¬ 
spoonfuls of lively yeast, beat a little more, and 
set to rise from eleven to four o’clock. When 
ready for the second rising, stir in another pint of 
sifted flour, in which is mixed a teaspoonful of 
salt. When light enough, bake an hour. One 
pound cake-molds are generally used for bak¬ 
ing the Sally Lunu. Turkish turbans molds, 
made either of tin or earthen-ware, are pretty. 
Satin Panels. 
Panels being so much used now, are made of al¬ 
most every kind of material. They seem to fill 
spaces in some rooms where nothing else would 
and suit her own taste. The pattern selected and 
ordered will be sent at once to any I'art of the 
country. The bust measure should always be sent. 
This is taken by passing a tape measure just under 
the arms and bringing it together a little tightly in 
front. Some of these patterns are pinned together 
so that a lady of ordinary skill can make her oivn 
and her children’s dresses in the styles prevailing 
in the large cities, which are supposed to lead the 
fashions for the country. Reiidy-made dresses, 
and polonaises are now found in nearly all the large 
stores. These at first were not received with favor, 
as it was not supposed they would fit unless cut 
especially for the person w'ho w'ould wear them. 
But the art of cutting by measure is now so nearly 
perfected that ladies often find dresses needing no 
alteration and costing less than buying the material 
look as well. The pair here described are hand¬ 
some and inexpensive. They are made of light 
blue satin and garnet plush, one having natural 
peacock feathers for decoration, and the other cat¬ 
tails and pressed leaves. The materials needed for 
a pair are one yard of light blue satin, three-quar¬ 
ters of a yard of garnet plush, some thin paste¬ 
board, dark paper muslin, and the feathers, cat¬ 
tails and leaves. Por the foundation use a piece of 
pasteboard tiventy-nine inches long and fifteen 
wide, and baste the satin on, leaving the space at 
the top and bottom to be covered with the plush 
which is blind-stitched on. Then fasten the feath¬ 
ers, cat-tails, etc., in place and finish the back by 
basting the muslin over it to protect it. E. S. W. 
Hints for Dress. 
Only a few years ago the question of how to 
have a dress made was very difficult to decide, and 
ladies often spent hours in consultation with their 
dressmaker. She would open her bag of news¬ 
paper patterns and show from which of these Mrs. 
A. or Miss C. had their last new dresses made, or 
what Cousin Julia, who “dresses so stylishly,” 
wore when she called. The result would probably 
be a* selection of something whose effect could only 
be guessed at. Now, scores of Fashion Journals are 
published with illustrations of every garment in a 
ladies’ wardrobe, so distinct and of such variety 
that one can see just how it will look when finished 
and having them made. They are of all grades, 
from shilling prints to the richest silks and velvets. 
They are described and illustrated, and the price 
given in the catalogues issued by these houses. 
It has been said that a true lady is known by the 
fit of her gloves and boots. This we do not accept 
as the rule, for many a real lady would take noth¬ 
ing from the scanty purse for choice fitting gloves 
and would put on her weary feet only such shoes 
as are large and easy. Still a refined taste would 
not choose such, and the whole selection of a lady’s 
underwear should be nice in quality and fitting as 
neatly as the outside dress. Cheap hats, loaded 
with feathers and flowers, silk dresses, cheap and 
flimsy, made heavy with trimmings; ear-rings, 
chains, lockets, rings, with perhaps no gloves—for 
the street—awaken suspicions that the money is 
all on the outside. There should be consistency in 
dress throughout, and whatever one is able to 
spend for dress should be so divided that the un¬ 
derclothing will be as good as that exposed to 
view. Formerly ladies made their own undergar¬ 
ments, stitch by stitch ; now, the sewing-machine 
relieves many aching backs and heads. When 
undergarments can be bought ready made, at little 
more than the cost of the material at retail, and in 
.any style and at any price, according to quality and 
trimming, it seems a waste of time to make such 
articles at home. Fine French' embroidered gar¬ 
ments are very handsome and cheap ; night-gowns 
and chemi.ses each from two dollars up, and draw¬ 
ers from one dollar upwards. Ethel Stone. 
