226 
ladies’ department. 
Cables department. 
CAUTION IN THE CHOICE OF CULINARY 
UTENSILS.—No. 1. 
In the choice of vessels for ordinary cooking, 
those made of copper or brass are to he preferred 
for several reasons. . In the first place, they are 
better conductors of heat than those formed of cast 
iron, tin, or clay. Hence, less fuel is necessary to 
heat a certain quantity of water to the boiling 
point ; secondly, they are less subject to oxidate, 
or rust, and consequently do not throw off scales, 
become thin, and finally leak, as some other metal¬ 
lic vessels do: and thirdly, from the saving of fuel 
they effect, and their durability, they are far supe¬ 
rior to other metallic vessels generally in use. But 
let it be borne in mind, that all cooking vessels 
made of copper, or brass, such as stew pans, kettles, 
coffee urns, &c., should be well covered with a per¬ 
fect coating of tin, not only on the inside, but about 
two inches below the top on the outside, and every 
time they are used, they should be cleaned and ex¬ 
amined, in order to see whether the coating is per¬ 
fect ; for much mischief arises from their getting 
out of repair, and if not kept perfectly tinned, the 
food cooked in them is liable to look dirty and 
green, taste bitter, and become highly poisonous 
when introduced into the systeih. 
Pure tin, in its metallic state, seems to have no 
injurious effect on the animal system, and hence, all 
vessels perfectly lined or covered with it, which are 
used for general cookery, such as cast-iron pots, 
kettles, and pans, or the articles of common tin¬ 
plate ware (sheet iron covered with tin), may be 
employed with safety. The tin of commerce, how¬ 
ever, used for general tinning, is not pure, but con¬ 
tains traces of arsenic, copper, and lead, all three of 
which are highly poisonous. Yet the ordinary 
class of food, as meat, potatoes, &c., have no bad 
influence on these metals, when thus alloyed with 
tin; but much is to be feared from the action of 
acids, and vegetables containing sulphur, as vine¬ 
gar, onions, greens, &c., because nearly all metals 
are more or less attacked by such substances. 
C. 
BUTTER MAKING. 
After reading the interesting article on “ Butter 
Making” in your last number, I took up my pen to 
remark upon, and perhaps criticise it just a very 
little : but it is a subject of such never-ending dis¬ 
pute, that I concluded I had best let it alone. I 
will only say that I never wash my butter, as I think 
it deprives it of its fine flavor. If it is too soft to 
work, when taken out of the churn, it may possibly 
be necessary to plunge the lump into cold water in 
order to harden it, but I should prefer almost any 
other expedient. I would sink the butter tubs, or 
buckets (I use tin altogether), in the spring; or 
hang them, by ropes, down the well, to the surface 
of the water. But, instead of my wise remarks, I 
will give you an amusing occurrence, quite too 
good to be lost, that happened some summers ago, 
in Philadelphia, where they pride themselves, not 
without good reason, on their delicious butter. 
A lady from New Orleans was on a visit to a 
friend whose hushand loved the good things of this 
life so well, that he never trusted any one to mar¬ 
ket for him, and prided himself particularly on his 
choice of butter. He had frequently told her as an 
inducement to make this northern visit, that he 
would regale her with what she had never tasted— 
fresh butter. For several days, while at breakfast, 
he asked her if she had ever, even in her dreams, 
eaten such butter, so firm, so fresh, so delicious; 
and always received the same answer, that it was 
very good, but certainly not what she could call 
fresh butter. At last his good humor gave way, 
and fairly out of patience, he said one day, “I lived 
for twelve years in New Orleans, and never tasted 
an ounce of palatable butter—it was fit only to 
grease cart wheels with: and for you, accustomed 
to nothing better than such vile stuff, to pretend not 
to like this is perfectly absurd.” “ I did not say I 
did not like it, Cousin William,” said the lady very 
pleasantly, “ but it does seem very odd to hear you 
call it fresh butter, when the only fault I can point 
out is, that it has too much salt for my taste!” 
E. S. 
Eutawah, June , 1848. 
HOUSEHOLD DRUDGES. 
HOW TO MAKE GINGER SYRUP. 
Soak, for twenty four hours, in warm water, one 
pound of West-lndia ginger root; rub it well, and 
boil it in one gallon of water till reduced to three 
quarts; strain it through a cloth, and to every pint 
of water put one pound of loaf sugar, and boil it to 
a good syrup, skimming it well. When cold, bottle 
it for use, and it will keep in a cool place, for any 
reasonable length of time; and a small quantity, 
mixed in a tumbler of fresh water, makes one of 
the most refreshing and healthful beverages that 
can be drunk during hot weather. It also has the 
double advantage of being easily made, and fit for 
immediate use. Another method, even less trouble¬ 
some, is, to make a rich syrup of water and loaf 
sugar, and when cold enough to bottle, add to every 
pint of the syrup, two tea-spoonsfuls of the best tinc¬ 
ture of ginger, which can be purchased at an apo¬ 
thecary’s. 
If the paper wasted in vain attempts to soft soap 
the ladies into washerwomen, could be restored to 
the pristine form, what a fine washing of clothes 
would there be, my countrywomen ! 
What could be a more beautiful illustration of 
womanly dependence and manly courage, than a 
lady gracefully cleaning handkerchiefs and laces, 
while her loving lord boldly wrestles with the coun¬ 
terpane and table cloths ! 
We will darn your stockings for you, gentlemen; 
we’ll hem your handkerchiefs; we’ll make your 
puddings ; but while you continue to prefer smok¬ 
ing segars to smoking bacon; mauling each other 
with hard words in political debates, to the equally 
gentlemanly, and more useful employment of maul¬ 
ing rails, graciously condescending to pity our 
weakness—let us dance a little, let us make a little 
music, and Oh ! leave us time to read and. dress a 
little. Have compassion, kind sirs. Turn us not 
into water nymphs and salamanders !—Grace 
Greenwood. 
E. S. 
