AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
311 
[186f. 
Hale’s Meat Cutter. 
The accompanying sketch represents, rather 
indistinctly, an improved implement for cutting 
sausage meat, mince meat, hash, etc., which we 
have put to practical test the past month, and 
found quite effective. It consists essentially of 
a double box as shown in the engraving, in which 
are two cylinders, B, B , having spiral cutting 
flanges, which work against a horizontal knife, 
i?, F. These cylinders are placed in, the cover 
shut down, and fastened with a simple catch, and 
the meat is then put in through the opening, D. 
The spiral flanges catch it and draw it over the 
knife placed between them, and force it along to¬ 
wards the opening in the opposite end. The 
special advantages claimed for this implement 
are, that it cuts the meat without tearing it, that 
the parts are few and easily removed so that it 
can be readily cleaned, though used daily for 
making small quantities of hash or mince-meat; 
that the knife is kept constantly sharp by the ac¬ 
tion of the rollers ; that the meat as fast as cut 
is forced out directly into sausage cases when 
desired, etc. It is, on the whole, we think, su¬ 
perior to any other form of implement of the kind, 
and certainly gives a more expeditious means of 
cutting meat, than the old fashioned onc-bladed 
chopping knife. It is sold at a low price—the 
smaller sizes, which are large enough for ordinary 
family use, being retailed at $2^ to $3. 
Pickling Onions. 
A correspondent writes : “ Do all of the lady 
readers of the American Agriculturist know what 
fine pickles may be made of small onions 1 Any 
variety will do, but the white or silver-skinned 
are the nicest. I use those from the size of a 
large pea to an inch or more in diameter, but 
prefer those about as large as a- liickory-nut. I 
peel offthe outer dark skin, and lay them in salt 
and water for from six to ten days, according to 
the size, pouring offthe brine and adding new 
every day. They are then put.into a vessel, and 
scalding brine poured on, and covered up until 
cool, when one more similar scalding is given. 
This cooks them just enough. Then place them 
in jars, cover with vinegar, and set away. The 
soaking in salt water removes the strong flavor, 
and after standing in the vinegar they are very 
line, and will keep a long time. For variety, I 
put into a jar or two, ginger root, mace, cloves, 
etc. The friend who taught me this process, ad¬ 
vised to pour in a little olive oil to float on the 
top of the vinegar in the jars when set away, 
'i his may help to keep mold off from the vinegar, 
but not liking the flavor of salad oil I have not 
tried '* 
Hints on Cooking, etc. 
The following three recipes were contributed 
to the Agriculturist by “ A Reader.” 
Mountain Gingerbread. — 1 lb. flour, 1 lb. su¬ 
gar, 1 lb. butter, 4 eggs, 1 lb. raisins, stoned. 
Ginger, allspice, and cinnamon to suit. 
Brentford Roles.—2 lbs. flour, 4 oz. butter, 
2 eggs, well beaten, 2 spoonfuls of yeast, about a 
pint of milk. Make a soft dough and set it to rise. 
When light, make it into small rolls, and bake 
about 20 minutes. 
Egg Plants. —Put them into a pot, with plenty 
of water, and simmer them until quite tender. 
Take them out, pull off the skin, and mash them 
smooth. Mix with them some grated bread 
crumbs, powdered sweet marjoram, large piece 
of butter, and a few ■pounded cloves. Grate a 
layer of bread over the top, and put the dish into 
the oven and brown it. 
TJie Editor witli Unis Young' IScaders. 
“ HAZING ”—REAL FUN. 
Our younger readers may not know the meaning of the 
word “ hazing,” and we will explain it. When boys or 
young men go to college, they first spend one year in 
what is called the “ Freshman Class”—the class of fresh 
boys or men. The next year they go into the “ Sopho¬ 
more Class or wise-fool class. (Sophos means wise , and 
moros means a fool. This class is so called, we suppose, 
because when boys have been in college one year, they 
feel very important, and think themselves very wise, 
while they are comparatively far from being wise yet.) 
The next year is spent in the Junior Class; and the 
fourth year in the Senior Class, or oldest class. Well, 
all boys and young men love fun and frolic, and it is quite 
common for the older classes to play all sorts of annoying 
tricks upon the younger classes, particularly upon the 
Freshmen. The Sophomores, especially, love to annoy 
the Freshmen. In some colleges this trick-playing is 
called “ hazing.” Sometimes they go into a Freshman’s 
room and smoke him out, sometimes they pour pails of 
water on his head, or put sulphur in his fire, or blindfold 
him at night, and lead him into some dark place and leave 
him, and so on. Dr. Huntington tells of a hazing that 
was capitally done. The joke was such a good one, that 
we w'ould like to teach it to boys w ho do not go to college. 
We knew of just such sport made of a poor widow lady, 
and though not much given to hazing, or skylarking, we 
should like to be counted in among the boys when they 
attempt just such sport, whether with their fellows, or 
with some poor old man or woman. Here’s the joke that 
was played : In the college were tw'o poor young men 
trying to get an education. They cut wood, and did 
many other services for their wealthy comrades, to get 
money to pay their way. They were poorly clad, and 
their room was without a carpet, and destitute of many 
other comforts usually enjoyed. Some of the fun-loving 
Sophomores determined to have a joke at the expense of 
these two young men. So a company of them disguised 
their faces, and at midnight marched into the room, and 
wrapping them up in their bed blankets, they carried them 
into a garret room, where they pretended to initiate them 
into a secret society. While this was going on, other 
Sophomores entirely cleared their room, putting out the 
old bedstead, chairs, table, etc. Then another company 
brought in a nice new carpet and put it down on the floor; 
they brought in new chairs, tables, book cases, bedstead, 
and sundry other ihings. They each brought in a lot of 
fuel from their several rooms, and stored it in the closet 
and built a roaring fire in the grate, and put all things in 
apple-pie order. The two young men were then brought 
down, laid in their beds, and the Sophomores fled to their 
rooms. Was not that glorious sport? Would you not 
like to have looked through the window and seen the 
confusion of these young men as they got up and looked 
around, and examined the number on their door to see 
whose room it was that they had got into ? 
• SHEEP AND SHlr. 
More than half the quarrels between girls, or boys, or 
men, begin in a misunderstanding. Something is said or 
done in perfect innocence, which another misunderstands, 
and thinks an affront was intended. Without asking an 
explanation, the hasty person answers in anger ; this stirs 
up strife, and a quarrel commences. The following from 
a California exchange is a good illustration. The writer 
says: “ I happened to be traveling in a stage-coach, 
where, among half a dozen passengers, there were a 
Frenchman and an Englishman. There seemed to be a 
sort of cat-and-dog feeling between them; for if one 
opened his lips, the other was sure to fly at the observa¬ 
tion with the teeth and claws of dispute. As we wert 
driving along, the Englishman spoke of a sheep he had 
seen in some foreign land, with a tail so long as to drag 
upon the ground. Thereupon the Frenchman shrugged 
up his shoulders, curled his lip, lifted his eyebrows, ahd 
took a pinch of snuff. 
“ What do you mean by that?” said the Englishman, 
not a little nettled at the contemptuous air of his rival. 
“ Vat do I mean?” said the latter ; “I means dat a 
sheap has not got von tail at all.” 
“A sheep han’t got a tail, ha?” said the Englishman. 
“ No, not von bit 1” said the Frenchman. 
“ Well, this comes from eating frogs,” said John Bull 
“What can you expect of a man who eats frogs ? Yon 
say a sheep hasn't got a tail. I tell you, mounseer, a 
sheep has got a tail. 
“ Pardon, monsieur,” said the other, with a polite bow, 
yet with a very sneering expression ; “ I say de sheap has 
no tail, not von bit.” 
By this time they were greatly excited, and we can not 
say what might have happened had not one of the passen 
gers asked the Frenchman w hat he meant by a sheap ? 
“Vat do I means by sheap? vy, I means one big larsh 
thing with sails and rudder, that goes upon the sea.” 
“Oh, ho,” said the Englishman, “you mean a ship.” 
“ Oui, monsieur,” was the reply, “ I mean one sheap 
that has de captain and de sailors, and goes on vater.”j 
“Very well, sir,” says the Englishman; “I means 
sheep, a creature of four legs, covered with wool.” 
“Ah, you mean von sheep vit de vool,” said the other 
“ Oui, oui. monsieur ; de sheep vit de vool has de tail.” 
This incident taught me a lesson, and I give it gratis to 
my readers—if they ever get into controversy, let them 
consider whether one of the parties does not mean a ship 
and the other a sheep. 
NEW PROBLEMS. 
No. 27. Enigma, contributed by “ Whitestone.” 
“I’m a singular creature—pray tell me my name 
I partake of my countrymen’s glory and fame, 
I daily am old, and I daily am new, 
I am prais’d, I am blam’d, I am false, I am true, 
I’m the talk of the nation, while I'm in my prime, 
But forgotten when once I've outlasted my time. 
In the morning, no miss is more courted than 1, 
In the evening, you see me thrown carelessly by 
Take warning, ye fair, I, like you, have my day, 
But also, you, like m'e, must grow old and decay.” 
No. 28. Illustrated Rebus, contributed to the Agricul¬ 
turist by the President of a College, who loves children, 
and reads these columns. It contains a good sentiment. 
ANSWERS TO TROBLEMS. 
No. 23—Enigma, again.— Quite a number of our read¬ 
ers have written that “ something” is not a fair answer 
to this enigma, published on page 249. Aug. No. Some 
say “thought” is better, and others find the pronoun 
“it” to satisfy the conditions of the enigma. Perhaps 
either of them is as good as the solution already published. 
No. 24. Dot Puzzle .—We will leave this for you to 
w ork at another month, as very few have sent in answers. 
No. 25. String Puzzle .—With the left hand pass the 
siring through the arm-hole and up over the head, then 
through the opposite arm-hole, and over the left hand. 
Now put the hand up underneath the vest and draw the 
string down around the body until it is below the waist, 
when it w ill fall to the floor and you can step out of it. 
No. 26— Enigma .—The answer is “ Nothing." 
Correct answers have been received as follows : Jno. 
Q. Miller, 26 ; Elvira Hibbard, 22 ; J E. Danelson, 21; 
J. T. Endicott, 22; W. H. Eckles, 21; Otway B. Mc- 
Cluire, 21, 22; Wm II. Bliss, 24 ; W. A. Buckhout, 24, 
25 ; Mahlon M. Walker, 21; Jarvis II. Arnold, 24 ; Friend 
Watrous, 25 ; Andrew Hedglin, 25; E. II. Trafton, 25* 
Grafton Boy. 25, by taking off his vest. 
