386 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[October, 
-wall into a tin conductor under the roof of piazza. 
The whole expense, bath-tub, hogshead, irons, 
paint, spigot, and pipes, was less than fifteen dollars. 
The tub is made of lj^-in. white pine plank, well 
white-leaded at the joints and fastened together 
with large screws, and painted inside and out with 
several coats. The holes through the wall of the 
house I made with chisel aud crowbar, and (after 
inserting the pipes) masoned them up again in less 
than two hours, without any assistance. Alto¬ 
gether we think it a very cheap and convenient 
summer arrangement. For winter, we will not al¬ 
low the water in the hogshead, for freeziug would 
be likely to injure the pipes; but we think it will 
answer at least three-fourths of the year, as it has a 
southern exposure.” 
- t — .i ia ^ ar -* «*-- 
Preserving Crab-Apples. 
BY “L. J. B.,” PHILADELPHIA. 
The fruit is prepared by first cutting out all de¬ 
cayed portions ; then wash clean, and place in a ket¬ 
tle with sufficient water to cover the fruit entirely. 
Have a tight-fitting lid to the kettle aud boil, over a 
moderate fire, until the fruit Is soft enough to pierce 
with a straw; drain off the water, and strain through 
a coarse cloth or jelly bag, and set it aside for jelty. 
The apples, in boiling, will have burst their skins, 
which are easily removed; the cores arc taken out 
by pushing them through from the blossom end, 
with a goose quill or a stick of equal thickness, 
being careful to press the stem end against the 
fingers to prevent breaking the apple. The fruit 
is now ready to preserve whole or to make into 
marmalade; for cither, the proportions are : 4 lbs. 
of fruit, 3 lbs. of sugar, and 1 pint of water. Put 
the sugar and water into the preserving kettle, set 
it over the fire until it boils, then drop in the fruit, 
(if it is to be done whole,) boil until clear, and re¬ 
move into a jar. If there is more syrup than will 
be needed, boil down to the desired quantity; pour 
it over the fruit while Hot, and cover with a cloth, 
cut of sufficient size to cover and tie down. This 
cloth I dip into a cement made of two parts of 
bees-wax to one of rosin, adding enough tallow or 
lard to keep it from cracking. While the whole is 
warm, I draw the cloth tightly over the top of the 
jar and tie down. To make marmalade, the boiled 
fruit must be mashed to a pulp before being added 
to the syrup, and then boiled and stirred until it 
becomes clear, which is usually in half an hour. 
For making jelly, I use equal portions of the wa¬ 
ter in which the fruit was boiled, (which has been 
previously strained), and sifted sugar. I sel¬ 
dom resort to the scales. One tumbler, even 
full, of sugar to one of the juice, gives the re¬ 
quired proportions for all jellies; boil as for other 
jellies, and put up in the same way. Many persons 
fail in making jellies by endeavoring to boil too 
large a quantity at one time. I have always found 
better success with 3 quarts or less of juice at a 
boiling, than when I have undertaken more. 
Hair Dyes—The Hair. 
In August we published a report of an examina¬ 
tion of hair dyes, stating that 15 out of 16 contain¬ 
ed lead. The number of inquiries asking about the 
10th one, which contained no lead, has been amus¬ 
ing. We might have saved a great deal of writing 
had we said that the lGtli dye contained Nitrate of 
Silver, which is nearly as objectionable as lead. 
The receipt of so many letters upon the matter of 
hair dye leads us to ask, why dye the hair at all ? 
There seems to be no efficient preparation for 
changing the color of the hair, which lias not a 
metallic base, and which, by its continued use, is 
not likely to produce injury to the health. But 
leaving the question of health out of consideration, 
it seems to us an utterly useless practice. We say 
useless, because it deceives no one. A person who 
dyes the hair may think it so cleverly done that it 
will appear like the natural color. This is a great 
mistake, for any one with half an eye for color will 
deteet dyed hair across the room or street. If the 
hair turns gray, let it be gray rather than sail under 
false colors. We cannot conceive of any argument 
for dyeing the hair that does not apply equally well 
to painting the checks. Yet many who color the 
hair would be horrified if any one should suggest 
the use of rouge.-A word about the treat¬ 
ment of the hair. There is much less use made of 
hair washes and the like, than there was some years 
ago, but much more than there ought to be. Hav¬ 
ing been in the way of knowing the composition of 
many of these, we can assert that as a general thing 
they are of no value except as they induce people 
to take care of their hair. Some thirty years ago 
a preparation called “Balm of Columbia,” was 
exceedingly popular. It was an “herby ” smelling 
wash, but it was a capital thing for the hair. The 
directions were to wet the hair thoroughly with the 
“Balm,” and brush with a stiff brush for half an 
hour. The whole value of this celebrated “ Balm ” 
lay in these directions—and they are good to this 
day, though the stuff they accompanied has long 
ago passed to the limbo of things forgotten. There 
is wondrous virtue in a stiff hair brush, well applied. 
The majority of the brushes sold are poor things, 
fit only to polish the hair. Don’t buy a brush by 
the back, but by the bristles ; these should be un¬ 
bleached and uneven—unbleached that they may 
retain their elasticity the longer, and set unevenly 
in order that the brush may penetrate better. Have 
a brush that will go through the hair, quite down 
to the scalp, and use it thoroughly, daily; and there 
will be very little need of anything beyond water 
as a hair wash. Avoid shampooing liquids, as they 
contain a strong alkali, which removes the dandruff, 
etc., it is true, but at the same time takes out the 
natural oily secretion of the scalp. Castile soap 
and water will be found quite as efficacious, though 
a little more troublesome in its application. A 
solution of borax is frequently used to cleanse tlxe 
hair, and so is the yolk of an egg. Where the hair 
is brushed thoroughly there will seldom be any need 
of applying oil; though there are some whose hair 
is so very dry that a little oil seems a neccssit}', and 
beef marrow or a solution of castor oil in alcohol 
are frequently used. Glycerine dissolved in water 
or Bay-rum makes a pleasing hair dressing. 
Rolliches—Tripe. 
Some months ago a correspondent sent us ameth- 
od of preparing tripe, which was essentially the old 
Dutch disli called Rolliches. It is now to be found 
in those parts of New Jersey where the Dutch de¬ 
scendants retain not only the customs, but the lan¬ 
guage of their ancestors. As we have mislaid our 
correspondent’s article, we give the manner of pre¬ 
paring tripe in this form, as followed in one of the 
primitive neighborhoods above referred to. The 
tripe being well cleaned, is cut into large squares, 
a paunch making eight or ten pieces. Beef, fat and 
lean, is cut into strips as thick as one’s finger, and 
as much laid upon each piece of tripe as this will 
conveniently envelop. Salt and pepper are sprin¬ 
kled upon the beef as it is laid in, and then the tripe 
is sewed up so as to enclose the meat. The rolls 
are put into a pot with water and hoiled gently un¬ 
til so thoroughly done that they may be penetrated 
by a straw; they arc then removed from the water, 
put under a weight and allowed to cool. The fat 
being skimmed off, equal parts of liquor and 
vinegar arc used to cover the rolliches, which aro 
placed in a tub or other vessel. The rolliches arc 
sliced and eaten cold, or warmed up with some of 
the liquor. 
Odd Washing Fluid Recipes. 
Among replies to our request some time ago 
for recipes for washing fluids, were some com¬ 
pounds containing ingredients that were quite use¬ 
less, and whatever efficiency they possessed was in 
spite of, rather than because of them. One reads 
thus: Crude Potash, 1 lb., or 1 box of Concentrated 
Lye ; Sal Ammoniac, 1 oz.; Salts of Tartar, 1 oz.; 
Boiling Water, 3 gallons. Mix, and when cool, put 
into a stoue jug. Soak the clothes over night, soap 
the most soiled parts and boil in water, to every 
two pailfuls of which % of a teacupful of the liquid 
has been added. The value of this mixture de¬ 
pends upon the potash or concentrated lye, which 
are carbonate of potash. Salts-of-Tartar is nothing 
but a white and pure form of the same thing, and 
the sal-ammoniac must be quite useless. 
Another is: 1 gallon of water; 1 oz. Saleratus; 1 
teaspoonful Tartaric acid; 1 do. Sal-Soda; 6 oz. 
Gum Tragacanth, or in case of no gum, 1 lb. of good 
bar soap. Dissolve together. This is said to be 
the “great §5 recipe.” Saleratus and sal-soda are 
so similar that there is no advantage in using both. 
The Tartaric acid is worse than useless, as it is 
neutralized by the saleratus and soda, and in turn 
neutralizes them, and renders the mixture the less 
efficient. The gum tragacanth is just so much 
foreign matter to be removed in rinsing. 
The oddest of all is 1 oz. White Vitriol, dissolved 
in a quart of water. Two tablespoonfuls of the so¬ 
lution to be mixed in a quart of soft soap, and this 
to be added to the water necessary to boil the 
clothes. This is 31 grains of white vitriol (sulphate 
of zinc) to a boilerful of clothes—a very small 
quantity, and as it is quite decomposed by the soap 
we are at a loss to see of what use it can be. 
Hints on Cooking, Etc. 
without Tffi 1 E-i or Egg's.- 
By Mrs. Philip. Soak dry bread in as little water as 
possible, and squeeze out all the water. Add suffi¬ 
cient sugar to sweeten, and for a small pudding, 
half a teacupful of chopped suet or butter, and dried 
fruit which has been soaked over night, or canned 
or fresh fruit. Mix well together, adding a little 
allspice. The pudding is put into a greased tin 
pail, a cloth placed over, and the cover put on. 
The pail is set in a kettle containing sufficient wa¬ 
ter to come half way up thepail; boil for two hours, 
or more for a large pudding. To be eaten with sauce. 
Apple rasad Tapioca, JPtiflUlisjg-.— By 
Armouck. Put a teacupful of tapioca into a pint and 
a half of cold water, over night. In the morning 
set it where it will become quite warm, but not 
cook. In the course of the forenoon peel half a 
dozen sour apples and steam them until tender. 
Put them in the pudding dish, add a teacupful and 
a half of sugar, a little salt, and a teacupful of water 
to the soaked tapioca, and pour over the apples. 
Slice a lemon very thin and distribute the slices 
over the top of the pudding. Bake slowly three 
hours. At the end of this time it will be a perfect 
jelly. Eat warm or cold, as you like. 
Apple .Felly for Tarts. — By“W.” 
Cut and core apples, without paring, cover them 
with water and let them cook slowly in an earthen 
dish until the apples look red; then pour into a 
bag and gently squeeze out all the liquid that will 
flow freely. Boil the liquor again about half an 
hour, then add half a pound of sugar to a pint of 
juice, and boil quickly for fifteen minutes. It will 
prove a firm, nice jelly, and requires but half the 
usual quantity of sugar. 
Cansiillo BBreail. —By Mrs. E. Lea.—Scald 
well two tablespoonfuls of Indian meal and add to 
it enough canaille to make a thin sponge with 3 
quarts of milk, (or milk and water mixed). Add 
% a cup baker’s yeast. Set this about 7 o’clock in 
the evening, and at bed time mix it stiff with 
canaille and two tablespoonfuls molasses. Bake 
in the morning. 
Mrs, S. Buckley says : “I use canaille with buck¬ 
wheat, or alone, mixed in the same way as that; I 
use it for common pastry, adding a little fine flour, * 
and for molasses cakes. Minute puddings may be 
made by boiling any desired quantity of milk, and 
stirring in the canaille very gently to prevent 
lumps ; let it boil a few minutes ; eat with sauce, 
sugar and cream, or butter. 
AoiBit Elixa's Cake.- One cup of sugar, 
one cup of sour cream, nearly two cups of flour, 
and one teaspoonful of soda. Flavor as preferred. 
