118 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[A rim, 
absorb a- considerable amount of moisture, and it is 
the custom of large dealers to keep them in a rath¬ 
er damp place in order to make them weigh heavily 
and look fresh and plump. It is bad economy to 
buy clove 3 or any other spice in the ground state 
as, aside from the risk of adulteration, the oil is ab¬ 
sorbed by the paper in which they are put up. 
Allspice is from a tree, nearly related to the clove 
tree; it grows in the West Indies where it is 
largely cultivated for the spice, which in this in¬ 
stance is the fruit. The berries are gathered when 
green, for if allowed to remain on the tree until 
ripe they have an unpleasant flavor. It is also called 
Pimento, and Jamaica pepper. The name allspice 
was given because it was thought to have the flavor 
of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmegs combined. 
Letter from a Housekeeper. 
[Tlie following letter we print for several reasons. It 
reveals some of the difficulties experienced, by those es¬ 
pecially whose proper training for woman’s sphere has 
been omitted. It is in this respect a fair sample of hun¬ 
dreds of letters we receive, and the writer and others wiil 
notice that more questions are propounded in this single 
letter than we could answer in an entire paper, while 
there are some queries that we can not answer at all, 
such for example, as how to “do up” linen like that 
bought ready made. Perhaps some of our fair readers 
can aid Mrs. Pry. We care not how many such letters 
are sent in—the more the better—for we like such plain, 
natural revelations of the difficulties experienced, and the 
wants of our readers, that our columns may be adapted 
to meet the necessities of the greatest number possible. 
Mrs. Pry will excuse us for making practical use of her 
“confidential letter,” as we suppress her real name.—Eu.] 
Washington Co., N. Y., March 3, 1863. 
Me. Editoe :—I kt^e no ambition to see my name 
in print, so if you makcany reference to my queries, 
call me Mrs. Pry, for this is a strictly confidential 
letter. I am a young housekeeper, in the capacity 
of a farmer’s wife, and you will readily imagine I 
have experienced some trials, when I tell you that 
I never had the least training in the important de¬ 
partment of housekeeping, not even in the city 
where I was reared, mainly—much less was I fitted 
for the domestic affairs devolving upon a farmer’s 
wife. Oh! I often think I would give all my old 
shoes, and my new ones too, if I could only “keep 
nouse ” as Mrs. so and so does, tljose who always do 
every thing properly, and at the right time. Then 
I should take pride in and enjoy my domestic du¬ 
ties. But the familiar adage, that “ what man has 
done, man can do,” has helped me through many 
any undertaking, and it will hereafter help in ac¬ 
complishing much more than I am now capable of. 
The American Agriculturist has been a great help to 
me in many instances, with its hints in the house¬ 
hold department. Somehow the recipes seem more 
valuable, and, to my unsophisticated judgment, ap¬ 
pear more plainly expressed, and more sensible and 
practical than those I find in the professed “ cook 
books,” for these usually describe expensive fancy 
dishes and in larger proportions than we actual 
housekeepers dare venture upon with our small 
families, and iu these latter days when economy 
should be practised. We like, it is true, to have 
something nice once in a while, by way of variety, 
but some how in following the cook books I get the 
expensive but not the nice. There are some house¬ 
keepers who seem to have the knack of always pre¬ 
senting before you the most simple food, invitingly, 
cooked just enough, and none too much. I am am¬ 
bitious to acquire that “ knack.” Others get up a 
variety of expensive dishes, but each one is accom¬ 
panied with an apology for its not being quite right. 
Since I have been a housekeeper, I have often 
greatly wondered why it is that so many mothers 
sutler their daughters to grow up so ignorant of 
the very department they hope and expect them to 
assume charge of. 1 am not alone in this feeling, 
for I find others around me who acknowledge 
that they have actually shed tears over their own 
ignorance. You will smile, perhaps, when Itellyou 
that as I look upon my two infant daughters, I often 
think how much 1 will do in their training to relieve 
them of future embarrassment. 
Those soap recipes in the last Agriculturist came 
in good t ime: I had previously understood (from the 
hired girl I believe I learned it,) that only half as 
much potash was required as of grease, and so iu 
attempting to teach my new girl, I found that some¬ 
thing was wrong, but could not tell what. Follow¬ 
ing the paper we added more potash and have it all 
right.—Last Summer I canned some stewed toma¬ 
toes, but owing to my own failure, or the cans (Bo- 
diue’s) some of them proved defective. Before the 
preserving season arrives again, please give your 
plan.-As I said before, we like to have the good 
things sometimes, and though you may suggest that 
it is not very healthy, I would like good practical 
directions for a Fruit Cake, and for Pound Cake, of 
family size; also further hints for making and put¬ 
ting on icing; also to know what kind of instrument 
bakers use in putting on the ornaments ; also the 
process of polishing linen shirts and collars as they 
are when we buy them new. I have understood 
that it was done by an iron specially constructed 
for the purpose, but have inquired in many places 
for such an iron, in vain.-Had I room I could 
tell you of many suggestions in the paper that have 
helped my husband in his business. We would 
gladly aid in extending the circulation of your pa¬ 
per, but that is not possible, as most of our neigh¬ 
bors take it already. But I have consumed too 
much of your valuable time already, so with many 
good wishes for your welfare, terrestrial and celes¬ 
tial, I will sink in to the silent Mbs. Pey. 
P. S.—I have attempted some corrections in the 
above, to tit it for a critical editor’s eye, but can not 
make it all right. I have written with one foot on 
the cradle, and constantly been responding to the 
many questions of the eldest little daughter, who 
sits beside me, watching my inkstand the meantime 
as if tempted to try some mischievous experiments 
with it. You can not know how to sympathise with 
me unless you have experienced the same trouble 
in writing. [Oh, yes we can; we rather enjoy a lit¬ 
tle flock of such troubles—sometimes at least.] 
Shoeing a Family—Western Life. 
[The following letter from Cedar Co., Iowa, may 
furnish a useful hint, while it will be interesting as 
giving an insight into the economy practised by 
the pioneers who build up for themselves homes in 
the far West. We know by early experience some¬ 
thing of this. Those boys and girls who wear 
home-made shoes and patched garments, and are 
brought up to habits of labor and economy, away 
from the corrupting influences incident to cities, 
villages, and densely populated neighborhoods, will 
turn out the effective men and women.—E d.] 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
In the January American Agriculturist, pages 21-2, 
you ask “ if any one can tell how to keep children 
in any kind of shoes that will cost less than about a 
dollar a month for each youngster ”?-1 can. In 
1860 I bought a pair of shoes for my oldest child, a 
girl of ten, that cost $1.25, but did not last a 
month. This was hard, with so little money as we 
had ; so I cast about to see what could be done. I 
found a neighbor making over his boot legs into 
shoes for his children, and acting upon the hint, I 
got a friend handy with tools to make me 7 lasts, 
one for each member of my family, paying him 10 
cents each, (70 cents). I next procured paper pat¬ 
terns; bought a hammer, awls, pegs, and thread, for 
65 cents—in all $1.35. Bristles I stole from the 
hog’s back; clamps rigged out of a 2x4 inch piece, 
aud two staves. Went to work upon the old boot 
legs. First pair of shoes pegged so fast to the last 
as to be nearly ruined in getting them off, but ex¬ 
perience taught me better next time. With more 
practice, I can now get up a shoe that a Massachu¬ 
setts woman is not ashamed to wear. I reckoned 
the saving the first Winter at $14; outlay, as above, 
$1.35. Most of the work was done evenings. Old 
boot legs wear better than new leather. Two pairs 
of shoes thus made have already worn over six 
months. Ilow many thousands of pairs of boot 
legs are thrown away or burned each month, that 
might save as many dollars. 
When all the old boots in your neighborhood are 
used up, get a side of kip and a side of sole leath¬ 
er; carry them to a workman, tell him to cut you 
out a good pair of boots, and make them. He will 
do it for less than $2, and j 7 ou have leather enough 
left for from four to ten pairs of shoes, of all sizes, 
which, with a little care, you can use all up. Try 
it friends, first on old boots, and then on what you 
please.. In my family there are four girls and three 
boys, four of whom go to school miles. I go 
3)4 miles to teach, and home every night. W T e are 
all wearing what I have made except my boots, 
and those I repair. A Yankee in Iowa. 
To Strengthen Woolen Stockings. 
Mrs. C. D. Ketehum, of Jackson Co., Wis., sends 
the following hint to the American Agriculturist: 
“In knitting common woolen socks and stockings, 
knit cotton thread in with the woolen yarn; the size 
of the thread to be governed by the size of the yarn. 
For very coarse socks, skein cotton will answer, 
but even in such socks, very fine spool cotton will 
add greatly to their durability. In old stockings, 
I have found every stitch of the cotton perfect after 
the wool was entirely worn away. The thread pre¬ 
vents the pulling and breaking of the tender yarn.” 
[Query. — Ax cotton thread is now so costly, would 
not linen thread answer an equally good purpose, 
and even be better at any time ? The above plan 
may be old to others, as Mrs. K. suggests, but it is 
new to us, and appears to be a good one.—E d.] 
Coffee Substitutes—Another. 
To the lover of strong, pure coffee, no substitute 
can be offered that will exactly fill its place. But 
there are several preparations which may be used 
as drink, and that answer very well where the milk 
or cream and sugar are the most desirable parts of 
the ingredients. Boiled milk, (which is always 
better than raw milk, for tea a's well as coffee,) if 
well sweetened and creamed, may be flavored with 
a variety of essences or compounds to suit the taste 
of different persons, according to habit. Dande¬ 
lion root is considerably' used now, but it is a med¬ 
icinal root, and should be reserved to use only as 
medicine. Chicory root burned approaches most 
nearly in flavor and effects to the genuine coffee, 
but it is not a safe drink. Continued free use of 
chicory will seriously affect the nerves, the diges¬ 
tive organs, and ultimately the whole system. We 
have accounts of the worst consequences resulting 
to chicory drinkers in Germany—quite equalling 
those produced by alcoholic liquors drank to excess. 
Rye, bread, corn, com meal, barley, peas, etc., 
have each their advocates, and they answer a good 
purpose where the taste has not been confirmed for 
genuine coffee. Just now there are a multitude of 
manufacturers of “Ry'e Coffee,” “ Barley Coffee,” 
“ Dandelion Coffee,” etc., and each one seems to be 
doing a good business. They get almost every¬ 
body to try one parcel, and this alone makes a large 
business. We have examined several of these 
compounds, some of them recommended quite 
strongly by those who have purchased and tried 
them. A careful analysis of some of the most pop¬ 
ular “ rye coffees,” and “barley coffees ” so called, 
show that they contain disguised chicory, and that 
they are flavored with burnt sugar. Any one using 
a home-made coffee of rye, barley, etc., will find a 
material improvement in the flavor if they smear 
the grain before burning with a little syrup made 
with sugar and water. 
The best home-made coffee substitute, among 
all the numerous specimens recently sent to the 
Agriculturist office by subscribers and others, is a 
sample forwarded by Mr. Eleazer Latham, of Suf¬ 
folk Co., N. Y., which he calls “ Long Island Coffee.” 
It yields a quite pleasant-flavored drink, especially 
when used—as we alwuys use coffee—with a large 
amount of boiled milk, cream, and sugar q. s. The 
directions furnished by Mr. L. arc to take coarse 
fresh ground wheat bran, sifted clean from flour 
and fine particles of bran or middlings (literally 
