1371 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
145 
THIS! MOTOEiBIOILBo 
(For other Household Items, see “ Basket ” pages.) 
Fashions in Boot-jacks. 
One would suppose that a boot-jack was not sus¬ 
ceptible of much improvement, and that a simple 
notched board, with a cleat to give it the proper 
elevation, would be all that was required. Yet 
boot-jacks have been improved, and have even 
been the subject of numerous patents. If one has 
to use an implement daily, he desires it to be made 
in as comely a form as possible ; hence it is pleas¬ 
ant to have the crude appearance of figure 1, with 
its sharp angles, modified into the neatly-rounded 
implement of figure 2. Those who travel much 
prefer carrying their own boot-jack to trusting to 
the uncertain resources of ordinary hotels. For 
the convenience of packing in the trunk, the folded 
implement, shown in figure 3, has been contrived. 
Another folding style is shown in figure 4; the 
shorter portion has two stout pins, which, when in 
use, sufficiently elevates the end from the floor. 
When the parts are folded together, the pins fit 
into holes in the longer portion. All of the forms 
are easily made of wood, and numerous fancy pat¬ 
terns in iron may be had at the furnishing-stores. 
A bench for resting the foot while blacking, and 
which also serves as a box to hold the brushes, etc., 
is given in fig. 5. It is made in such a manner as 
to shut up and occupy but a small space. The box, 
D, forms the top of the bench, and holds the black¬ 
ing and brushes. The lid, A, serves, when open, 
to hold the two folding legs, C, in place. When 
packed away, the lid, A , shuts down upon U, and the 
legs are then folded together, and secured by a hook. 
A few Hints to Carvers and others. 
BT MBS. .1. W. T. 
When carving a joint of meat, always keep the 
guard, or prong, open on the back of the carving- 
fork. Although you may have no fears for your¬ 
self, some of your guests may suffer exceedingly 
from fear that the knife will slip and injure you or 
the person sitting at your left. Aside from this 
consideration, it appears very awkward when the 
Fig. 3.— travelers’ boot-jack 
guard is shut during the process of carving a joint. 
In cutting up a beefsteak, or in helping to ham, 
mutton-chops, etc., the guard should be shut, as 
then it seems just as awkward to have it open. 
Never place a guest at the left hand of the carver 
if the carver is right-handed, nor to the right if the 
carver is left-handed. Some nervous persons, if 
seated in the line of a large, sharp-pointed, highly 
polished, carving-knife blade, would imagine all 
kinds of possible casualties to themselves, and 
would be exceedingly uncomfortable during the 
whole process of carving. When the meat is a 
joint, do not help a guest to slices from the dish, 
but cut them fresh from the joint as required. 
When carving from a joint of cold meat that was 
partly used the day before, do not help a guest to 
the outside slice. The reason for this is obvious : 
the juice has drained out, making it dry; it has 
also been exposed to the atmosphere, and is alto¬ 
gether a very undesirable piece of meat. It is, 
however, the piece which an unthinking carver 
generally gives to the most honored guest, because 
he helps her first. In helping persons the second 
time from the same joint, do not give them so 
much as at the first time. Where the first person 
helped prefers the meat rare or underdone, the 
carver will be under the necessity of cutting off 
several slices from the outside; these pieces may 
be placed neatly on the joint until wanted. It is 
usual to cut up the whole of a chicken or duck 
without removing the fork, afterward helping to 
any portion preferred. A guest should never hesi¬ 
tate when asked by the carver which part of the 
chicken, turkey or duck he will take. He should 
anticipate the question, and 
be ready to say which part he 
would like. If the guest is 
embarrassed, and says, “ I 
have no choice,” the carver 
must not press the question, 
but help to any part. It is 
well to give some of both the 
white and dark meat. It is 
quite enough for the carver to 
help to the meat. He should 
have nothing to do with the 
vegetables or accompaniments. 
The waiter should attend to 
this, always going to the left of 
the guest, in order to allow of 
the right hand of the guest being used. Where there 
is no waiter, the persons sitting opposite each vege¬ 
table will kindly help to it. The most convenient 
place for a carver to sit is facing the doors where the 
servants pass in and out. In this position he com¬ 
mands the whole situation of affairs. Many carv¬ 
ers are put in the center of the table, which is very 
inconvenient. The carver sits at the end of the ta¬ 
ble ; he has much more room than if in the center. 
The use of Soda and Saleratus. 
BY A. H. 
I have seen housekeepers who seem to be ignor¬ 
ant of the effect of soda upon the materials used 
in cooking. They 6eem to have an idea that soda 
alone has a tendency to make any thing rise. Hence 
they use it indiscriminately in bread, biscuit, or 
cake. Years ago I knew an old lady who had this 
idea, and it was impossible to convince her to the 
contrary. Whenever she was afraid that the bread 
would not be light enough, she would add a quan¬ 
tity of saleratus. Her bread was oftcui as yellow 
as saffron and not fit to eat. I often see yellow 
pie-crust, especially upon chicken and meat-pies, 
plainly showing that soda has been used. Soda 
or saleratus should never be used unless the bread 
or pastry is sour, or uuless you add to the flour, or 
to the dry soda, before mixing, a proportionate 
quantity of acid—such as cream of tartar. If you 
add soda alone to a perfectly sweet material, it has 
no more effect in making it rise than would so 
much salt. It will, however, affect the flavor and 
color of the material. When using soda, be care¬ 
ful to use only enough to neutralize the acid. 
Some persons consider the use of soda at all in 
cooking, as positively injurious. They labor under 
a mistake, I think. Where the alkali and acid are 
properly proportioned and come together in the 
moist material, they completely neutralize each 
other and form a compound—Rochelle salt—the 
presence of which in small quantities is not per¬ 
ceptible, nor is it considered unwholesome. When 
too much soda has been used in bread or biscuit, 
it is readily manifested by the color. In cookies 
or sponge-cake, it is not so easily detected, as the 
yellow tinge may be supposed to be due to the egg 
used. I am not thus deceived. The col r given 
to cake and cookies by eggs is a bright, rich, gold¬ 
en yellow, while that from the use of too much 
soda is a dull, smutty, heavy-looking yellow. There 
are those who consider the free use of soda as very 
beneficial to health. 27ieymake a serious mistake. 
Soda is sometimes used as a medicine, to correct 
acidity in the stomach. It is better at such times 
to take the quantity prescribed mixed in a little 
water, and not in the food. The free use, for a 
length of time, of cookies, cake, etc., in which 
there is a superabundance of alkali, will result in 
an impaired digestion. 
How to choose Meat. 
BY ESTELLE EDGERTON. 
I have often been surprised at the large number 
of persons who seem to'have no idea of the great 
difference there is between good and inferior meat, 
and who also seem to have implicit faith that the 
butcher will give them the best and primest parts 
-BOX AND BENCH FOR BLACKING SHOES. 
of the animal. Now, it is not probable that he will 
give his best meat to persons whom he has found by 
experience will be satisfied with that of ordinary 
quality. There is always a demand for prime cuts, 
and as much the smaller portion (especially in beef) 
is prime, the butchers are very glad to dispose of 
those cuts that are not so desirable, and the more 
so when they get the “prime beef” price lor it. 
Depend upon it, the only way to get the best meat 
the butcher has, is to be able to judge of the qual¬ 
ity yourself. In this case it would not always be 
necessary for the purchaser to look at the meat 
before ordering it, for the butcher will very soon 
find out that you know good meat when you see it. 
It is very poor economy to buy inferior beef for 
a roast, even if you get it at a lesser price, because 
a considerable portion of such meat is wasted. Poor 
beef, if you buy it at all, should be boiled or stewed, 
or made into soup. 
A good housekeeper should know exactly what 
to do with a piece of meat that lias been sent in. If 
her husband has ordered a roasting-picee of beef, 
and the butcher has "sent up a piece only fit for boil¬ 
ing, she should cither send it back, or have ii boiled 
or stewed. It would be folly to roast it, as all the 
gristle and tough muscle which would soften, if 
gently stewed, would harden in the oven ; and if it 
Were stewed in water for a week afterward, it could 
not be softened. 
Good beef will be very fat, and the grain smooth 
and fine. The fat should be more inclined to be 
white than yellow ; the lean a bright healthy red. 
Beef should be mature. I do not like it when it is 
