1865.] 
AMERICAN ACRICULTURIST, 
63 
Garden Seeds—Look Out for Them Now. 
Every "oocl gardener should now be looking 
after the seed that he is to sow next spring. Of 
the imported varieties, the supply will probably 
be much less than the demand, and even of 
home-grown seeds the stock frequently gives 
out by planting time, as was the case with onion 
seed last year. It is scarcely necessary to in¬ 
sist upon the importance of good seeds—good 
not only as being of a good sort or strain, but 
good as to their germinating power. Old seeds 
are often a source of great loss and disappoint¬ 
ment, and many are sold each year which are 
only fit to be thrown into the fire. It is espe¬ 
cially difficult to procure at a distance from 
seedsmen of reputation, seeds on which one can 
rely with confidence. Seedsmen put up their 
boxes of seeds with a flaming printed label, 
“Warranted Fresh.” All very true and fair for 
the first year; but when these boxes of seeds 
are brought out year after year for many years, 
it is neither true nor fair. Many kinds of seeds 
will not vegetate after the first or second jmar. 
The only honest way is for the dealer to label 
his boxes with the year in which they were put 
up, leaving it to the purchaser to decide for 
himself whether or no they are “fresh” enough 
for his use. Test by sprouting a few of each lot. 
Propagating Hyacinths. 
Hyacinth bulbs are imported from Holland, 
where large farms are devoted to their propa¬ 
gation. Our correspondent, F. Scholer, of Long 
Island, states that he can raise bulbs as good 
as the foreign ones, and nearly as cheaply as 
onions. Having some bulbs in which the heart, 
or central bud had deca 3 "ed, he planted then» in 
autumn, and found in spring, that numerous 
small bulbs were formed around each old one, 
in one case to the number of 34. These when 
taken up in July were found to be about the 
size of one’s thumb; they were planted again in 
autumn, and the following summer when tliey 
were lifted, were found to be equal in size and 
quality to the imported ones. Acting on this 
hint, he afterward removed the central bud from 
bulbs by means of a knife, and succeeded in get¬ 
ting a crop of small bulbs. The experiment is 
easily tried, and we see no reason why, if suffi¬ 
cient pains be taken, good bulbs may not be 
as easily grown in our own gardens as abroad. 
fME IEI®lIJgEM®ILID). 
How to Begin Housekeeping 
“ Molly Homespun ” writes to the American Aej- 
ricuUiiHst; “ Something more is required in house¬ 
keeping than recipes for cakes and cookies, though 
these are very good, but rather costly these times, 
with sugar at 30 cents a pound. I write for young 
housekeepers, and commence with the kitchen, 
the most necessary room in a house. Before going 
to housekeeping, the young wife should know just 
how much can be afforded to furnish the house with, 
and then commence at the kitchen, instead of the 
parlor; and every married woman, rich or poor, 
should know what is needed there for order and 
despatch. The kitchen should be as large as can be 
afforded. Next, have plenty of good soft water, if 
you can get it. Have a pipe come up over the top 
of the sink, with a faucet to draw the water from. 
Let the sink be barge, and on one end have three or 
four slats nailed crosswise, to set dishes in to drain. 
This will s.ave many hours labor in the course of a 
year, besides the wash and wear of a dish wipem, 
A CONVENIENT KITCHEN SINK. 
the washing of which is quite an item, if it is 
always kept clean ; and allo\v anything ebse in the 
kitchen rather than a dirti/ dish-wiper. Have a 
boai'd on one side of the >in;; to juit the dishes on 
aftei’ draining. This will aSo be convenient for 
dishes while serving up a dinner, and will answer 
every purpose of a table to mix and iron on, and 
for many other little things which retpiire a table.” 
Onr artist has sketched such a convenient ar¬ 
rangement, with one or two additions. Two faucets 
are represented above the sink. In many dwellings, 
arrangements are made for a How of either hot or 
cold water, which is greatly desirable. A shelf un¬ 
der the sink is convenient for [lots and kettles, and 
a stnall cupboard under the ilraining board will not 
come atniss. The waste pi,'e underneath has an 
“8” curve, or trap, to prevent a draught of foul 
air rising through the drain The entrance to the 
waste pipe in the sink should be covered with 
wire netting, or perforated metal not easily rusted. 
ridge before stirring the 
pumpkin into it. Custard 
pie may be made withcf^ 
eggs also, from milk flour 
porridge, by adding the 
necessary pastry and sea¬ 
soning. Custards may be 
made in the same way, 
or with Irish moss, or ren¬ 
net. Samp from Indian 
meal makes a very palat¬ 
able pie in imitation of 
rice. Baked apples are a 
good and most wholesome 
substitute for pies, and 
they save sugar. Good 
cake may be made with 
thin sour cream and soda, 
without eggs, or butter- 
Mince pies, to be very 
good, need not have ab 
the customary ingredients 
—dried berries may be 
substituted for raisins, 
and if you have blackberry 
pickles, try them—they 
are good. Green Hub¬ 
Economical Cooking. 
How to live cheaply and at ihe same time health¬ 
fully, is a problem which many would be glad to 
solve. A few hints in this diiection may be of ser¬ 
vice. Flour or some equival.-nt is an essential, but 
superfine wheat flour, for eoif-tant use, is not essen¬ 
tial, and quite an item may be saved by imrchasing 
wheat,instead of barreled Hour, and having it ground- 
without bolting. The use of this wheat meal a 
portion of the time, will eimduco to health, and 
perhaps save another item in the doctor’s bill. 
Rye Hour is not near as expensive as tine wheat 
flour, and corn meal is C'-nsiderably less also; 
it wdll pay therefore to use to some extent the good 
oid fashioned rye and Indian bread. A very sweet 
bread may be made of corn meal alone, with no 
addition but pure water, if baked quickly in thin 
sheets. If you have milk to use with it, there are 
many excellent ways of preparing corn and corn 
meal, to accompany it, and this grain may proper¬ 
ly be used largely in winter. Manj" liave forgotten 
how people used to hull corn by the use of weak 
ley, and what an amount of good solid food may 
be prepared thus from two or three quarts of corn. 
New Dent corn makes excellent hulled corn, and 
eaten with cream and maple sugar, or with milk, 
or milk and butter, or cream alone, is good enough, 
and very nutritious. Butter and lard are very high ; 
it may interest some to be reminded that butter¬ 
milk with a slight addition of butter or other short¬ 
ening—that which comes from boiled beef should 
not be overlooked—makes a healthful and very 
good pie-crust. For pics, if apples are scarce, re¬ 
member the pumpkins and squashes; good pump¬ 
kin pies can be prepared without eggs, by making 
the milk used, or a portion of it, into a flour por¬ 
bard squashes prepared as pumpkins are fixed 
for pies, are relished by some, and it is a very 
good way to use them up. Rutabagas cost much 
less than potatoes, per bushel, and are certainly 
good food. Beans are high, but they give more 
nutriment for the same money than many lower 
priced articles of food. Onions eaten with pota¬ 
toes are a good sub.stitutc for meat. With plenty 
of vegetables, milk, and fruit, meats are not essen¬ 
tial. Health and strength can be maintained with¬ 
out pork, notwithstanding the high opinion many 
have of its strength-producing quality. 
How to Make Good Bread. 
Tlie subject of making good bread was pretty 
thoroughly discussed in the American Agriculturist 
last year, by various correspondents. But as we 
can scarcely have too much light on such a subject, 
and especially for the benefit of thousands of new 
subscribers, we publish the following plain and 
practical hints contributed by a lady who has always 
made her own bread, and made it good, for years ; 
“ Of course we waut good flour to begin with, 
and 1 always want some good potatoes, and hops 
also. Then I make what I call ‘ stock yeast ’ which 
I always take care to keep on hand, as it will keep 
good from four to six weeks—and I have kept 
it eight, but think it better not quite so old—it is 
easily done. It is made as follows : Boil two or 
three handfuls of loose hops in two quarts of water, 
one and one half hours, then strain the liquor on 
two tablespoonfuls of flour previously wet with 
cold water, to prevent its lumping; stir well and 
let it stand until milk warm. Add two thirds of 
a cup of yeast, let it ferment twelve or fifteen hours 
in a warm room, then bottle for use. Any sweet 
hop yeast will do to start the above, after which 
brew before you are out, and start from the same. 
Shake this yeast well when wanted to use. 
I then make a ferment which I use to raise the 
bread, as follows: Wash clean, and boil soft, say 
two quarts of potatoes, mash fine with one half the 
quantity of flour while hot, reduce with cold water 
so as not to scald, add half a cup of stock yeast and 
let it ferment eight or ten hours or until it begins 
to fiill at the top, when it is ready for use. It may 
be strained before or after fermentation. I usually 
strain it through a colander. It will be about as 
thick before fermentation as dough prepared for 
fritters. We may use any quantity of this wc choose, 
as it has no bitter or unpleasant taste, of course 
the more we use, the quicker the bread will l ise. 
This will keep in cold weather about two weeks, 
in summer not as iong. Yeast and ferment should 
always be kept in a cool place ready for use ; freez¬ 
ing or scalding will entirely destroy their virtue. 
In the evening I lay my sponge, using one third 
