The  Sciences. — The  article  on  teaching  the  sciences 
in  the  common  schools,  is  decidedly  aggressive.  There 
have  been  many  to  champion  the  cause  of  science  in 
elementary  work,  but  few  who  would  throw  out 
grammar  for  the  sake  of  putting  in  geology,  for  in¬ 
stance.  Dr.  Groff  has  occupied  prominent  positions 
with  regard  to  the  school  work  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
no  doubt  has  a  good  foundation  for  his  assertions. 
Putting  aside  their  own  capacity  (or  lack  of  it)  for 
teaching  the  sciences,  we  wonder  how  this  question 
looks  to  the  teachers  now  at  work  in  the  schools. 
A  Youthful  Aspirant. — A  school  girl  of  16,  who 
doesn’t  want  her  name  published  because  she  doesn’t 
wish  hfir  friends  to  know  about  it,  sends  some  matter 
for  publication.  We  like  the  girls  who  t?*}/  to  do  some¬ 
thing  ;  such  girls  are  wanted.  But  the  first  things 
for  this  one  to  try  harder  to  learn  are  spelling  and 
grammar  ;  because  seven  mistakes  in  spelling  and  one 
in  grammar  on  a  single  page,  besides  five  erasures, 
do  not  make  it  look  well  to  the  editors. 
In  One  Part  of  Texas. 
I  LIKE  The  R.  N.-Y.  very  much,  still  it  does  not  seem 
as  great  to  me  as  did  the  old  Moore’s  Rural  New- 
Yorker  that  came  regularly  when  I  was  a  child  on  my 
father’s  farm  ;  but  the  difference  is  in  me.  The  paper 
is  better  than  then,  I  know,  for  but  recently  I  destroyed 
some  old  copies,  first  comparing  them  I  wish  such 
helpful  papers  could  go  into  every  Texas  farm  house, 
but,  alas !  many  of  our  farmers  and  their  families 
would  not  read  them ;  for  Texas  has  not  only  many 
fine  farms,  beautiful  ranches,  good  homes,  but  it  also 
has  many  places  where  human  beings  stay,  but  where 
they  have  seemingly  no  aspirations  for  a  better  life. 
This  is  a  land  of  plenty.  It  takes  so  little  work  to 
provide  the  necessary  food  for  existence  and  so  few 
clothes  to  cover  nakedness  that  the  lazy  man  lives 
here  very  easily.  However,  a  vast  army  of  hustling, 
wideawake  farmers  are  coming  into  our  land.  It  is  no 
longer  cotton  and  steers  only,  but  diversified  farming 
that  is  to  make  bread  and  clothes,  and  we  hope  books, 
for  these  Western  youngsters. 
Here  every  one  came  from  somewhere  !  We  are  a 
mixed  lot  of  people  from  Iowa,  Illinois,  Virginia, 
Colorado,  Pennsylvania,  Germany  and  Russia  In  our 
section  there  is  no  more  open  land;  everything  is  fenced 
and  changes  are  coming  rapidly.  The  oldest  native 
isn't  old  enough  to  vote  yet. 
Naturally,  in  this  crude  and  mixed  society  there  is 
less  of  culture,  less  of  mental  discipline,  than  in  older 
communities ;  but  we  hear  that  only  a  little  while 
ago  our  fertile  fields,  beautiful  rose  gardens,  orchards 
and  vineyards  were  known  only  to  the  armed  cowboy 
and  the  bellowing,  lusty  Texas  steer.  To-day  the 
cowboy  takes  pride  in  a  home,  plows  his  fields,  rides 
n  his  covered  carriage  and  runs  a  steam  thrasher. 
His  children  will  go  to  college ;  and  so  the  world  is 
gradually  made  over. 
There  is  work  for  just  such  helpful,  ennobling 
papers  as  The  Rural  New-Yorker  all  over  our  land, 
our  great  rolling  Texas  land. 
I  did  not  mean  to  say  so  much  of  our  people.  This 
year  Clay  County  is  blessed  with  abundant  crops — all 
but  peaches.  Oats  roll  out  40  bushels  to  the  acre, 
wheat  25  to  30.  Corn  is  being  cut  and  shocked  and  the 
yield  is  fine.  We  have  had  an  unusually  dry  year  too, 
the  floods  none  of  them  touching  us. 
MRS.  K.  E.  SPANGLER. 
Our  Schools. 
WOULD  suggest  that  the  question  of  introducing 
the  elements  of  natural  history  sciences  into  the 
district  schools  be  taken  up.  I  am  led  to  this  by  the 
recent  action  of  the  College  Association  of  the  New 
England  States.  This  body  of  learned  men  declared 
that  the  elements  of  botany,  zoology,  geology  and 
chemistry  ought  to  be  taught  in  all  elementary  schools. 
Why  not,  and  especially,  why  not  in  country  schools, 
where  these  subjects  are  of  such  prime  importance  ? 
The  answer  to  the  question  is  that  teachers  are  not 
prepared  to  teach  these  subjects,  and  without  some 
preparation  they  cannot  teach  them.  Teachers  have 
a  good  knowledge  of  arithmetic,  grammar,  geography, 
etc.,  but,  as  a  rule,  know  nothing  at  all  about  the 
sciences  above  named.  A  second  reason  is  that  teachers 
generally  do  not  know  how  to  teach  the  natural  his¬ 
tory  sciences.  They  try  to  teach  them  from  books, 
while  they  must  be  taught  from  objects.  It  is  utterly 
impossible  to  teach  a  knowledge  of  plants,  animals  or 
stones  and  soils  from  books ;  yet  the  teachers  of 
to-day  have,  as  a  rule,  only  a  book  knowledge  of 
plants,  animals  and  rocks.  That  is,  they  know  noth¬ 
ing  about  them,  and  can  teach  nothing  of  them. 
I  affirm  that  the  time  has  come  for  an  advance. 
Children  should  be  taught  to  read,  write  and  the  fun¬ 
damental  rules  of  arithmetic,  and  be  at  once  intro¬ 
duced  to  the  sciences.  Grammar  should  be  abolished 
from  country  schools,  or  taught  only  in  connection 
with  the  reading  lessons.  Two-thirds  of  the  time  spent 
on  arithmetic  is  utterly  wasted.  More  than  half  the 
time  given  to  geography  is  wasted.  All  the  time  given 
to  grammar  is  thrown  away.  There  is  time  for  the 
sciences.  But  teachers  must  be  prepared  to  teach 
sciences,  which  can  only  be  when  they  are  properly 
instructed  themselves  in  our  training  and  normal 
schools.  As  it  is,  all  the  science  many  of  our  teachers 
have  ever  received  is  13  weeks  in  text-book  physiology. 
They  have  had  no  botany,  zoology  or  geology  at  all. 
All  this  must  be  changed.  The  normal  schools  must 
awake  to  the  needs  of  the  times.  The  studies  of  the 
past  are  not  altogether  the  ones  needed  to-day. 
GEO.  G.  GROFF,  M.  D. 
Cake  Making  for  Beginners. 
U  OW  well  I  remember  my  early  attempts  at  cake 
-I  A  making.  The  excellent  cooks  with  whom  I  was 
surrounded  gave  me  their  recipes  where  half  cupfuls 
and  quarter  cupfuls  of  this  and  that  were  called  for, 
and  I  was  shown  that  half  a  cupful  meant  about  “  so 
much,”  indicating  by  a  finger  pointing  to  the  side  of 
the  cup.  After  repeated  failures  from  incorrect  guess¬ 
ing,  I  found  that  a  certain  wine  glass  four  times  full 
would  fill  the  usual  measuring  cup.  Here  were  my 
quarters  with  all  due  accuracy.  The  thirds  were  deter¬ 
mined  with  a  tablespoon. 
A  beginner  should  be  taught  the  necessity  of  accu- 
racy.  rl  here  should  be  no  appeals  to  “  her  own  judg¬ 
ment,”  for  she  lacks  experience  and  must  work  by  ac¬ 
tual  measure.  The  first  thing  to  be  considered  in 
cake  making,  as  in  all  branches  of  cookery,  is  the 
range.  All  the  drafts  and  dampers  must  be  studied, 
and  cause  and  effect  well  understood.  The  fuel  must 
be  good,  too,  to  insure  perfect  results.  Many  another- 
w  ise  delicious  production  has  been  spoiled  by  a  stick 
of  wood  too  much  or  too  little,  or  an  injudicious  use  of 
coal.  Coal  gives  a  steadier,  more  reliable  heat  than 
wood,  and  is  preferred  by  those  who  have  used  both. 
The  materials  used  in  cooking  must  also  be  the 
best  to  attain  perfect  results.  Cheap  baking  powders, 
low-grade  flour  and  sugar  and  “  cooking  ”  butter 
should  never  be  used  in  cakes.  Eggs,  too,  should  be  as 
fresh  as  for  the  table. 
System  in  cake  making  saves  as  much  time  and  labor 
as  it  does  in  other  branches  of  domestic  economy. 
First  grease  the  cake  tins,  using  sweet  lard  in  prefer¬ 
ence  to  butter,  as  it  does  not  burn  so  easily.  Line  the 
tins  with  oiled  paper.  Measure  the  sugar  and  put  it 
into  a  large  earthen  bowl.  Measure  the  flour  and  bak¬ 
ing  powder  and  sift  them  together  into  a  pan  and  in 
cold  weather  set  in  a  warm  place.  Measure  the  butter 
and  let  it  soften  near  the  fire.  Provide  two  bowls  and 
break  the  eggs  separately,  beating  the  whites  first, 
then  the  yolks.  Provide  yourself  with  a  large  spoon, 
a  teaspoon,  the  required  flavoring  and  a  knife. 
By  this  time  the  butter  will  be  softened  and  it  may 
be  put  with  the  sugar  and,  unless  boiling  water  is  re¬ 
quired,  the  milk  or  water  may  be  measured  in  the  cup. 
If  the  ingredients  are  measured  in  this  order  the  same 
cup  may  be  used  for  all,  and  thus  much  washing  of 
dishes  be  saved. 
Cooks  differ  in  regard  to  mixing  cakes,  but  unless 
the  wrists  are  very  strong,  it  is  much  easier  to  beat 
the  dough  with  the  hand.  I  need  not  mention  the 
careful  cleaning  and  brushing  which  should  be  given 
the  finger  nails  nor  the  washing  of  the  hands. 
Stir  the  butter  and  sugar  together  until  light  and 
creamy,  then  add  the  yolks  of  the  eggs  with  the  milk 
or  water.  Cake  is  whiter  if  water  is  used.  Beat  until 
mixed  and  add  half  of  the  flour  ;  when  this  is  beaten 
in  add  the  remainder  of  the  flour  with  the  whites  of 
the  eggs.  Now  add  the  flavoring  and  the  cake  is  ready 
for  the  tins.  If  the  rule  is  large  two  or  more  kinds 
of  cake  may  be  had  from  one  mixing  by  varying  the 
flavoring,  using  fruit  or  nutmeats  in  part  or  baking  a 
part  in  layers  and  the  remainder  in  a  loaf. 
Stove  manufacturers  have  neglected  one  item  which 
would  be  of  inestimable  value  to  young  cooks.  Every 
oven  should  be  supplied  with  a  thermometer.  Lacking 
that,  the  heat  of  the  oven  may  be  tested  by  a  bit  of 
paper  or  a  pinch  of  flour.  If  they  are  brown  in  less 
than  five  minutes  the  oven  is  too  hot.  If  the  cake 
begins  to  brown  too  rapidly,  a  piece  of  paper  over  the 
top  moderates  the  heat,  and  if  a  little  more  heat  is  re¬ 
quired  at  one  point  than  another  a  hole  may  be  cut  in 
the  paper.  Most  cakes  may  be  tried  with  a  broom 
splint.  If  it  comes  out  free  from  moisture  the  cake  is 
done.  Some  delicate  cakes  will  never  endure  this 
trial,  however,  and  with  them  time  must  tell  the  story 
for  the  greater  part,  though  they  show  by  a  slight 
drawing  away  from  the  edges  of  the  tin  when  they 
are  cooked.  Cake  should  be  set  in  a  warm  place,  free 
from  drafts,  for  a  few  minutes  after  it  is  removed 
from  the  oven,  and  it  should  be  taken  from  the  tins 
and  the  paper  linings  be  loosened  before  it  is  cold. 
Cake  will  keep  longer  if  wrapped  in  waxed  paper 
after  it  is  thoroughly  cold. 
Raisins  and  currants  for  cake  should  be  cleaned  and 
dried  when  brought  from  the  grocer’s ;  they  are  then 
ready  at  a  moment  s  notice.  The  easiest  way  to  clean 
currants  is  to  dredge  them  with  flour,  then  rub  thor¬ 
oughly  with  the  hands  for  some  minutes.  Sift 
through  a  coarse  meal  sieve,  which  removes  the  flour 
and  most  of  the  stems  and  dirt ;  then  wash  thoroughly 
and  dry  in  a  warm  oven,  on  a  sieve.  If  the  fruit, 
after  cleaning,  is  put  into  glass  cans  while  hot,  and 
securely  covered,  there  need  be  no  anxiety  about  in¬ 
spice  cake  is  a  welcome  addition.  They  must  be 
used  dry  and  will  be  found  sufficiently  soaked  when 
the  cake  is  cut.  g.  a.  little. 
The  Family  Marketing. 
rT''HE  ladv  of  the  house  ought  to  be  the  food  pro- 
A  vider,  and  if  she  makes  a  study  of  it,  she  can 
save  in  many  ways.  One  rule  first,  last  and  all  the 
time  is,  Beware  of  charging.”  A  book  is  convenient, 
but  mistakes  are  common  and  credit  makes  one  a  slave 
to  the  grocer.  With  the  money  in  hand  and  a 
knowledge  of  prices,  one  can  go  here  and  there. 
Perhaps  one  man  makes  a  specialty  of  butter,  in  which 
he  deals  largely,  and  is  thus  able  to  sell  a  good  article 
for  a  cent  or  two  a  pound  less  than  others.  Another 
sells  meats  reasonably,  and  so  on. 
It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  know  the  differ¬ 
ent  cuts  of  meat  and  how  to  judge  poultry.  Some  of 
the  small  stores  on  side  streets,  if  one  can  choose  her 
cuts,  will  furnish  good  meats  for  several  cents  per 
pound  cheaper.  These  smaller  stores  don’t  have  to 
pay  large  rents  and  many  clerks,  and  can  afford  to  be 
reasonable.  But  many  women  say,  “  We  can’t  pay 
cash  down,  we  get  our  money  once  a  week  or  a  month, 
pay  up  for  the  past  quarter,  and  have  barely  a  cent 
left.”  There  will  always  be  “barely  a  cent  left,” 
unless  one  sternly  begins  cash  payments.  I  was  a 
victim  to  “charging  ”  for  years.  My  weekly  sum  for 
household  table  expenses  for  a  family  of  six  was  $10. 
Out  of  that  it  was  expected  that  I  should  pay  for  my 
clothes,  incidentals,  etc  Every  Monday  morning  I 
paid  the  last  week’s  grocer's  bill,  and  it  averaged $9. 50. 
Sometimes  the  balance  was  on  the  wrong  side,  and  I 
commenced  the  week  fifty  cents  or  a  dollar  in  debt. 
It  was  like  lifting  one  foot  and  cleaning  off  the  mud, 
only  to  plunge  in  again  deeper  than  ever.  One  Mon¬ 
day  morning  I  turned  over  a  new  leaf.  Without  pay¬ 
ing  my  weekly  bill,  I  went  to  other  stores,  selected 
carefully  and  paid  for  my  purchases  on  the  spot.  At 
the  end  of  the  week  I  had  paid  out  $8.50  for  provis¬ 
ions,  leaving  $1.50  for  my  old  bill.  I  was  delighted 
and  in  a  month  the  bill  was  paid  from  money  saved 
by  the  cash  system.  I  have  never  had  a  “  charge  ” 
since,  and  my  family  say  the  food  has  been  of  better 
quality  and  greater  variety,  and  I  have  been  aston¬ 
ished  at  what  the  savings  from  that  weekly  $10  could 
do  in  added  comforts  and  luxuries. 
There  is  another  reason  why  women  should  do  the 
marketing  :  it  is  a  charge  from  the  dreary  monotony 
of  kitchen  work.  Don't  say,  It’s  too  much  trouble 
to  dress.”  A  neat  calico— and  that  is  the  best  for 
housework— is  good  enough  for  the  morning’s  walk  to 
the  butcher  and  grocer.  Study  the  market  reports  in 
the  daily  papers.  Be  sure  you  are  posted  about  the 
best  “cuts”  at  the  butcher’s;  and,  above  all,  don’t 
have  a  charge.  sister  gracious. 
The  stomach  can  deal  with  a  drop 
when  it  cannot  deal  with  a  spoonful. 
Scott’s  Emulsion  is  cod-liver  oil  broken 
up  into  drops  invisibly  small ;  each  sep¬ 
arate  drop  is  wrapped  in  glycerine  so 
that  the  taste  is  lost. 
This  is  why  Scott’s  Emulsion  is  the 
easy  and  effectual  form  of  cod-liver  oil. 
Hypophosphites  of  lime  and  soda 
combine  in  tonic  effect  with  the  half- 
digested  oil. 
Let  us  send  you  a  book  on  it ;  free. 
Scott  &  Bowne,  Chemists,  132  South  5th  Avenue,  New  York. 
Your  druggist  keeps  Scott’s  Emulsion  of  cod-liver  oil— all  druggists 
everywhere  do  SI 
