-463 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
ham flour of a neighbor who raised his own wheat. 
Beautiful meal he sold me as long as he raised 
spring wheat, but as soon as his much-admired 
plump winter wheat came back from mill as gra¬ 
ham, there was the same lumpy looking meal, with 
the same proportion of coarse bran, as in the dis¬ 
carded winter wheat graham of the groceries. I 
write of Minnesota grain. People come here from 
the east firm in the faith that winter wheat is supe¬ 
rior to spring wheat, and amid many discourage¬ 
ments they manage at last to get to raising the win¬ 
ter wheat, and then discover that the best white 
flour, the patented “ gilt-edged ” flour which com¬ 
mands the highest price of any in our whole coun¬ 
try, can not be made from their winter wheat, but is 
made alone from Minnesota spring wheat. “ Gran- 
iola,” too, much like wheaten grits, but a little nicer, 
can only be made from “hard spring wheat,” such 
as is raised in this latitude. I have read nothing 
about the graham made from the various kinds of 
wheat, but my own experience satisfies me that of 
wheat raised here, the spring wheat is decidedly 
preferable. 
Children's Winter Clothes. 
There is such gross neglect of some of the plain¬ 
est rules of common sense and health in the dress¬ 
ing of children, that one can hardly mention too 
often the necessity of dressing growing children 
warmly. There may be sufficient warmth about their 
bodies, where waists and skirts are made of numer¬ 
ous thicknesses, but the extremities are almost al¬ 
ways dressed in too thin or too few' garments. Re¬ 
member that no woolen stocking is sufficient pro¬ 
tection for a leg below the kuee. There must be 
added either trousers or leggins, or warm under¬ 
drawers. For a little girl, there should be a com¬ 
plete under-suit of flannel, (cotton and wool, or soft 
all wool), composed of long-sleeved waist and long 
drawers (ankle fitting) buttoned together at the 
waist. Over this full colored flannel drawers, but¬ 
toned around the leg below the top of the stock¬ 
ing, are not too warm. Warm drawers are always 
more sensible than so much warmth in skirts, which 
should be as light and scant as convenient on ac¬ 
count of weight. 
-- 
Milk Shelves for the Kitchen, 
In many farm-houses the kitchen is obliged to 
serve numerous purposes; amongst others it has 
to serve as the dairy, in which the milk is set, and 
the cream is kept, especially in the winter, when it 
is the warmest spot in the house. There is nothing 
objectionable in this, it the kitchen is kept scru¬ 
pulously clean, and well ventilated. But a well- 
contrived cupboard, kept specially for the milk and 
cream, where they may 
be safe from dust and 
drafts, and yet have 
proper ventilation, will 
be a great advantage. 
Such a cupboard is 
shown in the accom¬ 
panying engravings. It 
is made to fit into a 
corner, being six-sided, 
where it will occupy 
the least room, or be 
least in the way. It 
should be wide enough 
to hold two ten-quart 
pans across it, or four 
upon each shelf. This 
will be nearly or quite 
3 feet outside measure. 
It is unnecessary to 
make it any larger, as this will be ample for win¬ 
ter use, where ten cows are kept. Fig. 1 shows the 
closet finished and closed. Fig. 2 shows a section, 
or the closet as though it were cut in two down the 
center. A post is placed in the center, which holds 
the racks or shelves. This is square. The shelves 
are held up by cross-pieces, which arc let into the 
sides of the post, and arc firmly fastened and 
braced as shown in the engraving. They are six 
inches apart, which is large enough to hold a ten- 
Fig. 1.— MILK-SHELVES 
CLOSED. 
quart shallow pan. Each shelf holds four pans. 
To post is made to turn round, so that, as one pan 
is put on the shelf, it is pushed on one side, 
and room appears for another. As the closet is 
made with six sides, 
there is no waste 
space. It may be 
made round, if de¬ 
sired. The whole is 
covered with fine 
wire-gauze, or fine 
net; mosquito net¬ 
ting, doubled twice, 
will keep out dust 
and flies, but wire- 
gauze, when it can 
be afforded, is much 
the best. The low¬ 
est shelf is kept 
so far from the bot¬ 
tom, as to give space 
for two or three 
cream-crocks. Many a handy boy, who is supplied 
with a few tools, can easily make this closet. If 
the post creaks when it is turned around, a few 
fine chips of soap, or a little powdered black-lead 
should be forced down into the socket with a piece 
of wire or a feather. No oil or grease should be 
used. The bottom of the post should be made> 
exactly as it is drawn in the illustration at figure 2. 
Stationary Wash-Tubs, 
One of the greatest conveniences amongst what 
are called “the modern improvements” in a 
city house, is the stationary wash-tub. It relieves 
the house-wife or the domestics from much heavy 
lifting, and lightens the labor of that very neces¬ 
sary but very disagreeable business, the weekly 
washing. Fortunately this improvement can be 
introduced very cheaply into any kitchen, as it 
stands upon his own merits, without depending 
for its usefulness upon any of the other improve¬ 
ments generally associated with it; as for instance, 
the kitchen boiler and a supply of hot and cold 
water from pipes and taps. It is convenient but 
not necessary to have the water flow directly into 
the tubs, and as few country or farm houses are 
provided with any water supply but the pump out 
of doors, this is fortunate. Any and every farm¬ 
house can be supplied 
with two of these tubs, 
whose owner can afford 
to spare seven dollars. 
The relieving of the 
hard worked wife, from 
the heavy and injurious 
lifting required, when 
the common tubs are 
used, is well worth 
this sum every month. 
In figure 1 is a section¬ 
al drawing of the tub. 
It is made of two-inch white pine or cedar plank. It 
is 21 inches wide at the bottom, 25 inches wide at 
the top, 31 inches long, all outside measurement, 
and 15 inches deep inside. The top is 31 inches 
from the ground, which is a proper higlit for the 
use of a' moderately tall woman. The tubs are 
generally made 
in pairs, some¬ 
times three are 
made together, 
and are sepa¬ 
rated from 
each other by 
a partition of 
two - inch 
plank. They 
are covered 
with lids which 
shut down 
closely, and 
may be used for an ironing table, or for other useful 
purposes when it may be convenient. Fig. 2 shows 
the finished tubs with a wringer fastened on the 
partition between them. The tubs are fastened to 
Fig. 3. —OUTLET PIPES. 
the wall of the kitchen, in a place where there will 
be sufficient light. The waste water is discharged 
Fig. 2. —STATIONARY TUB COMPLETE. 
by pipes fitted into the bottom, which are closed by 
metal plugs secured to the side of the tubs by 
small chains. The pipe, for convenience, may be 
placed between the two tubs, from each of which 
short branches, as seen in figure 3, may lead to the 
outlet. The pipe discharges into a drain, which 
carries the waste to a pit or cesspool, where it may 
oc absorbed by some material which will thus be 
made valuable for manure. In making these tubs, 
use clear and well-seasoned lumber, the joints ac¬ 
curately fitted together, and a coating of thick 
white lead and oil should be given to every joint 
before it is put together. Unless made in a work¬ 
man-like manner, and with tight joints, these tubs 
will be a source of annoyance instead of comfort. 
We have recently seen a very valuable improve¬ 
ment upon these wooden tubs, in the shape of a 
porcelain or earthen-ware one, in the sloping front 
of which, inside, is made in the material of the 
tub, a series of corrugations, exactly like those of 
the common wash-board, and intended as a sub¬ 
stitute for it. It is, in fact, a fixed wash-board. 
These tubs are durable, and are very cleanly. 
--IMO-W-«*- 
How to Make Sour-Krout. 
In some cases cabbage is a very necessary article 
of winter food. In mining or lumbering camps, 
where salt pork, beef, beans, and saleratus bread, 
are the principal articles of food, preserved cab¬ 
bage is the best vegetable that can be u$ed. Un¬ 
like potatoes or most other vegetables, except 
onions, it is not injured by freezing when properly 
prepared, and the acid produced by the fermenta¬ 
tion of the cut cabbage is very healthful. Many 
farmers depend upon salt meat for their winter sup¬ 
plies, and a certain portion of acid vegetable food 
is a wholesome change. To keep cabbages fresh is 
often inconvenient, and if it is stored in a warm eel- 
Fig. 2.—BENCH FOR CUTTING CABBAGE. 
lar, the smell arising from their gradual decomposi¬ 
tion is injurious to milk or butter, and doubtless, 
when the cellar is below the dwelling-house, to 
health also. Perhaps in most cases, when cabbage 
is used in winter, it would be better to make it into 
sour-krout. This is doue by splitting the cabbages, 
taking out the cores, slicing them into shreds. 
