AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Q3 
ter is to terminate in the lowest corner of the 
cellar. At that point, a round hole (say two 
inches in diameter,) is to he made through the 
cement, and leading into the cellar drain. This 
hole is to he kept plugged tight (rat and mouse 
proof,) except when it may he needful to draw 
it for letting off surface water. Or better, it 
may he protected with a wire screen, or close 
iron grating to shut out the entrance of vermin. 
In a month or six weeks, this plaster will he 
hard enough to hear walking upon; hut at first, 
it is best to lay down a few hoards. In two or 
three months the floor will he as hard as a 
rock. It can then he swept and scrubbed as 
often as one may desire. Rats and mice can 
not dig through it. Water from beneath will 
not penetrate it. It will he a daily and perpet¬ 
ual help to good housekeeping. X. 
Remarks— (1) It strikes us that it is nonsen¬ 
sical to suppose rats will calculate the thickness 
of the wall, and give up in disappointment if it 
prove to he six inches wider at the bottom than 
above. (2) A smooth solid cement floor as rec¬ 
ommended, is excellent every way, and con¬ 
tributes to neatness, purity of air, and the good 
keeping of vegetables. Wherever hydraulic 
lime is accessible, it is advisable to use it. The 
layer of cobble stones adds to the solidity and 
firmness of the bottom, but it adds to the ex¬ 
pense also, and is not indispensable. We have 
seen many good cellar floors made by simply 
plastering with hydraulic cement directly upon 
the ground. (8) We have found by experience 
that a coat of cement, however good and thick 
upon the walls, will not keep water from break¬ 
ing through, if the ground around be wet and 
springy. A drain outside the walls is the only 
help under such circumstances. The best pro¬ 
tection against rats is to bed the bottom course 
of stone in cement, and have some of the ce¬ 
ment belo w and behind the lowest tier of stones. 
A grouting or thin mixture of hydraulic lime, 
poured in among the loose earth behind the 
wall, will render it rat-proof.—E d.] 
Moist air in Dwellings. 
Who does not enjoy the summer-like air of a 
green-house, or well kept conservatory ? It is 
so refreshing because it contains an abundant 
supply of moisture. We may secure an atmos¬ 
phere very like this in our houses, if we will 
only make provision for free evaporation of wa¬ 
ter upon the stoves or in the hot-air furnaces by 
which they are warmed. Pew people who 
keep water thus evaporating provide enough 
of it, and the result is, they do not realize 
any great benefit. In rooms, the air of which 
is properly moist, almost all common green¬ 
house plants will thrive, and we may have 
the fragrance of flowers in addition to the pleas¬ 
ant and healthful moisture. 
Sea Weed Blankets for Dwellings. 
M. E. Legou, in a recent report to the Paris 
Academy of Sciences, advocates the use of sea¬ 
weed between the thin outside walls of houses, 
for protection against sudden changes of tem¬ 
perature. This substance when not exposed to 
the light is unchangeable, does not ferment, will 
not readily take fire, and is entirely free from 
insects. Nothing is needed to prepare it, but a 
washing in fresh water to remove the salt, which 
would otherwise cause dampness. It has already 
been successfully applied between the tiles and 
ceiling of a railway station, in a portable house 
for camp use, and in the enclosures of temporary 
barracks. It is easily obtained along our whole 
coast, and may prove of important service in 
rendering the cheaper class of dwellings more 
comfortable. 
Age of Meats. 
We do not mean from the birth, but from the 
butcher. The Englishman would insist upon 
having his beef at least a week old, if the weath¬ 
er be not especially hot; his .mutton not less than 
a month old; and other meats of such age as he 
has found them most savory to his taste. Peo¬ 
ple of other nations think that meats require 
time—some more, others less—to come into 
their best condition for the table. In this coun¬ 
try there is much more dread of tainted than of 
tough meats. While shunning Scilla, we have 
approached too near Charybdis. We often butch¬ 
er in the evening and devour in the morning; 
and sometimes eat for breakfast that which was 
killed at sunrise. Except in case of necessity, 
this is not wise. Meats do not come into that 
condition, in which they are most readily assim¬ 
ilated, and most nourishing, until some time 
after slaughtering—longer in cold than in warm 
weather, and longer with some kinds than with 
others, at the same season. Until then, they are 
tough, and although “ there is no disputing of 
tastes,” it must be admitted that they are, to a 
large majority of persons who have fairly made 
the comparison, less tasteful, if not absolutely 
unsavory. 
-**-<-«a^ m - >-o» 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Rolled up Beef. 
. Cut pieces of beef, about as broad as a hand 
and f inch thick, pound well, and add pepper 
and salt. Cut slices of bacon of the same size 
as. the beef, roll the slices together, and tie them 
with a string. Boil with water enough to cover 
the meat; keep in a pot well closed. When 
the beef is tender, take it put, and also half the 
liquor; let the other half boil down, and then 
add the first half to it. Season with onions and 
salt to taste. Cut the strings off the beef and 
put on the table with the gravy. If to be used 
on the second day, boil it up again, cutting a 
pickle in the sauce, and it will be just as good. 
If to be kept for a time, put it in a dish and 
cover with fat. It will keep good for several 
weeks. Mrs. Nitz. 
Jefferson Co., Iowa. 
How to Cook Eggs in the Shell. 
A correspondent of the Agriculturist writes: 
“ One way to cook eggs is to drop them into 
boiling water, and let them remain there three 
minutes—the water all the time boiling. This 
hardens the white next the shell to almost 
leathery toughness, while within it is still un¬ 
cooked. Another and preferable mode is, to 
pour boiling water upon the eggs; let them 
stand in this 5 minutes; pour off this and add 
more boiling water and immediately bring them 
to the table in the water. Those taken out at 
once will be somewhat cooked through; and 
those left in five minutes will be “ hard boiled,” 
or nearly so, and thus the taste of every one may 
be suited and no toughness of the whites be 
observed.” 
Penny wise, Pound Foolish. —Undigested 
food in the stomach is sure to produce restless 
unrefreshing sleep, yet for the mere pleasure of 
tickling the palate for a few minutes longer 
while swallowing a little more food, how mam 
suffer all night, and the next day also. 
Cooking Indian Corn. 
It may be well to state briefly here, what was 
more fully explained in last volume, viz.: that tak¬ 
ing the average prices throughout the country, 40 
cents worth of Indian corn meal, affords as much 
real, healthful nourishment , as $1 worth of wheat 
flour, or $1.60 worth of potatoes. Hence the im¬ 
portance of learning to use more corn for food in 
these times. In the November Agriculturist we 
gave thirty-three methods of using corn, or corn 
meal. An objection to many of the directions 
given, was that they called for considerable quan¬ 
tities of milk, or eggs, or both, and these are not 
always accessible or cheap. We hope our offered 
premiums will bring out something valuable on 
this subject. But this inside sheet must be sent 
to press before the exhibition opens, and our re¬ 
port, if published this month, must go in out 
of place on the outside sheet, which is'sent to 
press ten days later. In the meantime, we desire 
to solicit further contributions of recipes or di¬ 
rections on this topic. Here are a few of those, 
gathered from our letter flies. 
Indian ILoaves, that will be good when four 
days old. Sent to the American Agriculturist by 
Mrs. L. G. Smith of Essex Co., Yt. Take 2 quarts 
of Indian meal; 1 pint of sifted wheat bran; X 
tea-cupful of molasses; X teaspoonful each of salt 
and cooking soda or saleratus. Mix with sweet 
milk enough to make a batter as stiff as can be 
readily stirred with an iron spoon. Bake 6 hours. 
Another Indian JLioaf.—Contributed to 
the Agriculturist by Sarah Euson of Fulton County, 
Ill. who has tested it satisfactorily for ten years 
past. Take 4 to 6 quarts of Indian meal and scald 
two thirds of it, stirring thoroughly with an iron 
spoon ; pool with cold water until it will not cook 
the yeast, and add one pint good salt yeast. Stir 
iii the remainder of the meal; put in a pan to 
rise, the same as light wheat bread, and afterwards 
bake well, and keep in a cool, dry place. Good 
when one to four days old. 
Corn Meal Griddle Calces.— J. S. Ger- 
ver, Williams Co., O., contributes the following to 
the Agriculturist: Take 3 cups of Corn meal, 1 cup 
of wheat flour; 1 cup of sour cream; 1 cup of 
sugar; 3 eggs; 1 teaspoonful of saleratus, and 1 
teaspoonful of salt, with sweet milk enough to 
make a thin batter. Bake the same as Buckwheat 
cakes. It is good. [This must be very good when 
the eggs and cream are plentiful.— Ed.] 
Claiclceiu Salad. 
A friend who tried a chicken salad with us the other 
day, asked a minute description in the Agriculturist 
for the benefit of his better half and others. The 
recipe is a common one, for ought we know— 
perhaps it was used with special skill in the in¬ 
stance when our friend was so well pleased. Writ¬ 
ten minutely it reads thus: Mince finely the white 
parts of one chicken previously well boiled. Take 
blanched, crisp celery and chop very fine. With 
1 measure of the minced chicken, mix IX measures 
of the chopped celery. Boil hard one large or 
two small eggs, roll the yolk fine, and mixing in 
a teaspoonful of mustard, and nearly as much 
salt, with X teacupful of vinegar, pour this over 
the chicken. Cut the boiled whites of the eggs 
in rings and lay on top, garnishing also with the 
smaller leaves of the celery.—Usually the celery 
is not chopped half fine enough. 
Apple I B ie -without Apples. 
One cup of water, one cup sugar, juice and peel of 
one lemon, IX or 2 Boston crackers broken into 
small pieces; bake with under and upper crust. 
The pieces of cracker look like apple when the 
pie is baked. The addition of a little stewed apple 
makes the decepflon complete—to eye and taste. 
