MABOH 30 
riciitiftc atut 1 sejitl. 
A FARMER'S FURNACE. 
Tite description of furnace given by N. O. 
B., in Rural New-Yokker, Jan. 13, is par¬ 
tially, but not entirely, original to people in 
this section. We have about the name sized 
stove as N. O. B. It is bricked up on either 
side by simply laying two courses, two 
inches from the stove, and about fifteen 
inches higher than the stove. Each course 
is a brick and a-half in width,and tin; brick 
an inch and a-half apart, for cold air to pass 
through. The buck side is one course, laid 
close uud against the stove, of the same 
bight as the sides. No mortar or mason re¬ 
quired. The whole is covered with tin, oval 
on top, two inches oil the three sides, from 
the brick, and raised from t he bottom of 
cellar four inches, for the cold air to pasB 
under. The hot air pipes pass from the top 
of this to any point desired. The smoko 
pipe passes to the. front of stove and back, 
and then to the chimney, through the lower 
and upper hall. The lower hall, 11 by 37 
feet, is warmed enough to sit in, and two 
largo sleeping rooms above, each 11 by 10 
feet, and one small one, 10 by 13 feet, arc 
made warm enough to sleep in. 
Tiie size of the lower rooms, which can be 
heated sufficiently at all times, Is, dining¬ 
room, 13 by 18; bed-room, 9 by 10; front 
and buck parlors, each, 13 by 31. We used 
between 708 and 800 brick, (old ones.) The 
oost of hot air pipes, tin over the stove, and 
stove, was 635. The expense of smoke pipe 
and registers, are as to quality. 
Rural Reader. 
Denmark, Lewis Co., N. Y. 
-- 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 
Raising Water for Irrigation.—A cor¬ 
respondent of the Rural New-Yorker 
sends us the following, to which we shall be 
glad to receive and publish answers from 
such as have experience bearing upon the 
subject:—“ We have a stream of water run¬ 
ning through our place, and 1 would like to 
know whether we can raise enough of it 
with a water ram so that It will be profita¬ 
ble for irrigation, under the following cir¬ 
cumstances: We can got a fall of fi’om six 
to eight feet, and want to raise the water 
say from eighteen to tweuty foet. if we 
can get it that height we can water some 
twelve or fourteen acres of a rather gravelly 
eoil. What proportion of the stream can 
wo raise? What do the “rams'’ cost? 
Will it. work if the “ feed pipe ” is crooked ? 
Which way could the same quantity of 
water be raised the cheapest—by a ram or 
a windmill? What would a windmill cost, 
large enough to raise ft two inch stream to 
the above bight v — Farmer. 
Steaming Food.—1 Sntend to steam the 
food for my stock next winter, by means of 
a set kettle and a tight box, forcing the 
boiling water upon t he feed, and covering 
the box tight. Would a Friudle's steam 
boiler l>o more profitable, my stock consist¬ 
ing of fifteen Read of cattle? The place 
where 1 want to set my kettle being ad¬ 
joining the barn-yard, could 1 fix my chim¬ 
ney so that my straw stuck would not be 
endangered by the sparks? — Old Con¬ 
tributor. 
We should think a Friudle’s, or some 
other of the excellent steam boilers now 
made, preferable to the proposed arrange¬ 
ment. These boilers can be set and the 
steam generated at ain required distance 
from combustible substances, and t he steam 
conveyed to the food to be cooked in rub¬ 
ber tubes safely and effectively. We should 
not want a heap of straw near any chimney 
that 'we have seen made for such purpose. 
Clxeap Cement of Brick Du at.—Mr. 
F. B. Miles inform?, the Journal of the. 
Franklin Institute that Spanish engineers 
successfully use ordinary brick dust, made 
from hard-burned, finely-pulverized bricks, 
and mixed with common lime and sand, as 
a substitute for hydraulic cement. The 
proportions used in general practice are one 
of briolc dust, one of lime, and two of sand, 
mixed dry and tempered with water ill the 
usual way. Mr. Miles has tested the ce¬ 
ment during six years’ experience, and 
found it superior to the best Rosendale. 
Dr. Wahl, in a note to the above communi¬ 
cation, quotes the opinion of Mr. Traut- 
wine that the addition of even as little as 
one-teulh as much brick dust as sand to our 
ordinary mortars, would prevent the disin¬ 
tegration so generally visible in the mortars 
used in masonry. 
Red Nones and Electricity.—It is as¬ 
serted that science has come to the aid of 
those bon-vlvants whose principal facial 
organ betrays by its rubiouudity the depth 
MOQBE’S BUBAL NEW-Y0BKEB. 
and strength of their potations. The “jolly 
red nose” of the inordinate lover of alco¬ 
holic stimulants, may now be relegated to 
the list of curable diseases, thanks to a 
French physician. Dr. Bernier, who has 
successfully treated some cases of this kind 
by the local application of an electric cur¬ 
rent. Among other patients, a lady of high 
rank, to whose nose the wire of the doctor’s 
galvanic battery had been applied, has now 
the sat isfaction of moving among her fellow 
beings free from I he bacchanalian hue which 
had long tainted that important facial or¬ 
gan. This is the latest t riumph of electricity. 
To Mend Rubber Boots. — <1. Cable 
asks for a mode of mending rubber boots 
and shoos. Last year we published t he fol¬ 
lowing from a correspondent of the Rural 
New-Yorker, who has mended them in 
this wise:—Get a piece of pure rubber —an 
old shoe; vulcanized rubber will not do— 
cut into small bits; put into a bottle, and 
cover to twice its depth with spirits of tur- i 
pontine or refined coal tar naphtha—not I 
petroleum naphtha. Stop the bottle and 
set to one side, shaking it frequently. The 
rubber will Boon dissolve. Then take the 
shoe and press the rip or cut close together, 
aud put on the solution with a camel’s hair 
brush. Continue to apply as fast, as it dries, 
until a thorough coating is formed. 
Cement for Aquarium.*—Wishing to 
build an aquarium, 1 would like to learn 
from some of your readers, what cement to 
use, which will stand the water. Also what 
plants thrive t he best. How many plants in 
an aquarium two feet long and one foot 
wide?—C. M., Dearborn, Midi. 
One of the largest dealers in aquaria, and 
cements for them, told us the best oernont 
was made of melted virgin rubber, made 
into a stiff paste with powdered lime. It 
was always soft and elastic, aud, he said, did 
not affect the water. But few plants should 
be grown in an aquarium such as .you de¬ 
scribe. Your own good taste will suggest 
what will look well in it. There is no rule 
governing the matter that we are aware of. 
Rats and their Removal. —In answer 
to S., Walnut Mills, Cincinnati, O., inquir¬ 
ing about vats in Ritual New- > oukkk, al¬ 
low me to my t hat, the use of B. Ibaaosen's 
•• Sure Death, or Phosphorus Paste,” will 
rid the premises of rats at once, aud no 
smell can be noticed. They leave the prem¬ 
ises to find water and die before t hey return. 
1 have used it many years with perfect suc¬ 
cess, and find it to be the only sure remedy. 
There is no danger in its use. I have tried 
all kinds of rat preparat ions, traps, etc., but 
give this the best place for the work. Isaac¬ 
ses‘ s powder for bed-bugs aud water-bugs 
is equally sure death every time. Use t hese 
remedies or stop grumbling.— Mrs. J. L. 
Tanning Leather.—The Boston Journal 
of Chemistry gives what it calls an approv¬ 
ed recipe, for tanning, as follows:—Soak the 
skiu or hide eight or nine days in water, 
then put, it in lime; take it out, and remove 
the hair by rubbing it, and soak it in clear 
water until the lime is entirely out. Put 
one pound of alum to three of salt, dissolve 
in a vessel sufficiently large to hold the 
hide; soak the hide in it three or four days, 
then take it out. let, it. get. half dry, aud then 
heat or rub it until it becomes pliable. 
Leather prepared in this process will not do 
well for shoes, but answers for hamestrings, 
back bands, and various other purposes on 
t lic farm. 
Bomcslic Grottontit. 
-—^ t ^ 
BILL OP FARE FOR A WEEK. 
Monday’s Breakfast. —I thought I 
would, for the benefit of those that do t heir 
own work, or have but little help, furnish a 
bill of fare, aud toll them how to cook it, for 
one week. 1 think it impossible for one to 
give a bill Of fare without wasting a great 
deal, unless one cooks it. from day to day 
one’s self, or orders it- done. One does not 
know what will bo left ; aud there is many 
a good dish made from remnants. I propose 
to cook for one week, (as my girl has left 
me,) and give you the bill of fare and how I 
cook it. 
To begin: It is Monday morning, aud as 
there is hut little cooked, I shall not have 
any one’s remnants to use, and cun have 
everything of my own cooking. Let me see 
what there is most handy. Here is buck¬ 
wheat, haui, eggs, bread, fried cakes, crack¬ 
ers and coffee, of course. Well, 1 will bake 
some potatoes and put on the tea-kettle. I 
Can’t, make coffee until the tea-kettle boils, 
and that will be time enough, as too much 
boiling hurts coffee. 1 browned this coffee 
myself, on Saturday. I always do. It needs 
so much caro to have it even and nice. I 
brown but little at a time, and so have it 
fresh. 1 will take enough to make two messes, 
aud stir up with an egg; that will save eggs. 
There are. four of us, and that will take eight 
good, full fapooDfuls. Now, while the kettle 
is boiling, t will set the table. There is one 
thing 1 will try and do—to put the cloth on 
straight.. I do like to see a table set nice. 
1 will warm the plates. Now 1 have—let 
me see— butter, sirup, fried cakes, crackers 
and bread. 1 will not cut much bread, for 
it may not bo wanted just a few nice little 
slices. Now for cooking the ham and mak¬ 
ing coffee. I will scald the milk ; it. is hotter, 
for coffee, to have it hot. It seems as if 
coffee t asted better, and laid a better color, 
when you scald milk. 
My breakfast is done, all but. the cakes. 
Nice baked potatoes, ham, eggs and coffee. 
I will bo particular and get it on the dishes 
nicely, as that is half. I will always set my 
table with spoon-holder, castor, and with as 
much care us if 1 was expecting company. 
After breakfast I am going to cook, so as to 
have more of a variety. 1 have got bread to 
make, pies, cake, and dinner to get. When 
I once get started, I shall have it all go like 
clock-work. In my next letter I shall tell 
you how I got, aud what 1 had, for dinner. 
Union Springs, N. Y. m. n. r. 
—-- 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
Soup Recipe. — I scud the following, 
which my husband pronounces excellent; 
Put four pounds of fresh beef in six quarts 
of cold water; let. it boil slowly for five or 
six hours; (I usually boil my meat the pre¬ 
ceding day, then take it from the pot and 
partially skim off the top;) grate, or finely 
slice, one large or two small carrots; slice 
two or three onions, one turnip and two 
potatoes; suit and black pepper to taste; 
add one-quarter of a red pepper, one table¬ 
spoon of summer savory; let these ingredi¬ 
ents boll slowly together for nearly two 
hours. Just before taking up for the table 
mix a tablespoon of flour in a little cold 
water; stir into the soup, letting it boil up 
twice, and your soup is done. — Nellie A. 
K., Kcw> London, Conn. 
good sifted Graham flour to form a rather 
stiff dough ; knead well, roll thin, cut, prick, 
and bake in rather quick oven. 
The, foregoing recipes T know to be good. 
—C. B. M. 
Tomatoes in Iron Pots.—There are a 
thousand and one things I would like to 
know.-, (and probably shall, in time, unless I 
have to learn how to vote,) but this I do 
know, t hat, tomatoes most, not be cooked in 
an iron pot. Some beneficent housekeeper, 
following in the footsteps of the illustrious 
“scrapple” maker, gives a recipe in last 
week's Rural New-Yorker for a cheap 
soup, in which she directs the ingredients 
to be put in an iron pot. 1 sometimes, at 
good tables, taste tomatoes which have 
been made bitter by this process. If the in¬ 
tention is to medicate them, the result will 
satisfy the design.—M rs. N. O., llohohus, 
N. J. 
Fancy Home-Made Carpet.— I will 
send my pattern, which I think very pret¬ 
ty:— The fancy stripe contains two-thirds 
of white, nine of blue, five of brown, three 
of yellow, six of green, two of black and 
white, t wisted, four of red, eight of brown, 
four of red, then the twisted, six of green, 
three of yellow, two of blue, two of red, two 
of white, two of black, three of yellow, five 
of brown, nine of blue, two of white. This 
is the fancy stripe. The other is “ hit. and 
miss,” with black on each side. I think it 
prettier without the “hit and miss eight¬ 
een black and thirty-four “ hit. and miss,” 
or fifty-two black. The fancy stripe is made 
of good colors.—M rs. Haas, Mcadvillc, Pa. 
“ Peel, and Bend to the Table.”—This 
Is written of potatoes in the Rural New- 
Yorker, page 103, of February loth. Shame 
on the man or woman who would give such 
advice! lie Is certainly a candidate for the 
insane asylum! Never “ peel ” your potato 
before sending it the table t The only time 
to eat potatoes is when t hey are smoking 
Imt, and then allow no one t o cut them with 
a knife, but always break them, and eat at 
once, with salt and butter. The delicious 
flavor of the potato is only enjoyed by this 
manner of eating. —J. J- T., Fulton Co., Ga. 
Boda Biscuit. — Into a pan containing 
five quarts sifted flour, put two even tea¬ 
spoonfuls pulverized soda uud a little salt— 
having a hole in the center of the flour al¬ 
ready prepared; pour into the flour four 
cups of sour milk —all the better if partly 
cream; stir the milk and soda a minute, till 
it foams; then mix with flour into a stiff 
dough, if spring wheat; work but. little, and 
get it into the oven as quickly as possible. 
Some of my nicest biscuits have been made 
and baked in twenty minutes. 
Domestic Inquiries. — “ Housewife ’ 
asks for recipes for making the celebrated 
Boston brown bread and “ginger gems”. . 
“A Young Housewife” wishes “some of 
the old housekeepers, who know how to 
make good coffee, would tell her how to do 
it, so that she may ph ase her (my) husband. 
Let somebody do so. 
Corn Bread.—Take four cups sour milk, 
one of these partly tilled with cream; one 
egg, a little salt, two even teaspoonfulB pul¬ 
verized soda; mix the soda with a very lit¬ 
tle corn meal, aud stir altogether, till it 
foams; then add corn meal till a thin batter 
is obtained, and pour into hot tins, oiled, 
an inch deep, and bake in a quick oven. 
Concrete Pipe, — Will any of your 
numorous correspondents answer the fol¬ 
lowing queries: — What are concrete pipe 
composed of ? What is their comparative 
strength, say twenty-four inches, for con¬ 
ducting water for town supplies? Are they 
intended to be used under ground or above 
ground? Are they placed in ditchos made 
for that purpose, or must they be placed on 
stone walls ? Would they bo strong enough 
to bear their weight, with water, in case the 
ground, or wall, on which they are placed 
should give or settle at any place ? Are they 
affected by freezing, &o. ?—W. B. 
Cheese Meerschaums. — The London 
Milk Journal says Dr. Wagner has dis¬ 
covered that, cheese will sell readily for 
meerschaum, having pointed out that ca- 
scine, mixed with six parts of calcined 
magnesia and one part of oxide of zinc, and 
all diluted with water, makes a wliitey 
paste, which, when dry, indurates to suoli 
an extent that it will cut like the true 
article, aud is susceptible of a glorious 
polish. _ 
Bolder for Iron and Bteel. — A corre¬ 
spondent at Huntington, Tenn., asks some 
of the readers of the Rural New-Yorker 
to inform him “how to prepare a solder 
I suitable to solder iron and steel.” 
“ Rice Pudding;.”—If your correspond¬ 
ent, 11. II. 8., who seems to be fond Of rice 
pudding, will try the following recipe, it 
will make his mouth water, and he may 
conclude to emigrate South, where he can 
cultivate rice and grow fat on i*ice pudding: 
Take one teacup full of soft, boiled rice, 
one tablespoonful of butter, mixed in the 
rice while hot; add one quart of sweet milk, 
one teacup of sugar, the yolks of five eggs, 
season with lemon; bake until done. Beat 
the whites of the five eggs to a stiff froth, 
and stir in it five heaping tablespoonfuls of 
powdered sugar; spread over the custard; 
return to the oven, uud bake a delicate 
brown.—T. W. C., Augusta, Go. 
Graham Goins.—Take half plufc sweet 
milk, half pint cold water; stir into it 
enough sifted Graham flour to form a batter 
rather thick for griddle cakes; stir well, 
and bake immediately. Drop into hot, oiled 
gem-pans, and bake twenty minutes in a 
rather hot oven, diminishing heat toward 
the last. If preferred, they may be made 
all of milk or cold water, or fine flour, in¬ 
stead of Graham, or half of each. 
Graham Crackers. — Take one pint 
warm water, not hot enough to scald, half 
cup thick sweet cream; mix with it enough 
Feather Cake—Simple and good -.—One 
cup white sugar, one spoonful butter, one 
egg. two even cups sifted flour, two-thirds 
cup sour milk or cream, half teaspoon soda. 
One teaspoon cream tartar may be used in¬ 
stead of sour milk. Flavor to taste. 
Coloring Recipes Wanted.—Will some 
of the readers of the Rural New-Yorker 
please give a reoipe for coloring a permanent 
red on cotton—tsuoh a red as the calico wo 
buy ? No alebetta or aualine recipes desired. 
—Mrs. G. W. Scovell, Bradford Co., Pa. 
Ginger Cookies.—Take three cups of 
molasses, one cup sugar, one cup hot water, 
one cup but ter, 1 tablespoouful ginger, two 
teaspoonfuls saleratus; add flour enough, 
and knead them so that they will roll well, 
and they will be found good.—M. 8. Smith. 
Vermicelli Soup.— Make a soup or veal, 
mutton or fowls; add a quarter of a pound 
of vermicelli; boil it fifteen minutes; add a 
little mace, a cup of cream just before tak- 
iug it up, aud a small piece of butter; salt 
and pepper to the taste. 
•* Floating Island.” — Will somebody 
tell how to make “Floating Island?”— the 
easiest, plainest and best way.—R. 
