1869.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
61 
TMOE EtOUSISeOLBo 
(Z^T For other Household Items, see “ fiasket" pages.) 
The Table—Order and Ornament. 
Some remarks under the above head have called 
out a request that we should be more explicit and tell 
those who have a desire to appear at the best their 
circumstances will allow, something more on the 
subject. We designedly put “order” before “orna¬ 
ment,” as being more desirable and more readily at¬ 
tained. In no one thing in the household is order 
more desirable than in the arrangements of the ta¬ 
ble, and we propose to say a word about setting a ta¬ 
ble. Many will think this too simple a matter to write 
about, but it must be recollected that there are hund¬ 
reds living in isolated places who desire to know 
how such simple things as this are done elsewhere, 
and who wish to conform to the best usages. Who 
would not rather partake of a simple meal at a well- 
ordered table than an elaborate dinner at a slovenly 
one ? There are two things necessary to the proper 
enjoyment of a meal, whatever or wherever it may 
be: these are order and scrupulous neatness. The 
writer once had a “ help ” who had been for along 
time on a steamboat. She was a good cook, but 
oh! what a mess she made of the table! The 
plates and knives and forks were chucked on, 
steamboat fashion, and the castor, salt-cellars, and 
other articles, never in the same place twice in suc¬ 
cession. But we did not start with the intention 
of telling how not to do it. In the great majority 
of families no domestics are kept, and all the table 
arrangements, where this is the case, should be 
with a view to avoid, as far as possible, the necessi¬ 
ty of any one’s rising to get a missing article, or 
for the change of plates. A diagram is here given 
of a table set for a family of eight; the oval form 
of a table is the pleasantest, as there are no corners, 
but the same order may be observed in a square one. 
Each plate has knife, fork, spoon, napkin, and glass 
for water. The meat is placed before the “ man of 
the house,” with carving knife and fork; also the 
steel, which we forgot to put in the diagram. Soup 
is served by the lady. AVe arc well aware that soup 
is not frequently served at farmers’ tables, but that 
is no reason it should not be, and we put it in the 
diagram as a reminder that a cheap and nutritious 
food is much neglected. The castor occupies the 
center; butter, when used at dinner, stands at A, A. 
Four dishes of vegetables are indicated, which are 
more than arA generally used. Where there are 
fewer, let them be placed near the older members 
of the family. A spoon should be put upon the 
table for each dish to be served, with oue or two to 
spare. Salt, if in large salt-cellars, needs salt spoons. 
Small salt-cellars, one to each plate, are much in 
use; with these no spoons are needed. Where 
there is no help, the dessert should be arranged on 
a side table, close at hand, and there should also be 
a place for dishes to be removed. When plates 
are to be changed it should be the business of 
some particular member of the family to do it 
quietly. The table should be set as nearly as possi¬ 
ble in the same way, so that those who sit at it 
will always kuow where to look for whatever they 
may require. In the way of neatness, clean table- 
linen is of the first importance. If an accidental 
spot is made upon the cloth before it is generally 
soiled enough to change, lay a napkin over it. Have 
the glasses carefully wiped, the knives perfectly 
clean, and the silver bright. A table thus ar¬ 
ranged will always look cheerful and homelike. 
We leave the family seated at it, and postpone the 
serving of the eatables thereon until another time. 
«u « .. Cj n ■ — b c t- - 
Household Talks. 
BY AUNT IIATTIE. 
Trimming Lamps. —Some always use a pair of 
shears to trim their lamp wicks. I never do. A 
better way, and one which I invariably practice, is to 
pinch or wipe off the black crust with a piece of pa¬ 
per; you may keep a cloth fort lie purpose, if you wish. 
You will find that the flame will be perfect in 
shape, and exactly in the center of the lamp chim¬ 
ney, and also that the wick will last twice or three 
times as long,—quite a desideratum in the country, 
where I have known it to be necessary to harness 
the horse and drive to town for lamp wicks. 
Cutting up and Salting Pork.— Farmer John¬ 
son brought me my two-hundred-pounder the week 
before Christmas. I was anxious that he should kill 
two or three weeks before that time, but he insisted 
upon it that the hogs were not fat enough, and as I 
knew that he must be better acquainted with his 
own business than I could possibly be, I allowed 
myself to be persuaded. I have long since ceased 
to depend upon Edward for assistance in culinary 
matters, and I have been the more willing to excuse 
him, because of his promptness in providing funds 
wherewith to procure other and better help. 
Farmer Johnson also has become fully acquainted 
with this deficiency, and annually brings his butch¬ 
er knife with the hog. I quite enjoy the cutting up 
process, both because I have the satisfaction of 
knowing that it will be done exactly as I wish, and 
because I enjoy an hour’s social intercourse with a 
genial, practical, and intelligent farmer. 
“ Now, Mr. Johnson, I want you to cut the hams 
as large as possible; cut right into the side as far 
up as my finger.” “ Why ! inarm, that’ll leave full 
three inches of fat on thq lean, and will make the 
flitch mighty small.” 
“ I do not care for that; whatever fat you leave 
upon the ham will be ham, and if you leave it on 
the side it will be bacon. The oue is worth 35 
cents a pound, and the other only 13 cents.” 
“ You don’t calculate to sell your hams ?” “Oh 
no! that is pot my idea at all, but a slice of fat ham 
for breakfast will taste better than a slice of fat 
pork; besides, the lean of the ham will be far juicier, 
sweeter, and better, and the fly will be better re¬ 
sisted, if it should be exposed. The jagged side 
ends will do for lard, or will make a small roast.” 
The head is divided, and the cheeks or jowls cut 
off in good shape. They will, of course, be cured 
with the rest of the pork, and will, after being 
boiled and skinned, make excellent side dishes 
with roast or boiled chicken or veal. 
Mr. Johnson is au Englishman, and cures his 
pork in the English way. As it has been always 
more convenient for me, and as I like it too, I have 
followed his directions, which are as follows: 
Lay the sides upon a board suitable for the pur¬ 
pose, which should be raised from the ground. 
Rub in on both sides a quantity of salt and a little 
pounded saltpeter: after rubbing, allow about 
half an inch depth of salt on the side; place the 
other side over the first and salt in the same way, 
then the shoulders or hams, heaping over these as 
much salt as you can; then the cheeks or jowls. 
Allow more saltpeter to the hams and shoulders 
than to the rest. The color of the lean will be 
much improved, and I think the flavor will be 
better. The cellar should be occasionally visited 
arid the pork examined, and any exposed places 
rubbed witli a little more salt. In five or six weeks 
I take them from the salt, of which there will be 
but little left, wipe dry, fold in newspapers and 
cloth bags, and hang in a dry, warm room until 
they are ready to store in the attic. If the sides 
are too large to handle conveniently, they may be 
cut into any size required. I am very well aware 
that this method is entirely contrary to the prac¬ 
tice of most American housekeepers, yet I am con¬ 
vinced that should they become used to the plan 
tliev would be willing to acknowledge that they 
like" it far better. Of course the hams may be 
smoked, if that distinctive flavor is preferred. 
Keeping Eggs.— The eggs are coming in quite 
plentifully now, and I prepare them for keeping any 
length of time, fresh and good, as follows: Place ten 
or a dozen in a small basket and immerse them in 
boiling water, taking out almost instantly. I then 
pack them, small end down, in dry salt or sawdust, 
as convenient. If they were rubbed oiet with a 
little warm lard it might be an advantage. To dip 
them in boiling lard would not do, as fat boils at a 
much higher temperature, and the shells would 
immediately crack. The principle of this method 
is obvious. The entire portion of the surface of 
the white of the egg immediately under the skin- 
likc membrane which exists in every egg is con¬ 
gealed, thus forming an impervious coating, which 
prevents the evaporation of the contents and con¬ 
sequently the admission of the atmosphcie. 
Roasting Pork.— The roast pork we had for 
dinner was excellent, served as it was to-day. I 
call it mock goose. A small incision was made 
in the meat and stuffed with a little chopped 
onion, seasoned with sage, pepper, and salt. 
Pork should always be thoroughly cooked. The 
fat should be removed from the brown gravy, 
a little water added, but no flour, boiled, and sent 
to table in a gravy dish. Apple sauce made in a 
crock in the oven, onion sauce, and fresh boiled 
potatoes, are the necessary accompaniments. 
Vegetables.— I never serve carrots, cabbage, or 
turnips, with cold meats. They are always accepta¬ 
ble and wholesome when brought to the table with 
hot roast beef, or a leg of mutton, and some like 
them with chicken; mashed turnip, of course, is ex¬ 
cellent with a freshly roasted turkey. Turnips 
should be well pressed before they are mashed. 
Carrots are much nicer chopped almost fine, say as 
large as dice. A trifle of butter, mind only a trifle, 
stirred in, will improve their appearance and flavoi. 
To Roast a Goose.— Procure a young and tend¬ 
er one, if possible. The giblets, which consist of 
the middle joint of the wings, the neck, with the 
heart, liver, and gizzard, should be separated, sea¬ 
soned with salt and pepper, and stewed until ten¬ 
der ; when done they should be taken from the wa¬ 
ter, 'wliicli should be reserved to add to the brown 
gravy from the goose when roasted. Remove all 
the loose fat from the inside of the goose, and stuff 
