Tie RURAL NEW-YORKER 
073 
Tennessee Notes 
Thanks to those who have sent words 
of enrouragpmpnt for nnr school. The 
prospect® are bright; today will tell us 
of victory or defeat. The first offer we 
received was $21Kt or .30-30 on a building 
not to exceed $400 in cost. In this part 
of the world such a building would uot 
make more than a good-sized poultry- 
house. Now we have hopes of the 30-30 
<m a $1,000 building, and I want you to 
know we are sure hustling around. So 
many like ourselves have so little to 
give, except the children, hut we have 
given the land, 13 days' work and $13 
in cash. Others have given from $1 to 
$20 in cash. Some have donated limber, 
some hauling. If we succeed, which we 
must and will. I hope to tell you that our 
young folks are in school by the latter 
part of September. 
When one is oil a committee to raise 
money, one surely hears all the liard-luck 
stories there are going. And. do you 
know, nine times out of 10 the greatest 
discouragement comes from those who are 
blessed with this world’s good things! 
It may he because they don't realize the 
need, or that they have no impulse for 
the upbuilding of their neighborhood; but 
as we have so few of that kind, and even 
they have helped a little, l cannot grum¬ 
ble. 
Blackberries are in full blast; the boys 
are gone for a load. We are preparing to 
make a run of jam. and we think that 
one-third apples improves the Havor. For 
jelly I stew the berries, rub through 
sieve, and find it reijuires less sugar. 
No fruit in this part of the world last 
year made a scarcity of vim-gar, so wo are 
paying $1 per gallon for vinegar for pick¬ 
ling use. 1 soak peelings, bits "f honey¬ 
comb, and rinse the jelly vessels or what¬ 
ever contains sugar, and this strained 
keeps us a supply of good, strong vinegar 
for table use. 
My own crew like cold slaw, cabbage 
chopped fine, salted, pressed dry. sweet- 
i-ned and peppered, then covered with 
strong vinegar. 
Bags and coverlets are at a standstill 
for lack of time, though I just must finish 
one to get up mv school donation. 1 think 
1 will surely tuft awhile tonight, and 
when the last task is done. I am so tired 
1 cannot hold my eyes open. I always 
did enjoy driving iu> work, but there is 
little pleasure when work is the driver. 
We were well-nigh parched ; our crops 
were at least; the cistern just almost dry, 
the pond out of business. Prospects were 
surely gloomy, but the second day of 
July gdve ns a vain, and one almost every 
day since. Old Mks say that if it rains 
then, we will have rain for 40 days. 
If 1 only had a camera, would send 
you a snapshot of a pig drawing nourish¬ 
ment from a cow. It is. or was, a runt. 
1 began to feed it milk from the cow when 
1 milked; it soon "got onto the job, 
and now when the cow lies down, or it 
< an find a high place to stand on, it helps 
itself. It is a bit hard on the milk pail, 
but tine for the pig. Jins. I). B. P. 
U. N.-Y.—It is July 13, uot July L\ 
with which the legend of 40 days' rain 
is connected. This is the feast of St. 
Swithin. Bishop of Winchester. England, 
who died about A. 1). S(i2. According to 
the legend, the bishop asked, in a spirit 
of humility, that he might be buried ill 
the open churchyard, in a place where 
worshipers would walk over his grave 
when visiting the cathedral. In 871 the 
monks of Winchester sought to remove 
the bishop's remains to a noble tomb 
within the cathedral, but were prevented 
by a terrific rainstorm.which continued 
for 40 days and. according to the legend, 
any attempt to move the body of St. 
Swithin caused prolonged rainstorms. 
There is a shrine to Si. Swithin in the 
cathedral, which is a favorite place of 
interest to American tourists. 
Old-fashioned Gingerbread 
As the picnic season is now here, I am 
sending you a recipe for gingerbread 
which is especially nice for lunches. 1 
often make it for a picnic dinner »r sup¬ 
per, and it is always liked by everyone. 
It is not a molasses or ginger cake, but 
a real bread. It should bu sliced moder¬ 
ately tbiu and generously spread with 
blitter. It makes delicious sandwiches 
when tilled with sour cream cheese, and 
is very nice with lettuce or nut tilling: 
One cup molasses, uiie cup brown sugar, 
one cup sour milk, one cup shortening, 
two level teaspoons soda, two heaping 
teaspoons ‘finger, one teaspoon (scant) 
salt. Stir together, then add than* to 
make a dough about like suit biscuit 
dough. 1 usually turn it out on a board 
and mix in the last of the (lour with a 
dull knife, working it toward the center. 
This amount makes two medium-sized 
loav es. Do not have the oven too hot: 
give it a chance to rise, increasing the 
heal during the last period of baking 
The above recipe was taken from cue of 
those delightful old manuscript cook 
books, began nearly 100 years ago, the 
bandwriting of the original author won¬ 
derfully tine, but plain as print, and con¬ 
tinued by later generations in varying 
styles of flowing Spencerian capitals. 
Many notes are added to the recipes, ex¬ 
plaining their source or some way of serv¬ 
ing This one 1 have given, we are told 
is ”Kx< ollent w ith sweet eider." 
About midway in this book and written 
1 should say about 30 years ago. 1 find 
almost this same recipe, hut to be made 
w ith maple sugar and (hick tub molasses. 
This, we are informed, was "Much liked 
by Elder Hughes.” The Reverend Hughes 
mentioned was a quite noted minister and 
missiuner, a founder of churches, whose 
name is still revered all over this part 
of the country. He seems to have been 
noted for great determination of character 
and for the energy and zeal with which 
he pursued his calling. One wonders at 
the possible connection between food and 
action. If the obvious deduction be true, 
would that many of our Christian work¬ 
ers would eat more gingerbread. 
MRS. STANLEY C ARPENTER. 
A Sure Remedy for Bedbugs 
Seeing the reader’s request for a remedy 
for bedbugs in a recent number, I want 
to add a good remedy to those already 
given. 
Varnish all the wood in the room, being 
sure to get it well into the cracks and 
crevices. A cheap grade of varnish is 
all right for the inside unfinished parts 
nf the bed and cracks in floors where they 
are not painted. Finished narts of furni¬ 
ture will hardly need anything on it. as 
there is no place on the finished parts for 
the bugs to harbor. Varnish well all around 
the baseboards and edge of floor. If there 
are any cracks in the plaster, remove all 
the paper and fill the cracks with plaster 
of I’aris mixed with thin glue instead of 
water. This plaster will not crumble 
out of the cracks, and makes a smooth 
wall for papering. If all parts of beds 
and any place where the bugs might har¬ 
bor are varnished and cracks in plaster 
are filled, there will be no more bugs. I 
have known this to end the bugs in two 
houses, the one being a very old log house. 
M. A. K. 
Stiffening Strawberry Jelly 
Here is a new process I have learned 
in making jelly. Everyone knows how 
difficult it is to get firm jelly from straw¬ 
berries or red raspberries. T'p here in 
Lorraine, where I am visiting, they use 
berries with two-thirds small green ap¬ 
ples. Slice the apples, add to the ber¬ 
ries. cook, strain, boil the juice, skim and 
add sugar in the usual way. Elderber¬ 
ries or mountain cranberries make a de¬ 
licious jelly. .uns. .t. u. n. 
Salting Corn on Cob 
You asked recently whether anyone had 
tried keeping sweet c«*rn on the cob in 
brine. A neighbor told me about three 
weeks ago that bis wife cooked sweet 
corn on the cob. and when done cut it 
off and put it down in stone jars with 
table salt, same as with sauerkraut. lie 
said it made brine enough to cover it. 
t'uver with a plate or board or weight. 
When wanted, soak overnight in fresh 
water and cook like canned corn. I 
would recommend that enough water he 
put in to be sure of enough brine to 
cover it. G. c. u. 
To Season a Butterbowl 
After trying various methods v.Iiirh 
failed to prevent subsequent cracking of 
the bowl. I learned the following, which 
is easy and unfailing. Place a new bowl 
in a washboiler full of cold water, teat, 
and boil a short time. Turn the howl 
often while it is soaking, unless it is 
entirely submerged. In using it after¬ 
ward remember that if a bowl is dry on 
the outside and wet on the inside, it is 
likely to crack from unequal expansion. 
Never place a bowl in the sun. 
Would that all butter-makers would 
heed the advice of E. B. C. (page S28) 
on the working of butter! Some do not, 
aud others fail to wash butter enough. 
Three, waters I consider always requisite, 
and sometimes four. Directions for mak¬ 
ing "butter that will keep” are often 
vague on this point, which is positively 
the most important of all. When the 
final rinsing water appears clear, then 
the buttermilk, which is the cause of ran¬ 
cidity. has been eliminated, but. not until 
then. Even after this I he butter should 
lie worked again, after standing for some 
hours, but this is chiefly for the purpose 
of draining off excess moisture and more 
perfectly blending the salt. All streaks 
in butter may be prevented or overcome 
by sufficient working, g. a. Timmerman. 
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to Own 
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farms, Westinghouse Light and Power 
plants have demonstrated that they are 
dependable and easy to operate. 
And now, by making them also easy to 
own, Westinghouse has brought them 
within the reach of every farmer and his 
family. Electric lights, electric household 
appliances, and electric power wherever 
needed, are made available without delay. 
The special Westinghouse deferred pay¬ 
ment plan spreads the cost of the plant 
itself, the wiring and the equipment, over 
a period of twelve months. After making 
the first payment the farmer may elect to 
pay the balance in six, nine or twelve equal 
monthly payments. Or, if he wishes, he 
may pay for the plant in one, two or three 
payments to be made after the completion 
of his crop harvests. 
The complete flexibility of this plan 
makes it applicable to every farmer’s 
needs. You can install a Westinghouse 
Light and Power Plant on your farm, 
enjoy the comfort and convenience it 
will bring you, and pay for it when your 
crops are sold. That’s why it is so easy 
to own. 
If you want to know more about this 
plan, send in the coupon below. 
WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC &. MANUFACTURING COMPANY 
Farm ins Section 
East Pittsburgh, Pa. 
stinghouse 
Light 
and 
Power 
Plant 
Easy to 
Operate 
Send me complete information about the Westinghouse 
Light and Power Plant. 
.L.N.Y—'0 
