1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
865 
easier growing grapes, may have the cuttings 
made and put out as soon as the leaves have 
fallen. Where grape cuttings are to be used for 
in-door propagation, it is better to makelhem 
before the vitality of tlie Avood has been im¬ 
paired by severe cold Aveather. Cuttings of 
roses may be made as soon as the AVOod is Avell 
ripened. The leaves are removed, and the cut¬ 
tings set in a cold frame, Avhere they can be pro¬ 
tected by covering from very severe frosts. Of 
course there are many plants that require all 
the skill and appliances of the experienced prop¬ 
agator, but those Ave have mentioned, and 
many others, may be propagated in the open 
ground Avith success by any one Avho Avill bear 
in mind the principles above indicated. 
TMIg 
Men’s Shirts—A Woman’s “ Say.” 
[The All about Men’s Shirts,” published in the 
August Agriculturist, page 293, has been the source 
of no little amusement. A great many Avrite that 
‘‘it's just my experience.” The only one Avho at¬ 
tempts a solution of the difliculty, Avrites that “ she 
thinks as a rule, ladies do not measure Avith enough 
mechanical accuracy. They are accustomed to loose 
garments Avith many yards and many folds, Avhere 
an inch more or less is not noticed, Avhile half an 
incli makes a great difference on a neck band that 
is designed to lit close to the neck, and yet not to 
come in so close proximity to the Avind-pipe as to 
impede free breathing. I have seen a lady cut half 
a dozen shirts by one pattern, and assert’s tliat 
they Avere all just alike. Yet I showed her by a 
careful measurement that there Avas a A'ariation of 
Yi io% inch in the length of the neck binding. 
Again, a difference is made in gathering; and tlie 
amount of starching varies the ease of setting. 
Too much starch and Avriuklcd edges or folds Avill 
make a close lilting shirt neck very uncomfortable, 
Avhich Avould feel casj' if lightly starched and 
smoothly ironed. Still again, if the shirt is tight 
and draws behind the shoulders, it may pull back 
the neck binding, .and make one A’cry uncomfor¬ 
table, especially Avhen perspiring a little, so as to 
cause the shirt to stick .and draav more than usual. 
I have found relief from former trouble, after get¬ 
ting one shirt to lit: 1st, by copying it Avith special 
care in cutting to have the pieces of exactly the 
same size, looking after the stretching of the fabric 
Avhen laid down for cutting, etc.; 2d, by cutting the 
back and shoulders so that they cannot draw upon 
the neck ; 3d, care not to over-Avrinkle or contract 
the binding in gathering It on ; 4th, care to have 
the neck band but lightly starched and uniformly 
ironed smooth on the inside....” 
Another urges us to publish anonymously her 
side of the subject, which avo will do, though under 
protest, for the Avhole force of it seems to us to lie 
in the last sentence. Our observation is th.at those 
people are the happiest and get along best, Avho 
never say or feel “I Avon’t yie.ld.” The best w.ay 
is to harbor not so much as a thought about man’s 
rights or Avoman’s rights. These thoughts are .al- 
Avays the beginnings of sorroAV. The man .and wife 
become one, and if they feel this, they wiil have no 
disputes about mine and thine, but consider each 
the others pleasures and miseries as ours. Well, 
here is the letter: 
“ I cannot claim to have had the supervision of a 
man’s wardrobe quite 12 years, but Avould not the 
experience of a Avoman for years be of a little 
Value ? I think your extract Avas very properly 
taken from ‘ Hours .at Home,’ for I should certain¬ 
ty think a Avoman Avith such an experience, Avould 
bave found it very necessary to devote quite a num¬ 
ber of her hours to her home.-1 think the fitting 
of that shirt Avas the fault neither of the garment, 
nor of the maker, but simply of the wearer him¬ 
self. There is surely no inherent wickedness either 
In cotton or Avoolen cloth. 
In Adam’s fall AVe sinned .all; 
but most certainly sin does not (in this manner) 
entail upon the manufactures of our hands. When 
in the garden our first parents sewed fig leaves to¬ 
gether and m.ade themselves garments, it is no 
Avhere recorded that Adam's did not fit him. I 
think, therefore, th.at although originally AVoman 
Avas equally guilty with man, yet during the lapse 
of ages, man has gradually gained the ascendency 
in Aviekedness, .and the excess of the evil in his 
nature m.auifests itself specially in anim.adv'ersions 
upon his luckless shirts.- Hoav i-arely you hear of 
a very great or good man spending his time moan¬ 
ing over the fit of such a garment. I really think 
Washington, Lincoln, Napoleon, etc., had a few 
other matters th.at demanded and received a sm.all 
share of their attention. But seriousli', /haveh.ad 
no trouble. To be sure every one can not expect 
to possess such a husband as 1 have. I have made 
and altered a great m.any shirts, but not more than 
I have other garments. My husband never invites 
me to ride, in order th.at he may incidentally 
grumble about his shirts ; and I insist upon it, the 
trouble is in the men and not in the garment. Of 
course it requires skill in cutting and making, 
patience in altering Avhen necessary ; but none the 
less does it require iu the Avearcr the manly quality 
of being satisfied Avith a really good fit. Docs 
man, imperfect man, alone, expect perfection ? 
AVonicn do not. I do not say they do not Avish it. 
(I certainly should think the one that had the 
trouble Avith that shirt Avould.) Simply they do not 
expect it. I am Avilling to cut, fit, make, unmake, 
and remake garments both for myself and husband, 
but Avhen a reasonable amount of time and atten¬ 
tion have been given them, if they Avill not fit nicely, 
Ave Avear them as they .are; neither of us grumble. 
3Iy husband is unselfish ; he thinks it equally im¬ 
portant that his Avife’s bonnet and dress should fit 
tolerably, as Avell as his oavu shirts fit to a T; .and 
I think my husband's pants, edats and vests should 
require equal attention Avith his shirts. My hus¬ 
band (I speak not boastiugly) has kuoAvn no hand 
but mine to make his clothes since first I claimed 
his name, to say nothing; of my pAvn garments. 
Noav Avhere should I find the time for all this, if 
my Avhole life had been devoted to fitting and re- 
littiug shirts. It is simply a morbid feeling, and a 
true Avife’s duty not to yield to its dem.and.” 
Husk Mattresses — Cheap, Comfortable, 
and Healthful. 
Our rur.al friends are very hospitable, when we 
visit them they treat us during the day Avith the 
gre.atest kindness, but they are often cruel to us at 
night, and most always consign us to a feather bed, 
iu the smothering depressions of AA'hich Ave pass a 
sleepless night. That a feather bed is a fit thing 
to sleep upon, is an idea r.apidly disappearing, Ave 
are happy to say; yet in many communities feath¬ 
ers still prevail, and they are looked upon as silk 
dresses are, in some measure an index of the wealth, 
or competence of the OAvner. It is quite time that 
all this was changed, and comfort and health con¬ 
sulted, rather that! shoAV. We say comfort,—for 
no one after having slept for a fcAV weeks on a hard 
bed, would willingly return to feathers. Curled 
hair makes the very best m.attress, but is expen¬ 
sive; the next best thing is corn husks, a cheap 
material, and accessible to all. The inner husks, 
or shucks, as they arc c.alled in some places, alloAV- 
ed to curl up a little, are often used Avithout any 
preparation. A softer bed is made by slitting the 
husks in strips, half an inch or so in Avidth; a fork 
may be used to facilitate stripping. The best husk- 
bed Ave ever saw was m.ade from the husks of green 
corn, shredded by drawing through a flax hatchel. 
Husk-beds should be opened about once in six 
months, the husks shaken out from the fine par¬ 
ticles and dust, be sprinkled, and alloAved to lay in 
the sun for a while. Treated in this way the husks 
Avill be almost as good as new. We give this timely 
hint, in order that at husking time, those who 
Avould enjoy the luxury of a husk bed may take 
measures to secure the necessary maternal, 
Original Contributions to the American Agriculturist, 
Hints on Cooking-, etc. 
CBiess IPic.—For tAvo pies of common size, 
take 4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup cream, % cup but¬ 
ter, 1 tabicspoonful flour, .and flavor Avith nutmeg. 
Cover the baking iilates Avith crust, pour in the 
mixture, and grate nutmeg over it. There is no 
upper crust. When a prctly broAvn, try Avith a 
spoon as for custard. This is the best pie Ave ever 
ate.— Mrs. Samuel P. May, Grimes County, Texas. 
Apple —Beat 2 eggs Avell Avith 3 
tablespoonfuls of sugar ; add butter the size of a 
Avalnut, or 2 tnblespooufuls of cream, and 1 pint 
buttermilk. Add flour sulHcient to make it a little 
thicker th.an for griddle cakes. Take one small 
teaspoonful saleratus, dissolve in a little Avarrn 
AV.ater, .and put in Avith about 4 large .apples sliced 
(sour apples) ; stir it together Avell, turn it into a 
pudding p.ail (or some lAail Avith a cover), and set in 
a kettle of boiling Av.ater, covering the kettle ; boil 
hard 2 hours; serve Avarm Avith SAVcctened cream, 
or miik, or sour sauce.— Novice," Portage Co., 0. 
A fSieap Tesi liaise.—Take 1 cup sour 
cream, 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 even tea- 
spoonful soda, flavor with vanilla. Beat the Avhole 
Avcll together, and bake in a quick oven.—il/rs. M. 
Ingalls, Muscatbte, Iowa. 
B&clieatc Calfc.—T.ake 1 cup flour, 1 cup 
Avhite sug.ar, Y cup butter (stirred to a cream Avith 
the sug.ar before using), Avhites of 3 or 4 eggs stir¬ 
red in last. Flavor Avith vanilla, rose water, or 
lemon.— Mrs. M. Ingalls. 
Cream Cakes.—Take 2 cups flour, 1 cup 
butter, Y phit water; boil Avater .and butter to¬ 
gether, and stir iu the flour a little at a time Avhile 
boiling. AVhen coW add 5 eggs beaten, and stir in 
Y te.aspoonfulsoda. Make into c.akes Y iu<-'h thick 
and 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and bake in an oven 
ready hot, not disturbing them until of a light 
broAvn. For inside or cream, be.at together 2 eggs, 
1 cup Avhite sug.ar and Yi c'lP flour, and stir in 1 
pint of boiling milk, flavoring Avith lemon. Sidit 
the cake partly open Avith a knife, and put the 
cream inside.— Name of writer unknown. 
“ 'Comafo ’BViiic.”—To ‘‘Old Subscriber,” 
Newark. AVe seldom notice any letters not accom- 
p.anied by the real names of the Avriters. You mis¬ 
take ; the Agriculturist (vol. 16, p. 236) did not say 
of the tomato Avinc or cordial made by the follow¬ 
ing recipe, ‘‘that it Avould puzzle the best judges 
to tell the difl'erence betAveen it .and the best ma- 
deir.a,” as you quote, but simply said, ‘‘ to one 
skilled, even in grape vines, it is difflcnlt to dis¬ 
tinguish its The directions are : “Select 
and mash well ripened fruit; iircss out the juice; 
add 1 pint water and 1 lb. sugar to each quart of 
the juice, and set aAvay in a partially filled vessel to 
ferment similarly to gr.ape wine. After fermenting 
sufficiently, put in tight kegs .and keep in a cool 
dry cellar until spring, Avheu it may be carefully 
draAvn off .and bottled, adding a small piece of 
ginger root to each bottle. AVhen opened for use, 
a brisk effervescence takes place.” [The “ piece of 
ginger,” if large enough, may make it a ginger 
Avine, or ginger alcohol.—E d.] 
making' H*ickles.— General Hint. —From 
an examination of a considerable number of the 
recipes most highly commended, and those found 
most valuable in our own experience, it appears 
that almost all kinds of pickles keej} far longer and 
are better, if the first pickle be poured off after a 
week or two, and a new hot pickle be substituted. 
The first liquor extracts the disagreeable and easily 
fermenting and molding properties of the fruit or 
vegetables to be preserved. 
Sweet IPicklcs.— Very G^ood.—-The follow¬ 
ing directions, furnished to the American Agricitl- 
turist by Miss S. C. S., have been tested by us for 
several years, .and are well approved: For Swejet 
Apples, Peaks or Quinces.— For Y P®ck of fruit, 
pared and cored, make a syrup of 1 pint of vinegar 
and 2 lbs. of white sugar, and cook the fruit in it 
