[ 1861 . 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
151 
more perfect and elegant than any a novice can 
construct, that I need not relate my experience. 
I have now had, for a couple of years, a fresh 
water aquarium capable of holding about twen¬ 
ty gallons. The sides are of thick plate 
glass, the bottom and ends of slate. I prefer this 
for a fresh water tank, as a fine green velvet¬ 
like moss forms on the inside of the slate ends, 
which is exceedingly beautiful, and with that 
formed upon the rocks and pebbles, supplies a 
considerable quantity of oxygen. The water 
has remained perfectly clear for six months 
without changing or renewing, and was then 
renewed only because I desired to change the 
location of the tank. It has contained for months, 
all in perfect health, about sixty animals, in¬ 
cluding dace, sticklebacks, rockfisli, minnows, 
gold and silver fish (small sunfisli,) also small 
catfish, suckers, eels, crayfish, fresh water mus¬ 
sels, tritons, tadpoles, caddis worms, a turtle, 
snails, beetles, etc. In the center is a small 
pile of rocks, the topmost having a broad sur¬ 
face and rising above the water, for the conve¬ 
nience of the turtle, tritons and crayfish, which 
prefer occasionally to leave the water and lie 
for awhile upon the rock. Under my daily ob¬ 
servation, tadpoles have undergone their vari¬ 
ous changes, until as perfect frogs they have first 
squatted awhile upon the rock, then leaped over 
the side of the tank and taken French leave of 
their long-time jailer. I have watched the tri¬ 
ton shed his skin and eat it, and the female tie 
up her eggs in a knot of leaves of plants; the 
dace and minnow clear themselves of parasites 
by rolling in the sand, and the gold fish amuse 
himself by drawing in a mouthful and medita¬ 
tively ejecting it as a “ human ” the smoke of his 
cigar; I have seen the caddis worm encase him¬ 
self in his curious tube of variegated leaves, but 
though I have watched him closely, I never 
could find out how he cut the pieces so neatly, 
and joined them so securely ; the crayfish has 
dug a cave for himself, lifting pebbles much 
heavier than his own body, and built with them 
a wall around the mouth of his den, and I have 
observed other curious facts in natural history, 
which I had never known but for my aquarium. 
The habits of aquatic plants are scarcely less 
curious than those of aquatic animals. But upon 
this I may not dwell. The most useful and beau¬ 
tiful plants for an aquarium, among those easily 
procured, are the common pond weed, (pota- 
mogeton ,) hornwort, ( zannichellia ,) and starwort, 
(callitriche .) Vallisneria (eel-grass,) is excellent for 
the purpose, but can be obtained only in cer¬ 
tain localities. I have never found pond lilies 
to thrive well in the tank, and if they did, I 
suspect they would be ornamental rather than 
useful. Probably they might grow if a bed of 
earth were used, but that is unnecessary for all 
other aquatic plants, and it always endangers the 
clearness of the water. When green matter 
forms upon the glass, it should be rubbed off 
daily or every second day, with a piece of mus¬ 
lin or sponge on the end of a stick. If left too 
long, it hardens beyond easy removal. I have 
propagated hornwort in the tank, leaving the 
seeds floating there all Winter. Any aquatic 
plant will answer; those growing in compara¬ 
tively still water and entirely submerged, gener¬ 
ally thrive best. If the water is never dis¬ 
turbed, the moss will grow naturally upon the 
rocks and pebbles and become a substitute for, 
or a powerful aid to the plants. E. A. West. 
Staten Island , N. Y . 
To Hoop a Firkin, pail, tub or barrel, when 
no iron bands or wooden hoops are conve¬ 
nient, pass an iron wire twice around and twist 
the ends to make them hold. It may be driven 
or tightened like an ordinary hoop. We have 
often found it quite convenient. 
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For the American Agriculturist . 
How to Cook Pork. 
BY MRS. E. F. HASKELL. 
I once thought there was no art in cooking 
pork, as it made little difference how it was pre¬ 
pared—pork being pork, and nothing more; but 
this I have found a great error. For a long 
time I cut pork too thick, parboiled it several 
minutes, and cooked it quickly over a hot fire. 
I have learned that it is better to cut it as thin as 
possible, and gash the rind fine. If to be fried, 
let it steep in clean soft water, milk warm, for 
some time. If fresh soft water can not be had, 
use “ hard ” water, with a little soda dissolved 
in it, and just before frying the meat, heat it to 
boiling heat. If to broil, either steep the slices 
a long time, or, what is better, dip it several 
times while broiling in warm water. Pork needs 
rather slow frying, or broiling. If the fire be too 
strong, it curls the slices immediately, and they 
cook unequally. After the pork is nicely fried, 
set it in the stove oven to keep warm, while the 
gravy is being prepared as follows: 
First pour out all the fat, wash the spider free 
from sediment, and put in it the milk wanted for 
the gravy. When this is boiling, add alittle flour 
stirred in cold milk, say a teaspoonful to a pint 
of milk, and salt to suit the taste. After the 
flour is stirred in, add spoonful by spoonful, as 
much pork fat as will unite with the milk, with¬ 
out rising to the surface; if it stands on the top, 
it is too rich. When finished, the gravy should 
be as thick as good morning’s cream. When 
cream is used, no flour is needed, and but very 
little of the fat. For an excellent addition, toast 
stale bread, dip it in the gravy, lay on each slice 
a bit of pork, and pour the gravy over it; it is 
very nice with baked potatoes. Sometimes we 
make a batter, and when pork is well fried dip 
it, and fry quickly. 
Plain fried pork may also be varied by dip¬ 
ping it after being thoroughly cooked, in flour, 
and browning. Sometimes we chop the pork, 
and stir eggs with it after it is quite fried, in this 
case most of the fat should be poured off before 
adding the eggs. 
Pork Hash is made thus : Boil salt pork until 
tender. When cold chop it fine, and mix five 
parts cold chopped potatoes with one of pork, 
and season to the taste. Grease the spider with 
pork fat, and fry brown, or make it in thin, flat 
pats, or cakes, and brown them on the griddle. 
Apples fried brown in fat after the pork is 
cooked moderately, are good. Tart apples are 
the best; sweet are tasteless, and sour ones cook 
so quickly as to become a mash. Do not peel 
the apples but remove the cores with a round 
piece of tin formed into a tube, before cutting 
them. We are particular to have the slices 
round, so as to be held together by the peel. 
With this dish, fried potatoes are almost essen¬ 
tial. Thus one may manage to vary the bill of 
fare considerably with only the pork barrel to 
market from. 
-. ■ — ■ — -►—- 
Puff Omelet. 
Contributed to the American Agriculturist , by 
Mrs. E. F. Haskell. This is very superior, as 
well as beautiful. Beat the yolks of six eggs 
light, and mix them in a small teacup of milk ; 
| add a little salt. Beat together a tablespoonful 
of sweet butter, with the same quantity of flour, 
until smooth ; add the mixture to the custard, 
and beat the whole well together. Pour it into 
a buttered omelet, or a small frying pan, and 
when it appears to thicken, pour over h the 
whites, beaten stiff; dust over it a trifle of salt, 
and when the whole is stiff, remove it carefully 
to the dish, without breaking. 
Steamed Eggs. 
Butter a plate and break the eggs upon it and 
season with butter, salt, and pepper. Place 
them in a steamer, and cook a longer or shorter 
time according to individual taste. This is a 
good dish for an invalid, if not cooked too hard. 
Apple Pie Dumpling. 
Contributed to the American Agriculturist, by 
“Louise,” Luzerne Co., Pa.—Take a large teacup¬ 
ful of sweet cream, and one of sour, with half 
a teaspoonful of saleratus. Stir in flour suffi¬ 
cient for a very thick batter, much thicker than 
for cakes. Pare and slice tart apples. Spread 
the batter to the thickness of half an inch, in a 
common pie plate. Now putin the apples and 
cover them entirely with the batter. Bake un¬ 
til light and brown. Serve with cream and 
sugar, butter and sugar, or any sauce preferred. 
The writer thinks them better, and they are cer¬ 
tainly more easily made than the old-fashioned 
lead coated, boiled dumplings. 
Palatable Castor Oil. 
Mrs. P. J. B., writes that the nauseous taste 
of castor oil may be removed by boiling it with 
twice the quantity of milk, and sweetening it 
with sugar. It is to be given when cool. 
-■ — * ' - > » 
• Hiring a Girl. 
Some, at least, of our housekeeping readers 
will enjoy the following, which we find in the 
Hartford Homestead: A lady who wished to 
hire a “ maid of all work,” was called into the 
parlor to see an applicant. 
Biddy, (seated on the sofa.)—“ I hear yez want 
a girl.” 
Lady .—“Yes.” 
Biddy. —“ Have yez hot and cold wather car¬ 
ried convaneyantly all over the house ?” 
Lady, (still standing.)—“Yes.” 
Biddy .—“ Is there gas in the kitchen ?” 
Lady .—“Yes.” 
Biddy .—“Carpets on the girl’s room ?” 
Lady.— 1 “Yes.” 
Biddy .—“ Do you have a man to make the 
fires, and black shoes ?” 
Lady .—“ No. The girl makes her own fires.” 
Biddy .—“ That’s too bad. But I likes yez and 
yer house other ways, and the kitchen looks 
convanient, so I think I’ll come. I’ll be ex¬ 
pecting $9 a month, as I niver works for less." 
Lady .—“ But I want to ask you one question. 
Can you play on the piano ?" 
Biddy .—“Shure, no mam.” 
Lady .—“Then I’m sure you will not do for me.’ 
A Washing Table. 
O. Brooks, Lee Co., Iowa, advises to lay aside 
the old “ wash bench ” made of a slab with 
rough legs, and as a substitute make a table, 
(black walnut is best,) about 20 inches wide, 3 
feet 8 inches or 4 feet long, hight to suit the 
washer, and put castors on the legs. This can, 
with ease, be rolled to and from the boiler, and 
to the sink, where the tub can be tipped over, 
thereby avoiding much hard lifting, upon weary 
washing day. 
