1865 . 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
23 
“ A good roasted potato is a delicacy worth a 
dozen compositions of the cook book; yet when 
we ask for it, what burnt, shriveled abortions are 
presented to us ! Biddy rushes to her potato basket 
and pours out two dozen of different sizes, some 
having in them three times the amount of matter 
of others. These being washed, she tumbles them 
into her oven at a leisure interval, and there lets 
them lie till it is time to serve breakfast, whenever 
that may be. As a result, if the largest are cooked, 
the smallest are presented in cinders, and the in¬ 
termediate sizes are withered and T.vatery. Nothing 
is so utterly ruined by a few moments of over¬ 
doing. That which at the right moment was 
plump with mealy richness, a quarter of an hour 
later shrivels and becomes watery—and it is in this 
state that roast potatoes are most frequently served. 
“In the same manner we have seen boiled potatoes 
from an untaught cook coming upon the table like 
lumps of yellow wax—and the same article, the 
day after, under the direction of a skillful mistress, 
appearing in snowy balls of powdery lightness. In 
the one case, they were thrown in their skins into 
water, and suffered to soak or boil, as the case 
might be, at the cook’s leisure, and after they were 
boiled, to stand in the water till she was ready to 
peel them. In the other case, the potatoes being 
first peeled, were boiled as quickly as possible in 
salted water, which, the moment they were done 
was drained off, and then they were gently shaken 
for a minute or two over the fire to dry them still 
more thoroughly. We have never yet seen the po¬ 
tato so depraved and given over to evil that 
could not be reclaimed by this mode of treatment. 
“As to fried potatoes, who that remembers the crisp, 
golden slices of the French restaurant, thin as 
wafws and light as snow flakes, does not speak re¬ 
spectfully of them? What cousiuship with these, 
have those coarse, greasy masses of sliced potato, 
wholly sogged and partly burnt, to which we are 
treated under the name of fried potatoes a la Amer¬ 
ica? Our city restaurants are introducing the 
French article to great acceptance, and to the vindi¬ 
cation of the fair fame of this queen of vegetables.” 
F’sjwmers’ Calcc.—Contributed by 
Mrs. E. Smith, Plymouth Co., Mass.; Soak 3 cups 
of dried apples over night in warm water ; chop 
(slightly) in the morning and then simmer 2 hours 
in 2 cups of mol.asses. Add 2 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 
1 cup of sweet milk, % cup of butter, teaspoon¬ 
fuls of soda, flour to make a rather thick batter ; 
spice to suit the taste. Bake in a quick oven. 
Saner Kraut. —Contributed to the Amm-i- 
ean Agriculturist by M. S. Baldwin. Cut cabbage 
fine, sprinkle with brown sugar at the rate of 4 lbs. 
to the barrel. Leave out salt, which may be added 
to suit the taste when used. Place it in a barrel 
and pound down well as the filling proceeds. It 
should be pressed so tight that the juice shall cover 
the cabbage. It will be fit for use in 10 to 15 days. 
mY^ ^ ©urns' '©©iLwniFfSo 
“ A Happy IVew Year ” 
To all the Girls and Boys of the Agriculturist family. 
Including the grown-up ones. Hearts need not grow old, 
though heads whiten and hands tremble wilh age. None 
of us can lift the curtain which hides the events of the 
year 1865, but if we start with the purpose, as well as 
the wish, that the year shall be a happy one to all, we 
need not fear what coming time will bring. Suppose 
that every reader resolves to add to the happiness of some 
one, each day of this year ; there will be not less than 
500,000 persons benefited daily. It need not cost a great 
effort to do this. There is John, just entering his fifteenth 
year, and grown almost as tall as his mother, who is 
p'oiid of her manly looking boy. But John begins to 
think himself too big to mind his mother, and that it is 
manly to answer her rudely; sometimes he contradicts 
'her, and he is also disrespectful to ids father as far as he 
dares to be. If he knew how each unkind word wounds 
flke a sharp knife, culling down to the very heart of his 
parents, he would here discover a way to make them 
happier than though he could bring them bags of gold and 
silver. Will you try it John? Resolve that from this 
day those who have done so much for you, who love you 
better than their own lives, shall have only pleasant 
words and ready obedience. Perhaps this will be good 
coun.sel for others besides John! Mary, it will please 
your mother if you will think less of dress and more of 
duty. Don’t let her be a slave to liousework while you 
are displaying your finery at balls and parties. Perhaps 
your little brother will be one of the liappiest fellows 
alive, if you will be more patient and loss selfish toward 
him. In short, all, both young and old, can do something 
toward making tills a pleasanter world, for themselves as 
well as others. The surest way to enjoyment is through 
the joy made for others. Whoever has the will, can find 
many ways for carrying out our New Veau’s Rule; 
Make somebody happier every day this year. 
About Keeping tbe Moattli 
Which is the best looking. Fig. 1, or Fig. 2 ? It does not 
take long to decide. The one with the lips closed ap¬ 
pears more manly, intelligent and every way attractive. 
The other shows a man who lias a habit of keeping 
his mouth open, which spoils the expression of the whole 
face, and makes him look inferior. Even a good horse 
looks better with his lips brouglit together, as is 
shown in the engraving below. A ple.asing counten¬ 
ance is a valuable card of introduction everywhere, and 
it is worth some care to keep all the good features which 
nature has given. The habit of keeping the mouth open, 
like most other habits, is formed early in life, and at that 
period it is easy to become used to having the lips closed. 
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 
Besides spoiling good looks, a constantly open mouth is 
unhcalthful. The air, especially in shops, houses, and 
the streets of cities, contains large quantities of dust from 
various substances, none of which are fit to be taken into 
the lungs. Fine particles of wood, charcoal, cloth, sand, 
iron, glass, and numerous other articles are floating in 
the atmosphere and are draw n in with every breath. 
When this is taken through the nose, very tittle except 
pure air goe.s to the lungs. The other matter is stopped 
by the mucous lining of the nasal passages, and removed 
by using the handkerchief. Thro igh the mouth, the way 
to the lungs is more direct, and much more foreign mat¬ 
ter can go in with the air. Tlmso who work in manuf.ic- 
tories where dust of any kind abo inds, are very liable to 
diseases of the lungs from this cause, much of which 
may be prevented by the proper use of the nose in breath¬ 
ing. The teeth also suffer by constant exposure to cur¬ 
rents of air. Observing men think tliat open-mouthed 
breathing causes much of the toothache, and decay of 
the teeth found in civilized communities. The North 
American Indians enjoy remarkable health, much of it 
no doubt from living so much in the open air, and their 
simple food and dress, but it is a remark<able fact that 
from infancy, the mother teaches her children to keep 
their mouths cloEed,especially in sleep. Mr. George Gat¬ 
lin, the noted traveller and author observed that when 
laying their “papooses” down to sleep, they always 
drew the little one’s lips close together, and placed their 
heads in such a position that they would not readily open. 
He thinks this has much to do with their robust health. 
The death of an Indian child under ten years old, is a 
very rare occurrence except from accident. Mr. John 
■ Wiley, of 535 Broadway, N. Y. City, has published an in¬ 
teresting book on this subject, full of curious illustrations 
by Mr. Gatlin, from v^hich the above engr vingsare taken. 
Aii.swers to I®rol>Eems and Puzzlcf-i. 
The following are answers to the puzzles, etc., in the 
December number, page 349.—No. 108 : Illustrated Rebus 
This has been almost answered by scores, and correctly 
by many. The proper reading is ■ The American Agri¬ 
culturist,in twelve months, gives over 1,500 excellent 
and instructive articles, or more than ten for one cent. 
What can be cheaper! Tens of thousands answer, 
“ Nothing !”... .No. 109.— Mathematical Puzzle. —As but 
few have answered this correctly .(their names are nelo w), 
we give now only a clue which will make it easier, 
viz : the different letters employed in the problem, when 
properly arranged, give the name of a noted English 
statesman of the present day.. ..No. 110. —Historical 
Questions —Ansicers; 1, New Albion. 2, Sir Francis 
Drake. 3, in February, 184S, at Columa (Sutter’s 
Mills.) 4, Lord De la War. 5, Verazzano, who named 
it New France. 6th, 1,670, at Detroit. The word English 
should have been European; the French settled the 
State ; the English took it from them, and ceded it to the 
United States at the close of the Revolutionary war. 
The following have sent in correct answers up to Dec. 
9: Emma Foss, 109; Frank Robbins, 107; “ G. D. B.,” 
106, 107 ; Minta Beyea, 107; Dick and Affa, 107 ; E. Pre 
vost, 107 i Margaret Thompson, 107 ; William H. Jordan, 
107; Ellen F. Taber, 107 ; Elhelbert Selden, 107, Lucius 
S. Keaton, 106 (by an original and ingenious method) ; 
Francis M. Priest, 106, 107; G. G. Crowley, 106, 107 ; 
Frank B. Bourne, 107; W. Henry Yates, 107; Elvin 
Rees, 106, 107; Lear C. La Fetra, 108 ; John H. Peck, 
108; Date Barrie, 108 ; J. C. B. Taylor 108 ; H. D. Bar¬ 
tholomew, 109; How'ard Bowman and Earnest Camp¬ 
bell, 108 ; Stewart Farquer, 107 ; John Thomas Phillips, 
108 ; William A. Coliins, 108 ; Ebenezer J. Bridge, 108 ; 
Rebecca D. Bengless, 108; Harry Granger, 108; F. E. 
Milliken, Harry J. Stone, 108; Frank H. Willis, 108, 109 ■ 
Louie R. Bennett and Emily J. Beuiiet, 108 ; R. W. Rob¬ 
inson, 108 ; Thomas Coulter, 108; Julia A. Peabody, 
108; Maggie N. Barkalow, 108 ; George W. Peabody, 
108; Ralph M. Mead, 109; Thomas Mullen, 108, 109; 
Edward C. Woodruff, 108; Annie C. Green, 108; J. B. 
Daniel, 108; Wm. P. Jones, Jr., 108; John C. Welles, 
108 ; Elma M. Faber, 108; Henry M. Clayton, 108 ; Jolin 
W. Gaston, 108; M. B. Eshleman, 108, 109; “ S. W. P.,” 
109; D. G. Jones, 109 ; George Mills, 108 ; W. M. Isaac,. 
108, 109 ; Frank Hayward, 107 ; Asahel C. Smith, 108 ; H. 
L. Hoguet, 108; P. Mason, 108; Francis M. Priest, 108, 
109; George F. Forbes, 108, 109; “George S.,” 109; 
Louis A. Arthur, 108; Wilhelmina Burgert, 108; John 
Atwater, 109; Wm. H. Allison, 108; Fred. Johnston, 108 
(read the notice about strawberry plants) ; Andrew W. 
Middleness, 109, wilh a clear explanation ; P. S. Libido, 
108, 109; J. J. Gactschins, 108; Hattie Goffe, 108; 
Thomas J. Bead, 108; “H. M. D.,” ]0S, 110: Israel 
Camp, 108; William H. Jordan, 108, 110; E. J. Bentley, 
108, 109 ; George M. Clark, 108; B. A. Root, 108. 
New Puzzles to be Amswere«l. 
No. 111. Illustrated Rebus. —A beautiful Sentiment. 
No. 112. A Curious Word. —Try to discover what it !•. 
There is a word of plural number 
An enemy to peace and slumber ; 
Now other words you chance to take. 
By adding “ S ” you plurai make. 
But if you add an “ S ” to this, 
How strange tiie metamorphosis ,* 
Plural is plural now no more. 
And sweet what bitter was before. 
No. 113. Novel Subtraction. —Take three letters from 
a word containing five, and leave but one. 
No. 114. Question for Pla7!ters. —A gentleman pro 
poses to plant a vineyard of ten acres. How many more 
vines can he plant in the “ Quincunx ” than in the square 
order, provided the vines are set six feet apart, and no 
vine is set nearer than one foot to the edge of the 
field? In each case the plot is to be square. Please give 
the method of finding tlie solution, wilh the answer. 
No. 115. Mathematical Proifem.—Suppose a circular 
field to contain 30 acres. How wide a strip around it must 
be added to enlarge it by 10 acres ? How wide a stiip 
must be taken to diminish it by 10 acres ? 
