247 
I960] 
AMERICAN AG-EICULTUHIST. 
Machine for Wringing Clothes. 
Here is a first-rate implement, and no mistake 
about it. A month ago Mr. Lyman sent us from 
Yankeedom a small apparatus, 14 inches high, 12 
inches wide, and 5 inches thick, and wished us to 
set it upon the edge of our Metropolitan wash-tub, 
or any other wash-tub, and try it for wringing 
out clothes. It did not strike us very favorably 
at first, and we were disposed to partly attribute 
he good story he told of it, to his usual enthusi- 
srtr on getting hold of something new, How¬ 
ever, a-s it cost us nothing, not even the express 
charges, (which is more than we can say of many 
a useless gim-crack sent to us), we could do no 
less than take it home for a trial. Well, we 
like it; our better half likes it; and—to say a 
big thing in its praise—our “ help” liked it on the 
first trial, through she belongs to a class constitu¬ 
tionally opposed to any new-fangled machines 
about the kitchen. Next to the sewing machine 
we consider it the greatest woman’s-labor- 
strength-and-health-saving-implement we have 
seen. And further, it is a decided economizer in 
the wearing out of garments. Every one is 
aware that in the usual method of wringing out 
clothes, the twisting process stretches and 
breaks the fibers materially, and wofu-lly strains 
and tires the hands, arms, and shoulders. All 
this is saved in this new machine, for the gar¬ 
ments are simply passed rapidly between two soft, 
elastic india-rubber rollers held together by 
springs, and they come out quite as dry as they 
can be wrung by hand. They are not twisted at 
all, but simply pressed. The operation is equiva¬ 
lent to pressing the pieces between the soft 
hands with sufficient force to remove the water, 
and of course there is no stretching or tearing 
the fibers as in the usual process of wringing. 
As an experiment, we showed the wash-woman 
how to work it, by passing two pieces through. 
She then took hold and passed through a miscel¬ 
laneous assortment of 3 dozen garments, of va¬ 
rious sizes, from a baby’s stocking to a woman’s 
dress. The articles dropped into a basket, 
ready to hang out. The time required at the first 
trial was 4£ minutes. The garments were then 
thrown back into the water, and she wrung (or 
pressed) them again in a 
trifle less than 3minutes, 
and with less weariness 
than would be required 
to wring out a single 
sheet. 
After this, why should 
we not be enthusiastic, 
(in behalf of our fair 
readers,) over this new 
implement 1 One thing 
more would make our 
satisfaction complete, 
and that would be to 
have the new machine 
sold at so low a price 
that every woman could 
purchase one imme¬ 
diately. We have talked 
the matter over with the 
manufacturer, and tried 
to figure out a lower 
price, but he assures us 
that they can not be got 
up so as to be retailed 
for less than $10 if well 
made. As an item in 
the expense he informs 
us that the india-rubber 
for the rollers alone 
costs $3, as it must do from the quantity requir¬ 
ed. But even at $10 the machine is a profitable 
one, on account of the saving in wear and tear of 
fabrics, to say nothing of the saving of labor. 
Description. —The machine consists of an up¬ 
right frame,/,/, in which two rollers r, r , are set. 
A crank, c, on the axle of the lower roller enables 
the operator to turn them, they being connected 
by cog wheels at one end. The cogs are long 
so as to still fit into each other when the rollers 
are pressed apart by large garments. The pinions 
or ends of the rollers move up and down in slots 
■MOl 
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xAW : y- 
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in the frame. The body of the rollers is made 
of a thick layer of vulcanized india-rubber, and 
the cog wheels are of galvanized iron to prevent 
rusting the clothes. The amount of pressure 
given by the rollers is regulated by stiff wooden 
springs s, s, above them; the ends of the lower 
spring rest upon the side pieces into which the 
axles of the rollers are inserted. By moving the 
wooden keys k, k, the springs s, s, are made to act 
more or less forcibly upon the rollers. The lower 
board, b, is inclined so as to carry the water back 
into the tub. 
To use the wringer the mortices m, m, are slip 
ped down upon the edge of the wash tub as 
shown at Fig. 2 ; the end of a piece of clothing is 
presented to the rollers, the crank turned, and 
the cloth is drawn through, and falls upon the 
other side ready to hang out to dry. The water 
is squeezed out and falls b;ick into the tub. By 
loosening the keys, the springs and rubber yield 
sufficiently to admit the passage of a large gar¬ 
ment, while the elastic rubber operates upon Die 
smallest article. If desired, the garments can be 
made as dry as pressure can make them by run¬ 
ning them through a second or third time with the 
keys pressed in. The long lever (crank) makes it 
easy to use a great pressure, while the elasticity 
of the rubber and springs prevents crushing the 
most fragile button. 
We have thus spoken strongly in favor of this 
valuable implement, against which we were at 
first prejudiced, because we think we are doing a 
favor to our readers. All the return we ask of 
the manufacturer is that he get up the machines 
rapidly, make them in the best manner, and sell 
them to our readers at the lowest possible price. 
If he don’t do this we shall pitch into him, if we 
can’t into his machines. 
Hints on Cooking, etc. 
- O- 
The following three were contributed to the 
Agriculturist by A. M. P. 
Cheap Sponge Cakes. —Two eggs, 1 tea cup 
flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 large spoonful sweet milk, J- 
spoonful soda, 1 tea spoonful cream tartar, a lit¬ 
tle salt, grated rind of one lemon, 1 tea spoonful 
of butter. Bake fifteen minutes. 
Boiled Suet Pudding —One cup of suet fine¬ 
ly chopped, 1 of raisins chopped, 1 of milk, 1 of 
molasses, and a little salt. Stir in wheat flour un¬ 
til it is of the consistency of stirred cake. Boil 
three hours ; serve with sweet cream. 
Omelette. —Four eggs, 1 tea spoonful of butter 
cut in bits, 1 large spoonful milk or cream, salt 
and pepper to taste. Put a piece of butter, half 
the size of an egg, in the pan—which should not 
be too large, to allow it to spread too thin—let it 
melt, break in one slice of bread, crumbled fine, 
and too large spoonfuls of cream. Beat, the eggs 
well, stir them in briskly for a moment, let it 
cook about five minutes, then fold it over, and 
turn out. This, with ham, makes a nice dish 
for the breakfast table. 
Yeast. —Mrs. H. Jessup, Chautauque Co., N. 
Y., recommends to the readers of the Agricultur¬ 
ist her method of preparing yeast, which is as 
follows: To any quantity of water desired, add 
sufficient hops to make it very strong, and let it 
steep slowly two or three hours. Then boil it a 
few minutes, strain out the hops, put the liquor 
back in the kettle, let it boil moderately, and add 
flour until a stiff batter is formed. When thor¬ 
oughly scalded, put it in a jar to cool, and while 
a little warm, add yeast to ferment it. When 
well fermented, add to two quarts of the yeast, 
a half tea cup of salt. Keep it in a cool place. 
A tablespoon twice full will make sponge for a 
half dozen loaves of bread. Yeast made in this 
way will not sour. 
Flour Pudding. —Contributed by M. Smith. 
Mix 4 eggs with 4 cups of sweet milk and a table 
spoonful of butter, and stir in 2 cups of flour. 
Bake it | of an hour in a quick oven, and serve 
with sauce of butter and sugar well mixed, with 
a little wine if desired. 
Tomato Figs. —Contributed by H. Wade, 
Floyd Co.,Iowa. Place tomatoes in boiling water 
and leave them until the skins burst. Drain of! 
the water, and add sugar enough to cover them, 
when it is melted. Boil slowly for an hour,skim 
out the tomatoes carefully, and drain off all the 
syrup •. then pack them in sugar. When dry they 
closely resemble genuine figs. 
