373 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
No. 516 Broadway, New-York,) seems to excel in the 
simplicity of the internal machinery, and the con¬ 
sequent little liability to get out of repair ; in the 
strength and broad bearing of the knee joints ; and 
especially in the arrangement by which a side mo¬ 
tion is given, to the foot, so that in stepping on an 
uneven surface, or upon an inclined plane, the foot 
yields laterally, and the bottom and ankle joint ad¬ 
just themselves to the inequality. Artificial Arms 
are made in almost equal perfection. As an illustra¬ 
tion, we slipped one of our arms into an artificial one 
so as to be able to use our shoulder joint only, and 
yet by means of the concealed strap, tendons, and 
springs, we could take off our own hat with the ar¬ 
tificial fingers, place it on the table, and return it 
to the head again.-We are glad to know that ar¬ 
rangements are made to supply our maimed sol¬ 
diers with these most valuable artificial limbs, at a 
low price. The Government allows $50 to soldiers 
for each limb lost, towards procuring an artificial 
one. A moderate additional contribution from 
friends wilPpay the extra cost. Particulars as to 
price, etc., can be obtained by addressing the manu¬ 
facturers as above, or in an advertisement. 
A Gutting Board Convenient. 
Ladies, especially those who do the cutting at 
meetings of Sewing Societies, Relief Associations, 
etc., know how tiresome it is to stand at a table all 
the afternoon or evening, preparing work. At one 
of these meetings the other evening, we noticed a 
simple and convenient cutting board, which may be 
in general use, but we had not before seen one. It 
is a board about 3 feet long, and 1% to 2 feet wide, 
to hold upon the lap. On one side a half circle is 
cut out so that it fits partly round the body, and the 
arms may rest upon it. The other side is partly 
rounded to take-off the sharp comers that would 
otherwise stand out in the way. Such a board is 
convenient both for cutting and mending. Any 
husband or son will make one in a few minutes. 
The board should be thin, and of light seasoned 
wood. We will suggest an addition, thus : Bore a 
hole in each outer corner, and put two sticks, say 
broom sticks, for supporting legs to the outside ; 
the other side rests on the lap. The sticks can 
be then taken out when not in use. We may claim 
a patent for this “ improvement,” but it is free to 
all readers of the American Agriculturist , which in¬ 
cludes about everybody and the rest of womankind. 
Housekeepers, Help Each Other. 
A REQUEST. 
We respectfully solicit the aid and co-operation 
of all interested in housekeeping to help improve 
this department of the Agriculturist. During the 
past year several hundreds of items, hints and sug¬ 
gestions have been given, of which some at least 
have been interesting and useful we trust. But the 
household department has not. been as full and 
varied as we could wish, or as we intend to make 
it. Our absence a part of the time has some¬ 
what prevented as much personal attention to these 
columns as we expect to give hereafter. But while 
we shall do all we can, we ask our readers for 
abundant contributions. When two or more 
housekeepers spend an hour together, each one 
usually gains some new hint or idea,to put in prac¬ 
tice. No one makes a day’s visit at,;the house of a 
friend without seeing or hearing of some mode of 
doing a thing that leads to improvement in-her 
own operations. Now we would like to gather up 
these ideas and spread them before tens of thou¬ 
sands. What is new to any one person, will be 
likely to be so to a great many others. We believe 
that there is just as great a chance for improve¬ 
ments to be made in the house, as on the farm—in 
labor saving implements, in the most important 
topics of the care and health of the children, in the 
preparation of good, healthful, economical food, etc. 
Usually, when we solicit information, the reply is, 
“ I am not used to writing for the papers”—especi¬ 
ally from those who are most excellent practical 
housekeepers. But this need not be an excuse. We 
do not ask any one to edit; give us particulars, the 
ideas, the hints, no matter in how common language, 
and we will attend to putting them in shape for the 
public. Let all help in this matter, not merely 
those who can better tell how to do a thing than do 
it, but those of the opposite class. She is a public 
benefactress who gives to a thousand others a sin¬ 
gle hint that tends to lessen labor and care, or leads 
to even the slightest improvement in any com¬ 
mon household operation. 
To Cure Hams—Loss of Weight. 
John C. Bishop, Fond du Lac, Wis., writes to the 
American Agriculturist: “I have never tailed of 
having most excellent hams by using the follow¬ 
ing recipe—the shoulders are equally good, only 
fatter : Rub the hams thoroughly around the bone 
with salt, rising the best quality. To 4 pails water 
add one quart molasses, six quarts salt, and one 
tablespoonful of saltpetre : they should remain in 
this pickle covered, five weeks. Cobs are pre¬ 
ferable to any other article to smoke with; sack 
and whitewash, and you will have first quality 
hams the year round. In packing my pork last 
Fall, it occurred to me to ascertain how much is lost 
in weight by smoking hams. I cut out a ham 
which weighed 24% lbs. After taking from the 
pickle, in which it had remained some 5 weeks, it 
weighed 25% lbs. To-day, one month after smoking, 
it weighs 22% lbs., having lost over 3 pounds. A 
barrel of side pork weighing 200 lbs. that I packed 
freed from bone and most of the lean meat, on 
being re-weighed had gained 8 pounds. 
Mince Pies—Spirits in Cookery. 
Mrs. M. L. Thomson, of Falmouth, Ky., sends 
for the household department of the American Ag¬ 
riculturist , the following: Take 4 lbs. of boiled 
meat (a boiled beef’s heart is very good), % pound 
suet, 4 ounces cinnamon, 2 ounces mace or nutmeg, 
1 ounce cloves, 4 pounds raisins, 1 pint molasses, 1 
quart brandy, and sugar enough to make quite 
sweet. To all the-above add an equal weight (near¬ 
ly 12 lbs.) of tart apples chopped fine. It will keep 
five or six months. As used for pies from time to 
time, add just before baking a tablespoonful of vin¬ 
egar, or old eider, to each pie. [The above is doubt¬ 
less good, but a serious objection is the amount of 
brandy. The taste for alcohol which leads to its 
more frequent after use, and often to excess, is very 
often created by the use of wine or brandy sauces, 
brandied fruits and pies,-etc., eaten at the paternal 
board. Were there not this danger, we should less 
object to pure brandies and wines occasionally in 
cooking. As it is, we think it always safer to 
eschew all alcoholic mixtures in cooking. One 
generous, noble .young man lost to society through 
such means, is a greater loss to his friends, and to 
society, than the sacrifice of all sweetmeats, condi¬ 
ments, and stimulants, for ten thousand tables. It 
is the generous hearted, active, energetic,- social 
young men, those worth most to society, who are 
by far the most liable to be overcome by evil habits, 
for these take the strongest.hold upon such.—E d.] 
How to Cook a Babbit. 
L. E. Palmer, Luzerne Co., Pa., writes to the 
American Agriculturist: At the present season, coun¬ 
try families, especially those which number a trap¬ 
setting juvenile or two, are coming into possession 
of various “ small deer ” of this sort. Many 
question whether it is “worth while” to dress 
and cook these chance acquisitions. Plain house¬ 
keepers are apt to be shy of wild game from the 
idea that it requires some : intricate process to ren¬ 
der it really excellent. Rabbits cooked in the 
following simple way are pronounced better than 
that great standard of comparison—‘ chicken ’. Pre¬ 
pare for stewing the same as with fowls, and after 
par-boiling, change the water, adding salt. Three 
hours steady stewing is not too much for an old 
rabbit; the great point is to get it tender, but not 
ragged. When cooked, add two-thirds of a teacup 
of butter, and stir in while boiling, two tablespoon? 
fuls of flour in a cup of water, then a little pepper. 
Toast to surface brown, but do not harden, three 
slices of bread; butter them freely while hot, lay 
on the platter, and pour the stew over them; 
Another Pennsylvania lady, Mrs. E. McC., 'North- 
ampton County, whose husband is equally expert 
with a gun in bringing down rabbits at home, or as 
a “ militia man ” on the southern border of the 
State, gives us her method of preparing a rabbit as 
follows : After skinning they are thoroughly freed 
from blood with cold water. They are then left 
over night in weak salt water, which is poured off 
in the morning, and new salt water added, in which 
they stand until ready for cooking. 1 This water is 
made just salt enough to fit the flesh for eating. 
They are then boiled until tender, when the meat 
is taken out, and flour and butter, first rubbed 
together, is stirred in, and well peppered, and the 
whole poured over toast, upon which the meat is 
laid. A few sprigs of parsley added, improve the. 
taste for many persons. 
A StwilecH Uecistealk:.—Prepare a dress¬ 
ing of bread scalded soft and mixed with plenty 
of butter and a little pepper and salt. Lay it upon 
one side of a round of steak, cover with the other 
apd baste it down with needle and thread. Salt and 
pepper the outside of the steak and place in a drip¬ 
ping pan with half an inch of water. When baked 
brown on one side, turn and bake the other. 
'1’Bic C^iaccM of IPtiultliaBg’s.—L. E. Palmer, 
Luzerne Co., Pa., contributes the following to the 
American Agriculturist, and challenges any house¬ 
keeper in the country to give any mode of prepar¬ 
ing a more delicious light pudding: One pint of 
nice fine bread crumbs to one quart of milk, one 
cup of sugar, the yolks of four eggs beaten, the 
grated rind of a lemon, a piece of butter the size of 
an egg. Bake until done but not watery. Whip 
the whites of the eggs stiff and beat in a teapeup- 
ful of sugar in which has been stirred the juice of 
the lemon. Spread over the pudding a layer of 
jelly orany sweetmeats you prefer. Pour the whites 
of the eggs over this and replace in the oven and 
bake lightly. To be eaten cold with cream. Is sec¬ 
ond only to ice cream, and for some seasons better. 
Anotlier Nice by the same 
contributor: Three tablespoonfuls melted butter 
mixed with one cup of sugar; 1 egg well beaten; 1 
pint of flour; 2 teaspoonfuls cream tartar ; 1 of so¬ 
da ; 1 cup sweet milk. Beat well, and bake 30 min¬ 
utes. Serve hot with the following sauce: Two 
cups sugar with 1 cup of butter; 1 cup of currant 
or other wine added a little at a time, as the butter 
and sugar are melted—the pan containing it being 
set in hot water ten minutes or so. [“Spirits” again.] 
IPmmipJciin B5a"ea«I.—Contributed to the 
American Agriculturist , by Mrs. S. Washburn, West¬ 
chester Co., N. Y. Stew one small pumpkin, in 
the same manner as for pies; while boiling, stir in 
Indian meal until it becomes of the consistence of 
mush, adding a teacup of molasses and a little salt. 
Then take it out in some wheat flour—have your 
sponge light—and when sufficiently cool, mix, 
mould and bake. 
IPofsito IPie.—Contributed to the American 
Agriculturist by Indamora Hyatt, Westchester Co., 
N. Y. Mix the crust in the same manner as for 
chicken or beefsteak pie, and place it in a deep pie 
dish or dripping pan ; cut into it one small onion,' 
and fill even full with finely sliced potatoes ; add 
a little butter, and pour into the pan as much sweet 
milk and cream as it will contain. Season with salt 
and pepper to suit the taste; cover and bake in a 
slow oven. [Pray, leave out the onion.— Ed.] 
Working Backward. —A worthy Scotch couple, when 
asked how their son had broken down so early in life, 
gave the following explanation : “ When we began life, 
we worked hard, and lived upon porridge, and such like, 
gradually adding to our comforts as our means improved, 
until we were able to dine off a bit of roast meat,. and 
sometimes a boiled chuckie (chicken); but Jack, our 
son, worked backward ; he began with the chuckie first." 
