1876.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
65 
near the sitting-room fire—still I have hit upon a 
plan which suits me better, the construction of 
which is shown in the accompanying sketches. 
Dimensions of lounge 2 feet by 6 ; higkt of box 13 
inches. Figure 1 shows the frame of the lounge 
complete, and fig. 2 the bedstead. A, arms ; b, 
back; e, cleats on which the slats, s, rest; these 
slats are five inches wide, and 4-inch thick, and of 
oak ; cl is a board five inches wide, hinged with 
leather, and held in place by a small hook at each 
end, to be let down when the lounge is extended, 
as shown in figure 2. Small strap hinges are shown 
at e ; / is the box for the bedding, head-board, etc. 
The head-board is made of half-inch boards, nailed 
to oak cleats i by 11 inch, and held in place by 
clasps, as shown more plainly at ni. The ends, 
back, and bottom of the box may be made of 
i-iuch boards, except a strip 5 inches wide at the 
top, which should be one inch thick. The corner 
pieces, n, should project at least half an inch, to 
support the back of the lounge, the corners of 
which should be correspondingly short. The 
cleats, c, that support the slats, should be fastened 
with nails or screws, three inches from the top, 
the better to keep the mattresses and bed-cover¬ 
ings in place. The corners of the extension should 
project an inch or so at o, to rest upon the floor 
when in use as a bed.' The mattresses should be 
a trifle longer and wider than the inside of the 
lounge seat, with the side pieces five to six inches 
wide, sewed in with a cord. An opening should 
also be left in the middle of the top of each, 
through which to stir up the husks or straw with 
whichthey are stuffed. The back and arms may¬ 
be covered and stuffed to suit the fancy, with a 
cover of the same kind fitted to one of the mat¬ 
tresses, to be used as a cushion to the lounge dur¬ 
ing the day. The draping of the front and ends 
should be in separate pieces, to allow a part of the 
front, d , to be let down when the extension is 
used. We find this the most comfortable lounge 
we ever saw, and about as good as any spring-bed. 
Dry Earth and Earth Closets. 
Probably no invention, or rather application, of 
so much importance was ever so neglected as that 
of the use of dry earth in the management of what, 
for the want of a better name, we call “ night soil.” 
The application of earth to this purpose is as old as 
the days of Moses ; the invention consists in the 
apparatus for applying it, and for this, and for his 
efforts to popularize its use, the Rev. M. Moule, 
of England, is one of the world’s benefactors. If 
the deposits which nature requires all to make, 
were simply unpleasant, and on this account were 
to be put out of the way as soon as possible, the 
use of dry earth would be an important one 5 but 
when it has been 
proven, as clearly as 
can be, that these 
deposits can cause 
and communicate dis¬ 
ease, and that sick¬ 
ness and death may 
be traced directly to 
them in a neglected 
state, the matter be¬ 
comes one of vital 
importance, and one 
which cannot be too 
„ , .__ often, or too eamest- 
& ly, presented to the 
heads of every household. Col. Waring, who has 
given much attention to sanitary matters, has sev¬ 
eral times presented this matter in his articles, where 
they are more likely to meet the eye of the house¬ 
father than of the house-mother, and letters we re¬ 
ceive asking for explanations, show that the subject 
is far from being generally understood by house¬ 
keepers. Let one travel among the rural popula¬ 
tion in any part of the country, and it will oftener 
than otherwise be found that the one neglected 
place on the premises is the privy; houses where 
the interior and mode of living of their occupants 
indicate comfortable means, refinement, and lux¬ 
ury, will often have for this most important out¬ 
building an affair which is repulsive to every sense, 
and a standing menace to those who must visit or 
pass near it. The necessity for a reform in this 
matter is too glaring to require argument; to neg¬ 
lect that which con¬ 
cerns both comfort 
and health, would be 
wrong were the bet¬ 
ter way difficult and 
expensive, but where, 
as in this case, the 
reform is easy and 
inexpensive, the neg¬ 
lect is doubly wrong. 
The principle is simp¬ 
ly to cover the de¬ 
posit with dry earth, 
and is not patented 
or patentable; vari¬ 
ous contrivances for 
accomplishing this, 
some of them very ingenious and useful, are pat¬ 
ented, and where one can afford them, are desira¬ 
ble. But the absence of these need not deter any¬ 
one from using the dry earth ; the requirements 
are: a receptacle, dry earth, and some means of 
placiug the earth on the deposit; this maybe done 
by an automatic machine or by a simple scoop or 
paddle. The essential thing is the dry earth or its 
equivalent: sand will not answer so well; road- 
Fig. 3.— EARTH DISTRIBUTER. 
Fig.2.— section or commode. 
receptacle, or box. Figure 3 is an earth dis¬ 
tributer, which lays upou the bottom of the earth 
box ; three or more holes, one inch in diameter, are 
made as shown, and correspond with a like number 
and size made in the bottom of the earth box. The 
distributer passes beyond the side of the closet, and 
is provided with a knob, as shown at A, fig. 1 ; moving 
this laterally, allows a small portion of earth to fall 
through the bottom upon the tin or zinc conductor 
T, and is conveyed into the receptacle M, w-hich is 
removed through a door at the side, but not 
shown; P, P, is a shield of sheet zinc about six 
inches wide, and attached underneath the seat or 
around the edge. Owing to the liability of the earth 
to pack, a few nails, iron or wooden pins, X, X, 
fig. 3, are inserted as. shown. It is best to insert a 
stiff coiled wire spring between the knob and outer 
side of the closet, and so arrange the distributor 
that the earth will only fall upon the conductor T 
when that is pressed inward, the spring forcing 
it outward as soon as the pressure is removed. 
Some Recipes in German Cooking. 
Having had inquiries from time to time as to the 
manner of preparing the dishes named below, we 
referred them to an experienced German house¬ 
keeper, who kindly gives the recipes : 
Smoked Geese-breasts. —Cut out the breasts of 
young, fat, and well-cleaned geese, rub them well 
with salt, and with a little saltpeter, place in a jar 
or other vessel, with a weight upon them. Let 
them remain thus for ten days, after which put them 
in smoke for two weeks. 
dust of a stiff, clayey, loamy kind, or similar earth 
scraped up from the surface of a field or garden, 
during a dry time, dried still further on some 
boards, sifted and stored under cover, is the best; 
the next best, and nearly as good, is fine coal-ashes, 
a material that every one who burns coal is desir¬ 
ous to be rid of. An ordinary outbuilding can be 
cleaned out, the vault filled up, and a box provided 
which has sled-runners, so that it may be hauled 
away when full; inside of the building should be 
a box of the earth or ashes, with a scoop or some 
kind of shovel; then if every member of the family 
will use the earth at each visit, the inexpensive ar¬ 
rangement will be as effective as the most elabor¬ 
ate ; still those who can afford them will find the 
fixtures made for the purpose, in which the earth 
is thrown down by the weight of the person, much 
more sure and convenient. Note. The throw-ing of 
slops of all kinds into this or any other earth closet 
must be absolutely prohibited. Dry earth so com¬ 
pletely absorbs all odors and emanations that a 
portable closet may be 
used in any convenient 
place in the house, and 
for invalids it is one of the 
greatest comforts imagina¬ 
ble. If one wishes to save 
expense, the matter may be 
greatly simplified. Provide 
a box to contain a recep¬ 
tacle, fitted with seat and a 
cover, also a smaller box, 
to hold the earth, tight, or 
lined with paper, to prevent 
sifting, with cover and 
scoop, these complete the 
affair. These may be made 
as ornamental as desired, or 
be provided with movable 
drapery. Several companies 
now make very excellent 
commodes in which there 
is a receptacle for the earth, 
which is let down by a pull as in an ordinary wa¬ 
ter-closet. We here give illustrations of a 
Home-Made Commode, 
BY L. D. SNOOK, YATES CO., N. Y., 
which is of very simple construction, as shown in 
the accompanying engravings, fig. 1 being a per¬ 
spective, and fig. 2 a sectional view, the letters re¬ 
ferring to the same points in both. B, B, are 
hinged lids or covers of wood, the lower one open- 
| ing to the closet, the upper one to the dry earth 
Sour Goose. —To utilize the remainder of the 
goose after cutting out the breast for smoking, it 
is prepared as follows : cut up the flesh into suita¬ 
ble pieces ; then take of vinegar and water equal 
quantities, enough to cover the meat, add a hand¬ 
ful of small onions, and salt, pepper, cloves, etc. ; 
boil together until the meat is done. This, if put 
in a cool place, will keep well, and makes an excel¬ 
lent dish when warmed up or eaten cold. 
TOYS & ©HEW 
riayiiig School. 
Isn’t it fun to play school ? The only trouble about it 
is that each one wants to be the teacher—but it wouldn’t 
be much of a school if all were teachers, and no scholars. 
So the best way is to take turns, and then you can see 
who are the best teachers, and—what is quite as impor¬ 
tant—who are the best scholars. On rainy days, when 
you can not go out, keeping school is a capital play for 
in-doors, and lively youngsters can get a great, deal of fun 
out of it. Only recollect when it comes your turn to be 
teacher, you must not be too severe. The best teachers 
among the real teachers are not those who scold the 
most, and make-believe teachers will find that they can 
get along with their scholars much better by being kind 
than by being cross. When you are the teacher, you may 
be troubled by scholars who will not keep order—who 
will whisper, or scuffle their feet on the floor as they 
come in and go out, or who in the school will not sit 
quietly in their seats, but “ fidget” around. Before you 
