18C7.] 
AMKRICAN AaRICIJLTURIST. 
65 
sr.n* 
(rr“ fbr olA#r Ilounehold lUirvi, «m "Basket " pages.) 
Household Ornaments. 
Household ornaments are not perhaps so essen¬ 
tial in tlie countrj' as in the eit^, wljcrc people arc 
nt-ccssarily cut ofT from tlic fields and woods with 
their thousand beautiful thiniOJ. But every where 
pretty articles of furniture are prized, and perfonn 
an important oQlcc in the education of children. 
The only objection to them in many houses is their 
cost Wc fiequeutly give illustrations of such 
ornaments, and show how they may be constructed. 
Anyone ingenious with the knife or handy with the 
needle can Ic.nni to make them, and thus add to their 
own usefulness, while they adorn their houses. 
Fig. 1, shows a match safe, made from a common 
cigar box, or any other thin bit of board It is 
cosy to have black walnut, butternut, oak, or other 
ornamental wood sawed thin for this purimsc. The 
shield should Urst be marked out with a pencil 
according to the design. The cutting can all be 
done with a 
sharp penknife, 
and will af¬ 
ford very good 
amusement for 
a winter even¬ 
ing. The large 
shir in the cen¬ 
tre forms the 
hole to hang up 
the box when 
finished. The 
box, made as 
shown in fig. 1 , 
can be put to- 
Fig. 1.— M.\.TCn 8.VFE. gcUicr,and fast¬ 
ened to the shield with a little glue. Such a match 
safe, hung up over the mantle piece or near tlic 
stove whc; e the fire is to be kinilled or lamps light¬ 
ed, will help essentially in the formation of orderly 
habita. There will always be a place for the matches, 
and tlic matches 
A a can be kept in their 
place. By enlarg¬ 
ing the pattern, 
boxes can be made 
that will answer 
other purposes. 
Fig. 2, shows a 
bracket shelf, con¬ 
sisting of three 
parts,.and made like 
No. 1. The article 
may be suspended 
ui>on the wall in 
any convenient 
place by small brass 
rings near each end 
of the shelf, or up¬ 
on brass headed 
Fig. 2.—BRACKET. . 
*• pins or common 
nail:, fitted for I he fop.s of the groves under the shelf. 
The iiin.s give the lirmc.'.t support. />’, in fig. 3, 
give.-, a ^idc view of the bracket, which goes under 
the middle of the shelf to support A. 
This may be f.istcncd to the back and 
to the shelf with small wooden pins 
and glu.-, or with the glue alone. 
The pins m ike the best job. After 
the work with the knife is done, 
fine sand jiaiier may be applied to give 
it a finish. It may also be varnish¬ 
ed, or rubbed over with linseed oil. 
Fig. 4, shows a pattern of a pen 
wifKT, and calls for the needle and 
fci.'sors. It may l>c made of any con- 
renient size or material. The foun- 
ilatiou piece may be of broadcloth, 
the top of siik, and tlie intermediate 
pieci-», for the process of wiping, of less yalu- 
Able cloth. The mice arc the nicest part ol the 
work, and rcaiuirc mouse colored velvut, and some 
beads for the eyes. The bag of malt may be filled 
with any substance that will present a smooth sur¬ 
face. If shot or sand arc put in it, the article will 
serve the double puriiosc of pen wiper and paper 
holder, quite as good if not as pretty as the manu¬ 
factured glass ones that cost a dollar or more. 
Fig. 5, shows another pattern of the same article, 
with a little different material to imitate the poodle 
dog’s hair. The idea shown in these illusti-ations 
Fig. 4.— PEN-W’IPEU. 
will suggest many, other patterns for the use of our 
readers. Such articles arc a great convenience upon 
the writing desk and table, and look much better 
than a white rag or old piece of newspaper be¬ 
daubed with writing iuk. They help to cultivate 
Fig. .5.— Pix CUSHION. 
habits of order and neatness, and indirectly adorn 
the persons making them as much as the room. 
IjCIIVpx IVom flic <»f Yoims' 
Iloiisiclicepcr. 
PRIZE Ess.vr nr mks. l.aura e. lymax, Stam¬ 
ford, CT."^ 
Dec. 26, 18—.—It is now a month since I became a 
happy bride. Wc have been visiting our relatives, 
my sister Emeline and Edward’s married brother, 
where I have been taking notes as to their modes of 
housekeeping, hoping to become better prepared 
for the responsibilities I have assumed. A few days 
ago we came here to our new home, and, while Ed¬ 
ward has driven over to the village with a load of 
wheat, I have been folding and stitching together 
some sheets of paper, on which I design to keep a 
record of my success, pcridcxlties and observations 
Fig. 3. 
♦The Committee of Judges, on the Prize Essays, as 
noted last month, gave long and patient attention to 
the seventy-nine essays sent in. The numbers refer to the 
marks npon the manuscript to distinguish them, the 
Committee being entirely ignorant of the names of the 
writers. The publishers very cheerfully acceded to the 
recommendation of the Committee, and will give throe 
nrizes of $100 each, instead of the one offered. W c print 
the opening chapters of two of the Essays. The third one 
is very fully and prettily illustrated, and it will be re¬ 
served for use hereafter, as the engravings will need time 
for preparation. Our th.anks are due to the great number 
of intelligent and enterprising housekeepers who have 
contributed their efforts. We are only sorry they could 
not each receive a first prize. Eds.] 
KEPOKT OF THE CO.MMITTEE. 
To Vessrs 0. JuM A Co.-The ladles assigned the task 
of cxamlniii" the articles offered for your prize, have f 
vLymueh embarrassed by the 
materials prc.sented. There were f 
petltors, representing almost every "f ‘'-c 
nnH f»vprv vjvricty of country liousckccplrig,. 
mirnlSs have'„n heen rend, and the 
cations f your permission, we assign a pre- 
o”C;.lrrf doll»r. to c»ol. or tho.e 
, .. alntrie one. as at first oficred. 
a volnine on resented a more complete work on 
as a housekeeper. This idea w^as suggested by look¬ 
ing over Edward’s farm books with him last night, 
in which he has an admirably-kept journal of every¬ 
thing he has done, and everything he has learned 
since he purchased the farm three years ago. An¬ 
other motive that stimulates me in this enterprise 
is the perfect manner in which he keeps up every¬ 
thing on the place, and I am sure I can do nothing 
that Avill more directly conduce to his happiness 
than to show him, within doors, the same evidences 
of care, system, and order, w'liich he has stamped 
upon every part of the premises. 
Day before yesterday w'c walked all over the farm, 
and through the outbuildings. I noticed that the 
fences are all in good order, the gates on their 
hinges, and the bar posts upright, which, I have 
heard my father say, are invariable signs of good 
farming. Ills implements are all in order; the dirt 
scraped off the ploughshares, the harrows well 
stoivcd away, the ce'l.irs thoroughly protected from 
frost, and the axes ground sharp for a winter’s foray 
among the timber. Now, I am determined to equal 
him in my department if I can ; especially as I find 
that, in the plan of the addition which he has made 
to the old farm-house he found here, he has made 
for me the best arrangements for doing my work 
easily and rapidly, that I ever saw. He has a map 
of his farm and huildiugs, Avhich he spreads out be¬ 
fore him when he plans the next year’s crops and 
improvements on the place. Why should not I map 
out m 3 ' domain, e.=pecially as it is a realm that I love 
to call my own ? The old part of the house is very 
much ill the usual style—two large rooms below, 
and two above, with halls between, and bed rooms 
adjoining; but this L, which Edward planned, and 
much of which he built with his own hands, is a 
gem of a place for a diligent housekeeper, who 
knows what she wants. Hero is the pilan: 
A is the principal door opening on the north side, 
B anotlier door leading into the old house ; C the 
bed-room door, and B leads into the Avood-house. 
There arc two windows on the south side, hetAveen 
Avhich stands my Avork fable, and one on the north, 
throAving light on EdAA'ard’s business desk, Avhich 
occupies the corner betAveen the doors A and B. At 
the I'ight of B is my dining table, over which hangs 
a fruit picture, Avhich I painted Avheii I was a school 
girl. At the window on the left of my Avork table 
EdAvard has fasten¬ 
ed a couple of 
shelves, where I 
can have my gera¬ 
niums, and they 
arc blooming noAV 
in that sunny ex¬ 
posure. S is my 
stove, standing 
just midway be¬ 
tween the sink 
and the pantry. fuax of house. 
Tlicrc is a pump in the sink, as well as a Avaste 
water pipe. At the right of and just behind tbe 
stove is a small sliding door, marked w, Avhich opens 
into a box in the Avood-bousc, containing split Avood 
and kindling. Edward fills it when he docs his, 
morning chores. I never saw such an arrangement 
anywhere else, and I find it in tlic highest degree 
convenient. There is no running out into the 
Avood-housc after an armful of Avood, and there is 
no litter of chips or dirt about my stove. The 
pantry has a north AvindoAV in it, and a Avido ^leif 
running all along just below the windoAV seat. This 
serves as a cover to my barrels, Avliich aviH just slip 
under it: and liere, Avithout moving more than a 
step, I can lay my hand upon everything ““C^sa.j 
to do all my cooking. By opening the door the 
heat from tlic stove makes it comfortable to ai 01 v 
in, and at night prevents my milk and pro~ 
from freezing. In the summer, by keeping the dooi 
shut and the window open, I shall find it a cool 
place for my milk. Tliis arrangement of sink, stov c 
pantry and working table enables me to keep a l 
work in one end of the kitchen. My wood 
wicr provisions and stove are so near each other 
^^iTt a step or two will bring me within reach ot 
evd-ything that I need I can accomplish twice as 
^ uch in an hour here as I could in mother’s kitchen. 
