Kumyss  and  Cookery. 
The  Premium  On  Ideas. 
APPY  is  the  woman  with  an  idea  !  Ideas  are 
what  editors  and  con*ributors  alike  sigh  for, 
the  former  with  accumulative  earnestness  born  of  the 
desire  of  every  reader  of  his  periodical  for  something 
new  and  interesting. 
The  Mission  of  Kumyss. 
Previous  to  ten  years  ago  the  patients  in  the 
great  sanitariums  of  the  country  were  learning  to 
drink  kumyss,  but  otherwise  it  was  little  known.  For 
some  time  past,  however,  its  use  has  become  quite  a 
fashionable  fad  ;  but  we  were  not  a  little  surprised  to 
learn  from  Mrs.  Rorer  the  extent  to  which  physicians 
have  come  to  rely  upon  it  in  wasting  diseases,  espec¬ 
ially  those  in  which  the  stomach  is  unequal  to  its  office. 
The  kumyss  is  in  reality  a  partially  digested  milk. 
Milk  is  about  the  onljr  available  food  for  patients  in  a 
low  state  :  but  it  disagrees  with  nine  persons  out  of 
ten,  and  fever  patients  especially  are  almost  certain  to 
abhor  the  taste  of  it.  This  seems  to  be  a  certain  feature 
of  such  diseases  as  are  accompanied  by  much  fever. 
On  the  contrary  most  patients  like  kumyss,  and  if 
they  do  not  fancy  it  at  first,  they  soon  grow  to  be  very 
fond  of  it.  Patients  whose  stomachs  cannot  retain 
other  food  can  be  kept  alive  for  weeks  on  kumyss, 
which  contains  so  much  assimilable  nourishment  that 
one  glassful  of  it  is  better  than  two  of  milk. 
Mrs.  Rorer’s  Recipe  for  Kumyss. 
Where  ice  is  procurable,  nothing  is  simpler  than  to 
prepare  kumyss  at  home,  and  the  home-made  product 
is  far  better  than  that  which  is  bought,  as  its  age  can 
be  known  for  a  surety.  The  materials  for  five  pint 
bottles  of  kumyss  are  :  Two  quarts  of  new  milk  ;  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  granulated  sugar  ;  two  tablespoon¬ 
fuls  of  water ;  one-third  of  a  compressed  yeast 
cake.  Make  the  milk  blood  warm,  or  about  98  degrees, 
perhaps,  by  placing  it  over  the  fire  in  a  farina  boiler. 
Dissolve  the  yeast  thoroughly  in  two  tablespoon  fills  of 
milk,  adding  this  to  the  rest.  Dissolve  the  sugar  in 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  water,  boiling  it  until  a  clear 
syrup.  Add  the  syrup  to  the  milk  and  yeast,  and  stir 
until  completely  blended,  then  put  it  at  once  into  the 
bottles,  filling  them  about  to  the  necks.  Cork  firmly 
and  tie  the  corks  down.  Allow  the  kumyss  to  stand 
n  a  comfortable  temperature,  near  (58  degrees,  for  12 
hours.  Then  lay  the  bottles  carefully  on  their  sides 
on  ice  for  12  hours  more,  when  the  kumyss  is  ready 
for  use.  It  is  now  24  hours  old  ;  when  (50  hours  old,  it 
does  not  agree  so  well  with  a  weak  stomach,  but  keeps 
usually  72  hours.  When  too  old,  that  is,  if  beginning 
to  sour,  it  will  curdle  ;  when  just  right,  it  is  creamy 
and  foamy,  and  tastes,  if  new,  a  trifle  like  sweetened 
beer.  From  one-half  to  one  glassful  may  be  given  at 
intervals  of  two  to  four  hours. 
Trouble  With  Mashed  Potatoes. 
Many  a  household  has  been  wrecked  because  a 
fond  but  foolish  wife  did  not  know  how  to  cook 
mashed  potatoes — and  other  things.  The  mashed 
potato  habit  is  one  acquired  too  frequently  in  early 
youth  to  be  easily  shaken  off,  and  the  person  addicted 
to  the  frequent  use  of  mashed  potatoes  becomes  irri¬ 
table  and  depressed  if  his  favorite  food  is  kept  from 
him,  so  others  beside  this  unknown  bride  may  profit 
by  her  inquiry.  After  getting  your  potatoes  from  the 
grocery  store  remove  the  dark  outer  covering  (called 
the  peeling)  and  cut  the  peeled  potatoes  into  quar¬ 
ters.  They  need  not  be  exact  quarters.  Let  them 
stand  for  a  while  in  cold  water,  and  then  put  them  in 
a  pot  with  water  and  set  them  over  a  fire  to  boil.  If 
there  is  any  water  left  in  the  pot  after  the  potatoes 
are  done,  drain  it  off.  Then  take  a  wooden  or  iron 
masher  made  for  that  purpose  and  press  gently  but 
firmly  upon  them  until  they  become  soft  and  pulpy, 
meanwhile  pouring  in  cream  or  milk  and  some  butter. 
Be  careful  in  mashing  not  to  dent  the  pot. — New 
York  World. 
To  Dispose  of  Strawberries. 
The  farm  housewife  who  does  not  insist  on  having 
the  best  of  the  berries  and  vegetables  for  home  use  is 
not  living  up  to  her  privileges.  In  canning  strawber¬ 
ries,  it  is  most  essential  that  the  best  should  be  used. 
Big,  well-ripened  berries,  sun-kissed  and  crimson,  but 
preferably  of  a  tart  variety,  are  to  be  selected  for  this 
purpose.  Strawberries  that  have  been  scalded  ripe 
after  a  three  days’  rain,  are  hardly  fit  for  any  use, 
much  less  this. 
Canned  Strawberries  — To  fill  the  cans  with  raw' 
fruit  and  prepared  syrup  and  cook  them  in  the  water 
bath  is  especially  desirable  for  this  fruit,  which  loses 
color  and  shape  so  easily.  After  the  water  has  boiled 
20  minutes,  remove  the  cans  to  the  table,  fill  them  to 
the  brim  with  reserve  syrup,  boiling  hot,  place  the 
rubbers  and  seal  at  once.  Rubbers  should  be  moist¬ 
ened  in  warm  water  before  using. 
Canned  Strawberries  No.  2. — Allow  two  quart 
baskets  of  berries  to  each  quart  jar.  Wash  and  hull 
the  fruit,  cover  it  in  layers  with  granulated  sugar,  and 
set  away  for  twro  or  three  hours.  Heat  and  skim  the 
syrup,  boil  10  minutes,  and  add  the  berries.  When 
these  are  well  heated  through,  fill  the  cans  to  over¬ 
flowing  and  seal. 
Strawberry  Meringue  Pie. — Line  a  pie  plate  with 
paste,  which  bake  a  pale  brown.  Fill  with  sugared 
berries,  cover  with  a  meringue  and  return  to  the  oven 
long  enough  to  brown.  Whipped  cream  may  be  sub¬ 
stituted  for  the  meringue. 
Strawberry  Custard. — Make  a  rich  custard  with  the 
yolks  of  four  eggs,  a  scant  quart  of  milk,  one-half  cup¬ 
ful  of  sugar,  and  flavor  to  taste.  Make  one  pint  of 
strawberry  juice  very  sweet,  and  beat  it  gradually 
into  the  whites  of  the  eggs.  Use  flat  berry  dishes, 
and  serve  two  spoonfuls  of  the  float  with  each  dish  of 
custard. 
Pineapples  for  Strawberries. — Unless  the  dis¬ 
parity  in  price  is  too  great,  let  some  of  the  strawber¬ 
ries  be  exchanged  for  “  pines.”  The  best  way  to  can 
pineapple  is  to  cover  it  with  sugar,  half  and  half,  for 
several  hours  in  an  earthen  or  granite-ware  dish.  The 
syrup  which  flows  from  it  is  then  to  be  boiled  and 
strained  over  the  pulp.  Let  the  whole  boil  up  once, 
then  can  without  delay.  Longer  boiling  will  both 
toughen  and  darken  the  fruit. 
The  so-called  Southern  method  of  handling  this  fruit 
is  to  pare  and  trim  it,  then  tear  the  puli)  from  the 
core  with  a  silver  fork.  But  an  easier  way,  really,  is 
to  cut  the  fruit  into  cross  sections  half  an  inch  thick. 
These  are  easily  pared,  and  cut  in  small  bits,  rejecting 
the  tough  core.  Pineapples  are  coming  into  New  York 
in  immense  quantities,  and  will  be  both  plentiful  and 
cheap. 
How,  and  what  to  Cook. 
THESE  days  are  the  happiest  the  farmer  in  this 
country  has  ever  known.  Every  day  comes 
the  cry  of  distress  and  famine  from  farmers  in  other 
lands;  while  under  our  own  blue  skies  an  air  of  thrift 
and  prosperity  everywhere  prevails.  On  every  sunny 
hillside  we  see  the  farmer’s  pleasant  home,  surrounded 
by  groves  of  his  own  or  nature’s  planting,  evidences 
of  growing  intelligence.  Within  the  home  we 
see  the  same  thrift:  the  walls  are  hung  with  engrav¬ 
ings  exquisitely  pretty,  the  windows  are  prettily 
draped,  giving  to  all  a  pleasing  effect  and  an  air  of 
taste  and  refinement  much  above  that  shown  by  the 
average  villager. 
The  little  nook  called  the  kitchen,  less  favored  in 
the  past  than  any  other  room,  is  to-day,  by  means  of 
its  multitudinous  appliances,  made  the  coziest  and  most 
convenient.  Work  is  no  longer  a  drudgery,  for  en¬ 
vironments  make  it  inviting  and  enjoyable,  suggestive 
of  dainties  which  in  by-gone  times  would  have  driven 
woman’s  brain  to  the  border-land  of  frenzy.  The 
kitchen,  is  indeed,  unlike  other  rooms,  in  that  it  has  a 
physiognomy  its  own;  and  by  specialized  work  it  is 
made  a  potent  factor  in  home-building.  I  believe  it  to 
be  the  pride  rather  than  the  reproach  of  every  Chris¬ 
tian  housewife.  I  would  not  imply  by  this  that 
woman,  by  force  or  choice,  should  be  banished  thither. 
On  the  contrary,  I  -would  have  her  in  the  midst  of  life; 
in  touch  with  the  world,  social  and  intellectual.  There 
is,  after  all,  a  charm  about  it;  when  you  give  your  very 
best,  when  you  put  your  heart  into  it  and  determine 
that  what  you  do  shall  bear  your  own  impress.  And 
may  I  say,  through  familiarity  you  will  grow  as  fond 
of  your  work  and  kitchen  as  if  it  were  your  child. 
The  daintiest  of  the  dainties  are  prepared  in  that  room, 
not  only  for  the  lord  of  the  manor,  but  for  the  whole 
household.  Under  these  pleasing  conditions,  the 
problem  of  a  failing  appetite  is  involved  in  mystery. 
However,  the  fault  of  this,  in  the  average  farmer’s 
family,  lies  not  so  much  in  the  absence  of  a  variety  of 
dishes  as  in  the  manner  in  which  they  are  served. 
The  appropriateness  of  the  dish  and  the  arrangement 
or  dishing  of  the  food  should  always  be  taken  into 
consideration.  If  the  eye  is  pleased  the  food  will  be 
tempting.  It  is  the  confused  flinging  together,  or  the 
inharmony  of  certain  dishes  that  nauseates.  For  in¬ 
stance,  the  incongruity  of  pork  and  beans,  and  lobster 
salad,  Bavarian  cream  and  chocolate  fritters  is  ap¬ 
parent  to  any  one  who  has  given  the  food  question  a 
moment’s  thought. 
I  am  by  no  means  an  advocate  of  high  living  ;  on  the 
contrary,  I  think  it  gross  and  antagonistic  to  high 
thinking.  But  I  do  think  that  the  daily  menu  can  be 
sufficiently  varied,  with  a  trifle  of  expense,  to  obviate 
this  de-appetizing.  The  frugal  farmer  because  of  his 
surroundings  may  have  a  kitchen  garden  from  which 
fruits  and  vegetables  may  be  had  the  year  round. 
Residents  of  towns  and  cities  luxuriate  on  the  fruits 
common  to  the  season,  which  they  must  buy.  Why 
not  the  farmer  who  tills  his  own  soil  ? 
Flowers  will  many  times  freshen  the  looks  of  the 
table  and  make  food  more  tempting.  The  physical 
aspect  of  things  as  often  as  the  hap-hazard  meals, 
causes  the*  loss  of  appetite. 
The  question  of  expense  comes  in  with  the  farmer’s 
wife,  whose  eye  is  toward  economy  as  often  as  to¬ 
wards  labor.  The  first  we  can  easily  eliminate  when 
we  know  of  the  many  dainties  that  can  be  made  from 
the  simple,  easy  recipes  which  give  good  results  ; 
gelatine  being  used  as  a  basis.  From  stale  bread, 
properly  treated,  a  variety  of  dishes  exceedingly 
palatable  may  be  prepared. 
The  second  question,  that  of  labor,  can  likewise  be 
disposed  of  when  we  call  to  mind  the  vast  amount  of 
canned  goods  on  the  market  either  ready  prepared  for 
consumption  or  with  the  work  of  preparing  reduced  to 
a  minimum.  Besides  the  canned  fruits  we  have  long 
had,  there  are  to-day  in  the  market  all  kinds  of  pre¬ 
pared  meats  and  fishes  ;  also  a  good  beef  extract  which 
serves  as  the  basis  for  innumerable  soups  and  sauces. 
These  are  all  labor-saving  and  appetizing  dishes.  Can 
the  zest  for  food  languish  with  the  remedy  so  near  at 
hand  ? 
It  is  a  fact  to  be  lamented  that  in  the  average  farm¬ 
er’s  home  these  new  opportunities  are  not  welcomed 
as  beacon  lights  heralding  still  better  things.  The 
housewife  is  slowest  in  yielding  that  department  of 
domestic  economy  to  the  modern  way  of  doing  things  ; 
clinging,  from  force  of  habit,  to  the  old  as  an  ancestral 
legacy  possessing  mysterious  virtues  that  may  not  be 
superseded  by  the  modern  methed. 
Dainty  food,  like  soft,  sweet  music,  has  a  soothing 
effect.  It  is  at  these  daily  meetings  that  the  irrepres¬ 
sible  conflict  is  smothered;  here,  too,  we  exchange  our 
best  thoughts.  Sociability  corrects  the  narrowing 
tendency  of  domestic  monotony  and  gives  to  intel¬ 
ligence  a  stimulating  and  quickening  power. 
Timely  judgment  is  essential  in  the  kitchen  ;  many 
a  tempting  morsel  has  been  rendered  useless,  simply 
because  through  neglect  it  was  overdone,  or,  what  is 
more  offensive,  not  sufficiently  done.  The  what  of  cook¬ 
ing  is  secondary  to  the  how.  farmer’s  daughter. 
A  Woman’s  Boarding  School. 
AS  my  first  movement  toward  supporting  my  family, 
I  came  out  on  a  farm  to  board,  because  I  could 
live  cheapest  there,  and  could  get  good  milk  for  my 
three-montlis-old  baby  boy.  I  was  exhausted  from  the 
care  of  my  husband,  who  had  just  died  of  consumption. 
I  had  taken  his  terrible  cough,  and  the  constant  care 
of  my  child  was  killing  me.  He  was  a  healthy  child, 
unusually  large,  but  from  natural  causes  and  my  own 
inexperience,  very  troublesome,  giving  me  little  rest 
day  or  night.  I  could  barely  pay  my  board,  and  had 
nothing  to  pay  a  nurse  girl,  though  the  daughter  of 
my  landlady  would  be  glad  to  take  that  place.  I  there¬ 
fore  applied  for  the  position  of  teacher  in  the  district 
school  and  earned  the  girl’s  wages  there.  The  school 
required  my  will  power  to  control  it ;  but  it  was  a  fine 
school ;  I  loved  the  work  of  teaching  and  the  half  mile 
walk  in  the  open  air  and  the  change  and  relief  from 
the  nursery  for  six  hours  gave  me  a  chance  to  recuper¬ 
ate.  At  the  price  then  paid — $25  a  month — I  could 
not  support  myself,  but  I  taught  there  a  year,  regained 
my  health  and  made  this  a  stepping-stone  toward  some¬ 
thing  better. 
Fortunately  I  found  a  bright  woman  with  a  large 
house  ;  we  planned  to  open  a  boarding  school.  Every 
one  tried  to  discourage  us,  but  we  thought  the  plan 
feasible  and  determined  to  give  it  a  trial.  I  prepared 
a  circular,  explaining  the  need  of  such  a  school,  its 
advantages,  its  capacity  and  the  terms,  which  I  placed 
as  low  as  I  could  afford — $5  a  week  for  board,  wash¬ 
ing,  etc.;  $8  a  quarter — 10  weeks — for  the  primary 
class  ;  $10  a  quarter  for  higher  English  branches;  $5 
a  quarter  for  French,  Latin  or  drawing  ;  $8  a  quarter 
for  music. 
My  associate’s  young  sister  taught  music  and  had 
all  the  profits.  A  young  woman  of  the  neighborhoood 
taught  the  little  ones  in  return  for  tuition  in  the 
higher  branches. 
We  had  all  the  pupils  the  house  would  accommodate 
— 14  boarding  and  30  day  pupils,  some  of  whom  rode 
five  miles  to  school.  Later  I  engaged  a  professor  of  music 
two  days  in  the  week  for  the  more  advanced  pupils. 
