rcbttfcturf 
CIRCULAR SHELVING, 
Nearly thirty years ago, I saw in the 
rooms of the Apprentices' Library of New 
York, several large cylinders with shelving 
around them, holding hundreds of volumes. 
The shaft, through the center of the structure 
was pivoted at the top and bottom, so that 
the librarian could stand by (lie case, and 
with axlight touch of the hand turn the mass 
of booKflflaround. I have often thought the 
plan an excellent one, where a considerable 
accommodation is needed in a limited space, 
nrfd -I proposed it ^br adoption at the re¬ 
modeling of the thirteenth street Presbyterian 
Church Sabbath School room some years ago, 
as the space for an ordinary flat, hook case 
could not well he spared. It proved “just, 
the thing,” as it is in a corner, takes up little 
room, and those having the care of the library 
can stand in one spot, and swing the case 
around to bring any part directly before them 
to take out, or put away a book. 
Out in Tompkins County a milk dairy has 
shelves for the pans so arranged. The plan 
is so good and so little known, 1 here present 
drawings to enable any one to construct such 
a convenience for the dairy, pantry, library, 
shop &e. 
Fromm 1. 
Figure 1 gives the plan of the shelf, show¬ 
ing the under side. A, pieces of board joined 
where they rest upon the six brackets B; I), 
shaft to which the brackets are fastened, and 
in which, at. the top and bottom, are iron 
pivots turning in iron sockets, affixed to the 
flour and ceiling. 
Figure 2. 
Figures isapartiul elevation; D,shaft; A, 
shelf; B, under brackets which maybe used, 
being likely the least expensive; but better 
for several reasons, probably would be the 
wrought iron braces C. 
Figure 3. 
Figure 3 a perspective view, to give a more 
complete idea of the arrangement. If made 
in circular form it would be better and liand- 
soiner than if hexagon or octagon; but it is 
3 somewhat more difficult of construction. The 
plan is capable of being made of any diaine- 
& ter or height. For a very small space proba- 
~p bly zinc or galvanized iron plates would be 
the cheapest, and easiest made into the 
shelves. In case of there being objection to 
r pivoting in the ceiling, a stout frame can be 
S erected from the floor. w. n. 
New York, Oct. 15,18C9. 
RE-MODELING AN OLD BARN. 
I h ave a barn that I wish to enlarge, and hope 
that yon or some of the readers Of the llr. iiAt, 
will give tne a plan for it. The old barn is thirty 
by forty; stands oast and west On ground that 
slopesabout four leot inforty,with a lean-to,on 
the south, the whole length, twelve loot wide 
for a cow stable; a bay on the west sixteen by 
thirty; a floor twelve feet wide and a stable 
twelve feet wide on the east; posts sixteen l'eot 
high. The addition is to be put on the west end 
and the lean-to to be continued the length of the 
new part. 1 want more hay room, more stable 
ami a manure cellar, and a room for farm tools. 
Would it be advisable to splleo the posts of the 
old barn and arrange to drive (u over head with 
hay ana grain? What Is tlio best plan for a 
manure cellar? There would bo a space under 
the lemi-toof the new part, twelveby thirty, for 
manure, and leave the upright to bo divided as 
follows, if practicableLet the bay run to the 
ground next to tho old part, say eighteen feet 
wide, which would leave a room twelve by 
thirty under the west end for tools. Ploaso 
answer.— Ov E. Ib, Deposit, X. Y. 
We print the above to show the character 
of scored of inquiries which come to us. 
Doubtless some of our correspondents may 
be able to give G. E. II. intelligent advice. 
Only on one or two points can we advise. 
Go to the best arranged liarns in your neigh¬ 
borhood and examine them, and, if you can, 
re model your own so as to approach those 
j in convenience and comfort. The farmer 
who h:ts a thorough conception of what lie 
wants can generally devise a way to secure 
it if he has the financial ability to do so. We 
would never have a manure cellar under a 
barn of ours—especially if it is a stock harm 
If we wanted to shelter manure and work it, 
into compost, it should be done entirely 
away from atul independent of the stock 
harm Nor would we have manure lie against 
the side of a barn. It should ho shoveled 
into a wheelbarrow, or cart, or drag, and re¬ 
moved where none of the fumes of fermenta¬ 
tion could contaminate the air of the stable. 
- +++. -• 
How to .Make n Concrete Mull.--Not having 
stone at command, I would like to inqniroabout 
the proper proportion of ingredionts for a con¬ 
crete basement wall under a largo barn. An ex¬ 
planation of the proper mode of making and 
laying this kind of wall will greatly oblige - 
A Minnesota Ritualist. 
Let some of our Western readers who have 
bail experience building concrete walls, respond. 
LANDS IN MISSISSIPPI. 
Now that the affairs of the country are 
becoming settled, the impression is becoming 
quite general among many farmers at the 
North that they may improve their circum¬ 
stances by removing to the sunny South; 
and there are many persons who tire anxious¬ 
ly inquiring where desirable locations may 
he found. The questions which must be 
answered in order to determine whether a 
particular region is desirable or not, are:—Is 
it healthy? Is there plenty of good water? 
What is the proportion of limber and open 
land? What, kinds of timber abound? 
What, is the price of land, Improved and un¬ 
improved? What is tho nature of tho soil ? 
What arc the products? What urn tin* fa¬ 
cilities for market? llow much money can 
be made? What is the state of society? 
What are the general advantages? And a 
very important question is, llow can I learn 
all about it ? 
A number of the citizens of this place, 
having looked upon the thousands of acres 
of land which the vicissitudes of the war 
have left them, while everything else has 
been swept, away, and believing that there is 
no more desirable location at the South, have 
formed themselves into an Immigration So¬ 
ciety, which is answering, as rapidly as pos¬ 
sible, all those inquiries. 
Titis part of Mississippi Is a high rolling 
country with rapid streams, which usually 
have high banks and rock bottoms. There 
is therefore no swampy land to create mala¬ 
ria and breed disease. The climate is mild 
and, though the summers are long and very 
warm, there is never reached so high a tem¬ 
perature. as is frequently experienced ten de¬ 
grees further North. For consumptives the 
South is a cure. For bilious persons the 
long summer and bright sunshine are a dis¬ 
advantage, and they an; obliged to exercise 
cine during their first season here. For per¬ 
sons of average temperament there is per¬ 
haps no more healthy location than this. 
There is a never failing supply of pure, soft 
water in wells, springs and brooks, so that 
both man and boast are everywhere fur¬ 
nished with this, oue of the first requisites lo 
their existence. 
This region is covered with various kinds 
of timber, mostly pine, with an occasional 
I ract of prairie land. Other kinds of timber, 
as cypress, cedar, several of the oaks, ash, 
birch, beech, bay and magnolia abound in 
sufficient quantities to supply all necessities 
of the country. The abundant supply of 
lltese choice kinds of timber reduces the ex¬ 
pense of fencing and building to a mere nom¬ 
inal price. 
The low price of lands seems incredible 
until we remember that it is the combined 
result of the former institutions of the coun¬ 
try and of the revolutions produced by the 
war. Plantations conveniently located, with 
good improvements, are selling at. from four 
to ten dollars per acre. These arc line cot¬ 
ton, corn and fruit farms, and many of them 
arc admirably adapted to stock. They vary 
in size from forty acres to two or three thou¬ 
sand acres, so that the man of either large or 
small means may bo accommodated. Unitn- 
proved lands, which will rise rapidly in 
value us the country is settled, may bo had 
at three, two, or even one dollar per acre. 
The soil consists of a sandy loam at the 
surface, with a good clay subsoil. While it 
does not generally equal in richness the 
prairie of the Northwest, it far surpasses the 
stony lands of the East, and is admirably 
adapted to the. productions of the South, of 
which cotton is still the chief, although corn, 
rice, tobacco and fruits hold important places 
in the farmer’s calculations, and are receiv¬ 
ing increasing attention. The cultivation of 
the grasses and stock raising are likely to 
become important branches of the fanner’s 
vocation. Tho price of cotton since the 
war has been such that the profits on its 
cultivation are immense. It is stated by 
those who have tho advantage of many 
years’ experience that it can lie profitably 
produced at. ten cents per pound. It now 
sells at thirty-three cents in this market, 
and, although we do not expect that this 
price will long continue, yet. is not likely 
soon to fall so low that fortunes cannot be 
rapidly made from its cultivation. Other 
crops yield large profits, and our best farm¬ 
ers have adopted the plan of rotating crops 
there by economizing the strength of the 
soil and guarding against possible failure. 
The cheapness of living on .Southern 
farms, the low prices of lands, and the great 
profits on the cultivation of tho soil, all 
conspire to enrich the energetic farmer at 
the South. Convenience of market is tin im¬ 
portant respect, in which Eastern Mississippi 
is superior to many other portions of the 
South. Tho Mobile and Ohio Railroad runs 
through almost the entire length of the 
State, connecting with the thoroughfares to 
all the great cities of the North on the one 
side, and carrying our produce directly to 
the Gulf on the other. Thus we are able to 
transport our surplus directly to the ocean 
and thence to foreign countries, and at the 
same time we have an outlet for the pro¬ 
ducts of a new kind of industry which is be¬ 
coming every year more important, viz.: 
extensive gardening. We can place fruits 
and vegetables in the Northern cities at a 
season when they meet no competition, and 
consequently command handsome prices. 
The importance of this branch of husbandry 
is not yet. fully developed, but it promises to 
take an important position in the industry 
of this section, and to he one of the most 
profitable branches of Southern farming. 
Very many are prevented from examining 
the country in which they desire to settle as 
they would like by the heavy expense of 
traveling, but the railroad company on whoso 
lint; we are situated is offering every advan¬ 
tage to the settler, in order to have the 
country along its line settled by energetic, 
honest farmers, hoping only to lie rewarded 
for its liberality by the increase of business 
which will he the natural result, and by the 
more advantageous sale of lands belonging 
to the Company. This road furnishes free 
transportation to those sicking homes, thus 
enabling them to examine with but little ex 
pense a large extent of tho most desirable 
part of the South, selecting such location as 
will prove most pleasant as a homo and most 
profitable as an investment,. 
It is impossible, to describe the society of 
the South as it. will be five years hence; but 
now it is cordial, friendly and ellivalric, 
gladly welcoming, at. most places, every new 
comer. While society is changing by the 
introduction of new elements and by altered 
circumstances, it is impossible lo obliterate 
the old chivalry of the South, and this, with 
the new energy coming in from the North, 
is destined to form a happy combination. 
The Immigration Society above mentioned 
invites correspondence on all subjects of in¬ 
terest lo those looking to the South for 
homes, and will gladly render all the as¬ 
sistance in its power to those who settle 
among us.—E. B. Cowgirl, Cor. Secretary 
Immigration Society, Enterprise, Miss. 
-♦-*-«.- 
Johnson t o., Mo. W. J. Welsh Aus writes an 
interesting letter I'rotti Wurrcnslmrg concerning 
this county, which tie says is thirty miles south 
of t ho Missouri Elver and fifty miles from tho 
western boundary of tl»o State, and contains 
6O0v0(H) acres of choice farming lands, through 
which the I’ueilu: Railroad pusses. Warrcns- 
but'g, the county seat, tins 4,000 population, is 
two hundred and eighteen miles from St. Louis 
ami sixty-five miles from Kansas City. Markets 
good; schools good. A railway to Uoonville, 
Mo., is now building, which will connect with a 
branch of the North Missouri Railroad, giving 
direct connection with Chicago. 
domestic (L'conomij. 
CONDUCTED BY MARY A. E. WAGED. 
Tennessee Lunds.— Will Dr. Daniet, Lee, your 
Southern Corresponding Editor, be so kind as to 
give to tin- many readers of tin- Ritual an ac¬ 
count of that, part of Tennessee in which ho 
lives its surface, soil, climate, health fulness, 
and the price of land. In so doing he will great¬ 
ly oblige— A Rural Reader. 
WELL-TRIED RECIPES. 
No household convenience is more useful 
than a set of pantry scales which weigh 
from half an ounce to ten or twenty pounds. 
The cost is from three to live, dollars, tie- 
cording to size. In making delicate cake, 
where small quantities arts often required, in 
fruit cunning, weighing butter, &c., they are 
almost Indispensable. Their superiority to 
the common steelyard is great. 
Housewives woufil spare themselves many 
a mortifying mid expensive failure if, in 
cooking, they would use weights instead of 
measures, which are always inaccurate. 
Premising, then, that every housekeeper 
has or will soon have one of these Helps in 
her possession, wo add some recipes which 
arc unfailing. 
Item* to be llmlml. 
Iii making cake always mix the butter 
and sugar together until creamy. It is 
easiest done with the hand. Grease the tins 
with fresh lard and then line them with 
writing paper. When cake is baked in lay¬ 
ers it will be done before it is colored much, 
and tlie paper, when peeled off, will take off 
most that is brown ; if any is left, scrape it 
off before sticking them together. 
Have a quick oven, and if the cuke browns 
tot) fust spread a newspaper over it. 
Dissolve the soda in the milk, and mix the 
cream of tartar dry into the flour. 
Always beat the whites of eggs stiff, and 
add them at t he same time with the flour. 
Stir the yolks with t he butter and sugar, then 
add the milk, and last the flour and whiles. 
By a teaspoonful is meant, in these recipes, 
a medium-sized teaspoon teen full. 
Dry coffee sugar makes lighter ealte limn 
the pulverized. For frosting, one teacup of 
sugar to the while of one egg is sufficient. 
Sponge Cake. —Stir llte yolks of live eggs 
with eight ounces of sugar and add a tea¬ 
spoonful of flavoring extract. Beat, the 
whiles still’ and add with live and a half 
ounces of flour, in which is mixed half a tea- 
spoonful cream of tartar. No soda is used. 
Mix very lightly, only just enough to get the 
materials together, and pour into a deep 
square tin. Have l ho oven rather hotter limn, 
for the oilier cake, and bake to a pule brown. 
White Sponge. Cake .—Beat the whites of 
ten eggs very light, and add lo the same 
quantity of flour and sugar as above, Be 
care Ihl not to stir much after the whites are in. 
Corn Starch Cake .—Mix ounces sugar and 
three of butter ; half a teacup of sweet, milk 
and one-third of a teaspoonful of soda ; three 
Ounces flour, three of com starch and a small 
teaspoonful cream tartar; whites of three 
eggs beaten. After all are together, stir 
about ten minutes. This needs no flavoring 
and is just enough for a small round loaf or 
for four layers. 
Snow Cake. — Four ounces blitter and 
twelve ounces sugar; one teacup sweet milk 
and half a teaspoonful of soda; half a tea¬ 
spoonful flavoring—bitter almond is best, as 
it does not color—ten ounces flour and one 
teaspoonful cream tartar; whiles of four 
eggs. This makes a deep, square-tin loaf, 
or two small, narrow tins. It will look loose 
from tho tin when done, but will not fall if 
not quite baked enough — about three- 
quarters of an hour is sufficient. A cup of 
Zante currants added is very nice. 
California Cake. — Seven ounces sugar, 
four ounces butter and yolks of three eggs; 
three tablespoonfuls milk, half a teaspoonful 
soda, oue teaspoonful lemon ; six ounces 
flour, a teaspoonful cream, tartar and the 
three whiten beaten. 
Either of these cakes, except the sponge 
cake* are very fine baked in thin layers and 
put together with Jelly or with thin frosting 
and fresh eoeoaimt grated on—the desiccated 
null do, but is not us nice. Frost over the 
top and sides, and finish by grating on cocoa- 
nut. For chocolate cake, take the prepared 
cocoa, melt it and stir into frosting till as 
dark as you wish, and spread between layers 
of white cake; ie.e top and sides with the same. 
Good Creams .— 1. One teacup milk and a 
heaped tablcspoonful of corn starch stirred 
free from lumps; two tablespooufula sugar 
and some flavoring. Set the basin contain¬ 
ing it into boiling water, and stir till it thick¬ 
ens; put between the cakes before it cools. 
2. A large cup milk set into hot water 
till it boils; tlireft beaten eggs and three 
tablespoonfuls sugar. A cup of cocoanut or 
blanched almonds may he added. 
Pickles. —A correspondent on pickle mak¬ 
ing directs to scald them in brass lo give 
a fine color. Pickles greened in this way 
are not only poisonous hut disgusting. Who 
wants to eat the abomination made by put¬ 
ting salted vinegar into brass? 
In washing cucumbers rub off all the black 
prickles, pour over t Item a weak brine heated 
boiling hot ; let it stand one day, dram off 
and cover with boiling vinegar; after twenty- 
four hours put the pickles in crocks, and 
cinnamon, mustard and green peppers, with 
a few pieces of horse-radish and a dozen or 
two cloves; cover with cold vinegar, and 
your pickles are “ done" for two years or 
more, if you wish. Sugar is an improve¬ 
ment. Use eider vinegar. The same brine 
and vinegar may be heated ami used more 
than once. A porcelain kettle is best for 
scalding vinegar or any sour sauce. Do not 
use tin cans for tomatoes or anything acid. 
East Avon, N. Y. T. 
To Destroy lint- Bugs .—Boil in oue gallon 
of water one-half pound of alum; wash the 
cord, and tiller scouting the stains off the 
bedstead with ashes, wash, with hot alum 
water, the floors and all parts where there 
are any signs of them. I have never known 
it to fall to entirely destroy them ; If the sea¬ 
son is late it will head them oil’ so that they 
will he scarce next, season. 1 have seen 
good bedsteads spoiled with hot water which 
only kills such bugs as it comes it, contact 
with, while they (the bugs,) will not stay on 
tho parts which have been wet with alum 
water.—A Rural Reader. 
To Care Hants and Shoulders .—The follow¬ 
ing nvipe lias been used twenty years :—For 
every twenty pounds of meat, take one pound 
of salt, one ounce of pepper, one ounce of 
saltpeter, one fourth pound of sugar or mo¬ 
lasses; rub the fleshy part of the meat wilh 
this mixture once a week for three weeks; 
then hang up as they grew, stub downwards, 
so as not to leak out the liquid. 
For Sausage use one-hall’ pound of suit; 
one ounce of sage ; one ounce of pepper, and 
a little ginger if you desire.—J. W. Jay. 
BREWING AT HOME. 
A correspondent of the London Cottage 
Gardener gives the following directions for 
making domestic beer: I will now tell you 
the articles necessary for brewing at home. 
Every collage owns a large saucepan—one 
that holds about three gallons is a good size; 
this will answer the purpose of a copper. A 
tub will ho the utensil for working the beer 
in; and, if you cannot conveniently buy a 
small mash-tub* boro a hole in tho bottom of 
a pail to allow the liquor to run slowly 
through. Those three things are all that are 
really necessary; and now, as to the. mate¬ 
rials of the beer. Those who have been ac¬ 
customed to drink brewer’s beer, will not, 
perhaps, at first, like the pure malt and hops; 
their taste, however, will soon improve; or, 
if not, they will, find that, by adding to every 
two bushel of malt the following Ingredients, 
they will obtain beer very similar to what 
they have always drank Three pounds 
sugar, boiled up once in a very little water, 
with oue pennyworth coriander seed, and 
one pennyworth capsicum.” Malt must he 
carefully chosen the amber colored is the 
best. It should not be ground, but merely 
crushed. Hops should be. new ; when good, 
they have a yellowish-green color. Soft 
water should he used, if possible, for brew¬ 
ing; and every article must lx: clean. 
1 xvi 11 suppose you wish to brew six gal¬ 
lons of beer, and for that quantity you must 
have a pot which will contain four gallons 
of water. Have ready, in your mash-tub, 
one peek of crushed mull, (he careful to have 
the hole in the tub stopped.) When the 
water nearly boils, pour it on the malt; stir 
it well for ten minutes; cover the pail over 
with a thick sack or piece of wood, and 
place it by the lire for two hours. Hold the 
pail over the tub; draw out the peg and let 
Ihe liquor run ; stop the hole again, and add 
to the malt two gallons more of nearly boil¬ 
ing water; cover as before and set, by the 
lire for an hour. Put the first st rained liquor 
into the copper or pot, and add four ounces 
of good hops; boil for twenty minutes; 
strain it into a tub ; return the hops to the 
pot, and add the second addition of wort, 
which has been standing by the lire; boil 
this half an hour; strain and cool this as 
you did the first; when lukewarm, mix them 
together and stir in three-fourths of a pint 
of yeast. Skim it frequently during the day, 
and when it has stood twenty-four hours In 
the tub, put it, into a cask; leave the bung- 
hole open as long as any yeast rises, but 
when fermentation is over hammer the hung 
tightly in and leave it for a week, by the end 
of which it will be lit for use. 
One of tho chief points in brewing is, to 
attend to the proper heat the water has be¬ 
fore it is poured on the malt. If it is too 
hot, it eontraefs the malt and prevents the 
full flavor from appearing ; the proper tem¬ 
perature is 180 ; but, as a thermometer is 
not a likely appendage to a cottage wall, 
the hand must be depended upon. You 
should just be able to draw your hand 
quickly through the water without expe¬ 
riencing pain. 
- ♦-*-♦- - 
Buckwheat (Inkes.— These are peculiarly adapt¬ 
ed to cold weather. The appetite craves thciu, and 
they supply tho system with warmth, to enable it to 
resist for it long time the feeling of hunger. But 
they niucd, be made Ju?t right, and here is a prime 
recipe. Make » thin hotter with a quart ol flour, 
half a cup of yeast, warm water and a little suit. Let 
it rise over night. Bake on b.tth sides on a griddle. 
A little of tho batter left In tho rising dish will servo 
as yeast for the* next batch. It Is better to add it toa- 
apointful of Mulerutua before baking in the morning, 
and it is very essential that this be good and strictly 
pure. 1 ulwuys use D. B. DeLand & Co.’s Chemical 
Salcratua— Cele. 
