AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
water, and letting them remain in it until white, 
which will require about an hour. Wash them 
with clean water, removing any particles of lime 
with a brush, and dry them between folds of 
blotting paper. They may be arranged in wreaths, 
bouquets, etc., and make a pretty mantel orna¬ 
ment. To preserve them uninjured from dust, 
etc., they may be kept covered with glass. The 
specimens sent to us are so beautiful, and the 
process of preparation so simple, that we advise 
others to join us in providing a supply of them for 
household ornaments. 
An Excellent Book for Housekeepers 
and others. 
We believe we are consulting the best inter¬ 
est of our readers by going out of our usual course, 
to specially recommend a particular book as wor¬ 
thy of being purchased and studied not only by 
housekeepers, but by all classes of readers, for the 
subjects discussed are of practical moment to 
all. We refer to Youman's “ Hand-Book of House¬ 
hold Science .” This is not a clap-trap book got 
up by a ‘retired housekeeper’ and filled with all 
sorts of recipes, good, bad, and indifferent, but a 
thorough, scientific, and practical work, discussing 
in a condensed but plain manner the various 
operations connected with every day in-door life. 
Not only are the practical details attended to, 
but the principles are explained upon which are 
founded the various operations of cooking, pre¬ 
serving meats and vegetables, cleansing, etc., 
etc. The laws of heat, for example, are taken 
up and illustrated, and then they are applied in 
detail to the preparation and use of fuel, proper 
construction and management of stoves, fire¬ 
places, chimneys, ventilators, the best kind of 
clothing, etc. After an interesting explanation of 
the nature and laws of light, we have their appli¬ 
cation to the lighting of dwellings, the combina¬ 
tion of colors, preservation of the eyes, etc. But 
we can not go into details. The book contains 
447 well filled pages, and embraces 813 sections 
or sub-divisions upon separate topics, each of 
which is referred to in an index. The Author, 
Piof. Yournans, who is one of the most interest¬ 
ing, and instructive lecturers we have ever list¬ 
ened to, has devoted much time and great labor 
to the prepara'ion of this book, and he has ad¬ 
mirably succeeded in filling it with just such in¬ 
formation as we would gladly introduce into our 
columns set apart for In-Door work, but which 
our limited space and want of time prevent our 
doing fully. 
We would 1 ike to see the occupants of the house- 
nold not the mere drudges they too often are. 
By this we do not mean that we desire to see 
them less actively employed, but we would have 
their minds occupied and interested in the labors 
of their hands. Every kitchen process, even to 
using soap or hot water for cleansing, is strictly 
a chemical operation, and is founded upon chem¬ 
ical laws, and we hold that the understanding of 
these laws would not only render all these labors 
more interesting and less a drudgery, but would 
also tend directly to their better performance. 
Cooking food, mixing bread, coloring, etc., are 
just as much chemical operations, as the prepara¬ 
tion and compounding of medicines; the best 
housekeeper is she who best understands the 
whys and wherefores, as well as the how. 
This Hand-Book of Household Science may 
well be kept ns a reference book, but it should 
also lie studied through. It can not be merely 
read through in a day, or week, or month. Those 
who are little acquainted with science, may at 
first open it at random, and read any section by 
itself, or select any topic from the table of con¬ 
tents, and read about that, and then another, and 
so on, until they become interested, but we would 
advise every one while reading on different top¬ 
ics, to also begin and study the whole through, 
slowly, carefully, md even painfully, if the prin¬ 
ciples of chemistry and philosophy be not 
previously familiar. When the topics here 
treated, are discussed uy the family at the fire¬ 
side, and at the table, useless gossip will be dis¬ 
placed, and the younger members of the family 
will grow up more intelligent, and better reason- 
ers and thinkers, and enjoy life more, both phys¬ 
ically and mentally. 
Though the work is written in the Author’s 
plain, popular style, we can not recommend it as 
easy reading. Some hard words are necessary, 
though they are explained in the first chapters. 
We have spoken thus strongly of this book, not 
from any personal interest in the author or the pub¬ 
lishers, but because it is the best book of the kind, 
and such a one as we would like to have all our 
readers, and indeed every family in the land, own, 
read, study, and understand. We shall take spec¬ 
ial pains to procure a supply of copies, and keep 
them to furnish to such of our readers as can not 
procure them more conveniently of booksellers 
near at hand. The retail price of the book is 
$1.25, at which price we can send it post-paid by 
mail. If several persons wish to send together 
and have them come by express, the cost of the 
postage (25 cents each) will be deducted from the 
price. -To any book-seller who will aid in the dis¬ 
tribution, we will furnish them by the dozen (for 
cash) at the usual trade price.* We wish it dis¬ 
tinctly understood that this departure from our 
usual custom, in thus recommending a particu¬ 
lar book, and offering-to aid in its circulation, is 
an exceptional case, not undertaken for pecunia¬ 
ry considerations, but because this work so near¬ 
ly supplies a kind of information which we would 
desire to communicate wholly through our own 
columns, but which we can not hope to do fully 
in half a dozen volumes. 
* To any person sending us a club of ten subscribers at 
80 cents each the present Spring, we’ will send a post¬ 
paid copy of the Hand-Book of Household Science as a 
premium. 
Freezing 1 Cockroaches a sure Kemecly- 
To the Editor of the American Agricultural: 
I noticed in the March No. of your paper an 
article on “ Freezing out Cockroaches.” Our 
whale ships, particularly those that have cruised 
for three or four years off the coast of Peru, or 
in oilier warm climates, when they return to this 
port, literally swarm with cockroaches. If, how¬ 
ever, they remain at home during the Winter, not 
one live roach can be found in the Spring, not¬ 
withstanding there may have been millions on 
board when the ships arrived. If, by chance, any 
house in this vicinity becomes infested with these 
nuisances, so well do our housekeepers under¬ 
stand the efficacy of the freezing process, that 
they are seldom troubled with them after having a 
few days of freezing weather. All that is neces¬ 
sary to be done, is to let the fires go out, open 
the Windows, the inner doors, especially those of 
the closets and lockers, and allow the cold air to 
have free circulation through the house for a 
few days. This process is certain, provided the 
temperature of the air is somewhat below the 
freezing point. If down to zero or below, so 
much the better. It is, perhaps, needless to say 
that the family occupying the house, will find it 
advisable to leave during the time this process of 
extermination is going on 
New-Bedford, Mass. As old Whaler. 
Hints on Cooking, etc. 
[copyright.] 
[We take by permission another lot of twelve valuable 
recipes, from the copy-right work of Mr. Crozier, of Tren¬ 
ton, N. J., who was formerly,largelv engaged in the bak¬ 
ing business, preparing extracts, etc. We have the tes¬ 
timony of several housekeepers to the value of the reci¬ 
pes published in our last. —Ed.] 
Sponge Cake.— To 11 eggs, slightly beaten, 
add 1£ pounds of fine sugar, and beat up until 
very light, with a wire beater, then flavor with 
extract of Lemon, and add about £ a teaspoonful 
of saleratus dissolved in as little water as possi¬ 
ble ; mix this through, and add 1)- pounds of sift¬ 
ed flour; work this in gently, until smooth, with 
the beater. Put the batter in small, greased tins, 
with a spoon, and bake as soon as possible in an 
oven or stove, hot enough for bread. If made in 
one or two cakes, the oven must not be so hot, 
and the saleratus and water left out, 
Almond Sponge. —With a wire heater, beat 
up until very light and stiff, 1 pound of fine sugai 
and 12 eggs ; flavor with extract of Almond ; 
mix this in well, and add 1 pound sifted flour; 
mix in lightly, but don’t beat the paste. Pour it 
all in a greased and papered pan, and bake im¬ 
mediately in a moderately hot oven. This will 
make a 3 lb. cake. The pan should not be more 
than half filled with the batter. It can be baked 
in smaller cakes if desired. 
Fruit Cake.— Mix together, and beat until 
light, 1 pound of sugar and 1 pound of butter ; 
then add (few at a time.) 8 eggs, and beat up 
light; flavor with extract of Clove, (a little ex¬ 
tract of Nutmeg will improve it,) then 1£ pounds 
of flour, mix it in partly, and add 1 pound of cur¬ 
rants, 1 pound of raisins, £ pound of citron, and 
mix it all well through. More fruit can be added, 
if preferred. Bake in a moderately heated oven. 
Vanilla Drops.— Mix together £ of a pound of 
sugar and £ of a pound of butter, add 1 egg ; mix, 
and flavor with extract of Vanilla: then add £ 
of a pound of flour ; work in until smooth, and 
drop in small lumps with a spoon, far enough 
apart to spread on greased pans. Bake in a 
moderately hot oven. 
Wafers.— Mix well together \ a pound of su¬ 
gar and £ a pound of butter, add 2 eggs ; mix and 
flavor with extracts of Rose and Nutmeg; then 
add £ a pound of flour, and mix it well through. 
This paste can be dropped on greased pans with 
a spoon, far enough apart to spread. Bake in a 
moderate heat. 
Pound Cake —Beat up together until very 
light, 1 pound of sugar, and 1 pound of butter, 
add 10 eggs, (8 eggs will do,) few at a time, and 
heat up light each time, flavor with extracts of 
Rose and Nutmeg; mix in these, and add 1 
pound of flour, mix if in until smooth. Put in a 
greased and papered tin, and bake in a moderate 
heat A hot oven or stove is required, if baked in 
small tins. 
Washington Cake.— Mix together until light 1 
pound of sugar and £ of a pound of butter ; add 
8 eggs, few at. a time, and mix ; flavor with ex¬ 
tract of Pimento, (extract of Nutmeg may be used 
if desired;) mix in 1 gill of milk, and add 1£ 
pounds of flour ; partially mix, and add \ a pound 
of currants, £ a pound of raisins, and £ of a 
pound of citron ; mix all well through. Put in a 
greased and papered pan, or two pans can be 
used. Bake in a moderately hot oven or stove. 
Jelly Cake.— Mix 1 pound of sugar and 1 lb. 
of butter until light, add 8 eggs gradually, and 
mix; flavor with extract of Orange, then add 14 
ounces of flour, and mix well through ; then 
spread the dough out in thin round sheets on white 
