I omtziit sBcommn. 
ABOUT GEESE. 
A reader wishes us t,o give a goose chap¬ 
ter, and tell her how a goose should be 
roasted. A goose is no favorite of ours, in 
any sense— we don’t like its feathers, its 
voice, its snipping propensities, nor the bird 
itself, even when well cooked. Like most 
evils, it is a long-lived “ cretur vide “ Mow¬ 
bray on Poultry,” wherein he says, “ A 
goose on a farm in Scotland, two years since, 
of tlie clearly ascertained age of eighty-nine 
years, healthy and vigorous, was killed by a 
sow while sitting over her eggs; it was sup¬ 
posed she might have lived many years, and 
her fecundity appeared to be permanent. 
Other geese have been proved to reach the 
age of seventy years.” Any goose having 
arrived at such an advanced age should 
never he chosen for roasting. When one 
fully considers the venerable geese that are 
selected (or saved rather) for roasting, the re¬ 
mark does not seem so very unnecessary 
after all. 
“ Is goose healthy ?” Dr. Stark affirmed 
in his “ Experiments on Diet” that “ when 
he fed upon roasted goose, he was more 
vigorous both iu body and mind than with 
any other diet.” 
French people quite despise the goose it- 
selt, but dote on goose liver. To have the 
liver just “ perfect,” poor goosie must sub¬ 
mit to a very uncomfortable ante-mortem 
process. He is placed before a tire, where 
he is kept as hot as lie can be, and live, aud 
then crammed with meat aud deprived of 
drink. His liver grows to an enormous 
size—becomes so by being diseased—and is 
considered a great delicacy. The Strasbourg 
pies, so firmed some years ago, and sold for 
enormous prices, were made of these “ arti¬ 
ficially ” produced livers. “ How very 
dreadful!’’ you exclaim ; and yet animals in 
these enlightened days are penned and 
fatted to render them fit to he eaten!—on a 
very similar principle. 
If the goose is mi old one, put it in a pot 
with cold water and let it remain until the 
water becomes boiling hot; then take it.out, 
put au onion inside of it, but no other dress¬ 
ing. Watch it while roasting, and see that 
it does not get too much browned. A few 
oysters may be added to the gravy, if one 
likes. Ducks may be served in the same 
manner. 
We have somewhere seen a recipe for de¬ 
priving a goose, stuffed with sage and onions, 
of all iuceuse ! A lemon is carefully peeled, 
placed inside the stuffing; after the goose is 
roasted, au opening is made, the lemon taken 
out and thrown immediately away. The 
theory for this treatment is supposed to be 
based upon the absorbing quality of the 
white, pithy skin, which will have attracted 
unto itself all the gross properties of the 
goose. Of course care should he taken not 
to break the lemon iuits removal. 
It the goose is “o’er young," make a stuff¬ 
ing with about two ounces of onion, (if i he 
flavor is too strong, cut the onion in slices, 
and let them lie in cold water for a couple of 
hours,) about half as much green sage. Chop 
them fine, adding four ounces, i. <?., about a 
large coffeecupful of stale bread crumbs, a 
bit of butter as big as a walnut, and a very 
little pepper and salt, (to this some cooks add 
half the liver, after first parboiling it,) the 
yolk of an egg or two, and incorporating the 
whole well together, stuff the goose; do not 
quite fill it, but leave a little room for the 
stuffing to swell. From an hour and a-half 
to an hour aud three-quarters will roast a 
fine, lull-grown goose. 
The great day for roast goose is Michael¬ 
mas, the 20th of September. The true period 
when the goose is in its highest perfection, 
is when its full growth is attained, and be¬ 
fore it has begun to harden. Generally con¬ 
sidered, the best time for goose is from the 
last of June to the last of September; never¬ 
theless, it is ill mid-winter, oflenest, that the 
scythe of fate takes off her head for the good 
of the hurnau race. 
A goose is called “green” until it is four 
months old. It is roasted the same as the 
elders, save that it is seasoned with pepper 
and salt, instead of sage and onion, aud 
roasted for forty or fifty minutes only. 
Sauce for Koaat Goose. 
Chop very line an ounce of onion, and 
hall an ounce of green sage leaves, or less of 
dried ones; add four spoonfuls of water; 
simmer gently ten minutes. Then add a 
teaspoonful of pepper and salt, and one 
ounce of fine bread-crumbs; wire well to¬ 
gether; then pour on it a quarter of a pint 
of broth, or gravy from the goose, (or melted 
ed butter, which is indigestible;) stir well 
together, and simmer a few minutes longer. 
This is a very relishing sauce for roast 
poik, poultry or ducks, or for green peas on 
raaigu (fast) days, if you are a Roman 
Catholic and observe such rites. 
Another stuffing for goose may be made 
° l )0 J^ to ea mashed with cream, pepper and 
salt. The goose should he firmly tied around , 
with a strong white thread, to keep the 
wings and legs in place. 
A Goose Pie. 
Cut a fine young goose into eight pieces, 
and season it with pepper. Reserve the 
giblets for gravy. Take a smoked tongue 
that has been in soak all night, parboil it, 
peel it, and cut it into thick slices, omitting 
the root, which you must divide into small 
pieces to stew with the giblets for gravy. 
Make a delicious crust, allowing a pound 
and a-half of butter to three of flour. Line 
a deep dish with it. Fill it with the pieces 
of goose and slices of tongue. Skim the 
giblet gravy, thicken it with a little browned 
flour, and pour it into the pie dish. Put on 
the upper crust. Bake three hours in a 
brisk oven. In makiug a large pie, other 
fowls, as pigeons or partridges, may be 
added, cut up. A duck pie may be similar¬ 
ly made. 
-- 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
" # 
Potatoes Esenltoped. 
After the potatoes are thoroughly boiled, 
drain them dry, pick out every speck, aud 
while hot, rub them through a colander or 
mash them line with a ladle or masher. 
ItIDINO HABIT— SINGLE BREASTED On..\. 
Butter some nice clean scollop shells, patty 
pans or teacups, or small saucers ; put in a 
few potatoes; make them smooth at the top ; 
cross a knife over them; strew a few flue 
bread crumbs on them ; sprinkle over them 
a few drops of melted butter aud sot them in 
an oven to brown. When brown on the top, 
take them out of the shells aud brown on the 
other side. 
To Coolc Parsnips. 
Wash and brush them well, but do not 
scrape them. (A stiff brush is almost an in¬ 
dispensable in cleaning vegetables.) They 
require more or less time according to their 
size; therefore select such as are alike in 
size. Thrust a fork through them while 
they are still in the boiling water to find if 
they be done. From one to two hours are 
required. Some cooks quarter them before 
boiling. Some fry them brown in a frying 
pan after they are boiled. Some mash with 
potatoes. The sweet sickish taste is said to 
be modified by adding molasses to the water 
in which they are boiled. It is a wholesome 
and nourishing vegetable. 
Acid Tarts. 
Take one egg; one cup sugar; one cup 
water; one and a half teaspoonsful tartaric 
acid; one teaspoonful flour; one teaspoonful 
extract lemon; a piece of butter size of a 
walnut Cook over steam; then fill the paste 
RIDIXO HABIT SINGLE BREASTED CLOSED. 
and bake moderately. Put the lemon in 
just before baking. Ice them if you wish.— 
I/. E. K. 
Grandmother's Way of Cookincr Chickens. 
Cot up the chicken and boil in a little 
water until done; pour the water into a 
dish; put a large piece of butter into your 
kettle and let the chicken fry a few minutes, 
stirring often. In the meantime dredge a 
handful of flour into your broth, adding but¬ 
ter if not rich enough, and a little pepper. 
When the chicken has fried sufficiently, pour 
ou the gravy and let it boil up. A nice, fat 
chicken cooked in this way is delicious. 
moires iinh manners. 
Qjp 
LADIES’ RIDING HABIT. 
We are under many obligations to a lady 
now in California, for quite a chapter on 
this subject. We preface the article proper 
with the following letter, which accompa¬ 
nied it: 
“ Mintwood Observing In a late number of 
the Rural New-Yorker that you were wait¬ 
ing for a good style of riding dress to * turn up,' 
it occurred to me to give a drawing and descrip¬ 
tion of one that. In my opinion, Is superior to 
all others. There is nothing particularly new 
in the stylo. 1 have seen it worn In France, 
England, and other European countries, as well 
as in this one, and It has been the only style 
worn by myself, and several of my friends for 
some years past. My drawings are not by any 
means artistic, though 1 think they are correct 
in their outlines. If you approve the dress, 
your engraver can put in the requisite lights 
and shadows. The description Is pretty full, 
because, in the country, many would want to 
make their own suits, except, perhaps the ooat, 
which had best be given to n tailor to make. 
“I do not know of any kind of woman’s dress 
that, is well adapted to horseback exercise. Of 
course, I refer to the upper vestments, knowing 
that ihe skirt can neither be omitted nor mate¬ 
rially improved. The body of the riding habit 
wo usually see Is pul on in a particular way, 
and no change can he made in it when the wear¬ 
er is riding, no matter what changes may take 
place in the weather. A cloth habit may, in 
certain seasons, bo found exactly right in the 
may of comfort, but in a warm day It. is ex¬ 
tremely oppressive, dosed up to the nook. A 
dress is needed that can be adjusted, while the 
wearer is in (he saddle, to the changes in the 
temperature. The coat and vest answer this 
purpose admirably, and I see no reason why 
they should not bo universally worn. It may 
be said that there is no great beauty in this rid¬ 
ing suit. Perhaps not, but it wilt “grow in 
gtnoe." What we want In a riding costume is 
not ornamental frippery, lint u simple, genteel, 
plain and becoming dress. The buff vest and 
the tieliu, eollur and cravat, arc the only orna¬ 
mental features, und they are susceptible of 
being mnde highly attractive. This vest, with 
lls polished flat, gilt buttons, is decidedly more 
feuilidna llnm masculine in Its lout ensemble, 
nnd 1 have always found il to be particularly be¬ 
coming to a woman. There is plenty of latitude 
Tor tbm lingerie, with rutiles, or severely plain, 
according to tho wearer’s fancy. I trust you 
may Hurl sufficient merit, in tho suit to lay it be¬ 
fore your readers.-Mas. It. K. O., Oakland, Ky. 
Tiie following is tho description as given 
by our correspondent: 
Itiiliug Suit. 
This costume, briefly described, consists 
of a frock coat of blac ky L ina, brown, or 
other dark colored broadcloth ; a skirt of the 
same, or of dark woolen goods; and a buff 
cassimcrc vest, with plain flat gilt buttons; 
to which may be added, in cold weather, an 
overcoat of dark beaver doth. 
The skirt has a narrow waistband, but is 
entirely supported by two cotton bands, 
about an inch wide, passing over the shoul¬ 
ders, in the manner of suspenders. It is 
gored, ami made perfectly plain, and is about 
a foot longer than the skirt of a walking 
dress. This extra length can be taken up 
by attaching small silk frogs and loops, if 
the dress is to be worn when the wearer is 
dismounted. 
The vest, made like a gentleman’s, is of 
canary-huff cassimcrc, with a standing collar 
and a full length row of buttons and button¬ 
holes. The latter are precisely one Inch 
apart. The huUons are inserted through 
small worked eyelet holes, one inch apart, 
and secured by rings, which are superior to 
all other fasteners. The eyelet holes are not 
perforated through and through, and the 
rings are concealed by tl.e inner or reverse 
buff facing. Access to tlie rings is bad by 
omitting to join the reverse buff facing to 
the lining, except for the space of an inch 
at the top and bottom. One or two tiny 
molds will keep this opening closed. Tlie 
buttons, on which the singular beauty of 
this vest largely depends, are extra, rich, 
treble gilt buttons, lmlf an inch in diameter, 
with a surface perfectly iat and plain, and 
bearing tho highest possible polish. Tlie 
vest has side pockets, a watch fob in front 
of tlie left arm-hole, and is adjusted to a 
snug, easy fit by lacets fit the back of the 
waist, about four inches wide. Usually, only 
the six buttons next above the lowest one 
arc employed to button tlie vest, leaving the 
upper half of it open to display a pretty 
fichu and cravat. 
The coat is similar to a gentleman’s. It is 
a single-breasted Rock coat, fitting snugly 
(not tightly) to the body, and lias three flat, 
lasting buttons in front And two behind, a 
diagonal outside pocket on tlie left breast for 
carrying a handkerchief, ind an inside breast 
pocket on the qtlier side. 
When the weather is pleasant and calm, 
the coat is worn unbuttoned. If the weather 
becomes cool, it can, in an instant, be drawn 
over the breast ancl caugLt by the upper but¬ 
ton. In slightly cool weather, without dis¬ 
turbing the coat, the requisite comfort can 
generally be bad by connecting the upper 
part ot the vest, using for this purpose a 
single button—that next ;o the topmost one. 
For winter, a double-breasted overcoat of 
heavy, dark beaver cloth should be worn, in 
addition to the three gamicuts already de¬ 
scribed. This overcoat should be roomy in 
the arms, as well as the body, and should be 
a little longer than the undercoat. 
The hat may be of black felt or silk plush, 
of any fashionable shape that will stay secure¬ 
ly on the head. As a general rule, a low 
crowned hat is most likely to fill this condi¬ 
tion ; but the high crowned (or “stovepipe”) 
hat is preferred by mauy, and is always be¬ 
coming to a pretty face. In summer, a double 
leghorn hat, with a moderately wide brim, 
will be found both comfortable and becom¬ 
ing. Very few ladies look well iu caps. 
The hair should be done up snugly, with¬ 
out curls or tresses. Only the natural hair 
should be avoid. 
- <*-*■* - 
SUITABLE WEDDING GIFTS. 
Fantine, Western New York, wishes for 
" information in regard to silver wedding 
presents, within the means of people in 
moderate circumstances; not costing ot r er 
fifty or sixty dollars,” etc. 
A new finish in silver wave, and called 
“ satin finish,” is very handsome, and many 
now articles are finished in this mode, ft is 
a mixture of gold with silver. The mention 
of a few articles may assist you in selections; 
v l*tj§§ 
# s ‘ \ 
M .C:M V: 
f ft a 
R101NU HABIT—HEAR VIEW. 
Salad fork and spoon, gold lined, satin finish, 
$37. (Most articles that, in use, come in 
contact Avitli acids, are gold lined, to pre¬ 
vent discoloration.) A pair of preserve 
spoons aud one berry spoon, gold lined, 
$42. Berry spoon, ice cream knife and 
sugar shovel, $43. (These are. in sets, or 
may be had singly.) Fickle set, knife, spoon 
(or fork) and plate, gold lined, $•15. Ladle 
set, two gravy and one soup, gold lined, 
$45. Pic knife, $24. Berry spoon, $18. 
Ice spoon, $20. Muccaroni spoon, $23. 
Preserve spoon, $13. Soup ladle, $15. 
Pail’of butter knives, $15. Grnnu scissors, 
$30. Pair of sal t spoons, $11. Siigar si Her, 
$10. Pair of salt cellars and spoons, gold 
lined, $32. A breakfast set, for mustard, 
salt and pepper, $02. Then there are cream 
ladles, table gongs, goblets, fruit knives, 
cheese knives, nut pickers, tooth-pick hold¬ 
ers, vases, card cases, and bridal napkin 
rings, AviLli cooing doves in frosted silver 
perched on top. If the parties become di¬ 
vorced, it is an easy matter to remove the 
doves. I know of no better establishment, 
to refer you to, than that of Tiffany & Co, 
of this city. They send goods C. O. D., aud 
mark them beautifully, including monogram. 
I would select anything for you with pleas- 
UIDING HABIT—DOUBLE BREASTED. 
ure; yet I think you would be quite as well 
suited to leave the selection to the good 
ta3te of the firm. It can be relied upon. 
-- 
Table Etiquette. 
Leave the knife and fork on the plate when 
sent up to be replenished. 
Handkerchief Mar kin Sr 
Alice Goodenough— Mark your brother’s 
handkerchiefs by embroidering bis initial 
“G” in one corner. This letter, in a very 
handsome design, was given in the Rural 
New-Yorker of Feb. 4th. Use linen floss. 
-- 
We find it difficult to keep up with the de¬ 
mands of correspondents for information iu this 
Department for want of space. 
ijigtemc Information. 
“ GANGER REMEDY.” 
In the Rural New*Yorker of Novem¬ 
ber 25th, 1870, is an article entitled “ Cancer 
Remedy, written by S. S. Wkscott of Sara¬ 
toga Springs. N. Y. The body of the article 
appeal’s to have been copied from the .Mil¬ 
waukee Free Democrat, “ wliicli lias un¬ 
doubtedly carried its freedom in this instance 
beyond the bounds of truth.” I simply 
wish to call the attention of the leaders of 
the Rural to the subject again, that such 
errors may not remain uncorrected, through 
the same source by which they were propa¬ 
gated. 
From the tone of most of the articles 
upon hygiene and pathology in the public 
press, it would appear that all the old 
“ scrap books,” the scraps in which are col¬ 
lected by persons perfectly ignorant of even 
the first principles of medicine, are filled 
with gems “ of purest ray serene,” which 
being published, aud not being noticed by 
the medical profession, is like “ casting pearls 
before swine.” One would think that, these 
collections, like many “ doctors ” who have 
just “ picked up" medicine Avithout the aid 
of medical colleges, museums, dissecting 
rooms or expert professors, are endowed 
with a vast deal of intuition, to he enabled 
to discern good from bad practice more 
readily than t hose avIio have spent whole 
years of hard labor in the study of these 
subjects. 
The errors in the article T refer to, are ably 
set forth, xvitli many others of like nature, in 
a lecture delivered before the class of the 
Missouri Medical College, in the Hull of the 
Polytechnic Institute, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 
1 1 tli, 1 803, by Prof, Paul F. Eve of Nash¬ 
ville, Term., entitled “ A Consideration of 
Some of the Many Popular Errors in Regard 
to Medicine and Medical Practitioners.” 
Published in the Nov. (1809) Nu. of the Medi¬ 
cal Archives. Ho says:—“ The history of 
cancers cured, may be written in that of one 
for the many, so similar have been the results 
in every case. We take the recent one of 
Mr. F. B. Mason. This gentleman lmd a 
small tumor on the face, which, when ope¬ 
rated upon, returned, and then lie lmd the 
chloride of zinc applied to it. Tlie plaster, 
say the papers, * kills the cancer, so that it 
sloughs out like dead flesh, and never grows 
again. The remedy was discovered by Dr. 
Fell of London, and Ims been used by him 
for six or seven years with invariable suc¬ 
cess, and not ft ease lias been known of the 
reappearance of the cancer, when this reme¬ 
dy lias been applied. Il Inis the sanction of 
the most eminent surgeons of London, but 
Ims not, till recently, been used in this coun¬ 
try, and many of the faculty, with their pro¬ 
verbial opposition to Innovation, look upon 
it with distrust. We have seen Mr. M., and 
can say, if the cure is permanent, and from 
the evidence of six or eight years’ experi¬ 
ence in Other cases, AVC have iio doubt it is, 
,tills remedy ought to be universally known.’ 
Chloride of zinc was not discovered hy Dr. 
Fell, but was introduced into practice by 
Dr. PAFENGUxn of St. Petersburg, and spe¬ 
cially recommended by Dr. Canquoin of 
Paris, for cancer. He and Dr. Maisonneuvh 
added flour, and Dr. J. W. Fell, bloodroot, 
to this article. He went to Europe from this 
country, and was, therefore, not of London. 
“Chlorideof zinc never received tlie sanc¬ 
tion of the most eminent stiTgeons of Lon¬ 
don in the treatment of cancer; nor did the 
profession of this country oppose its intro¬ 
duction here by Dr. Fell, for it was then 
no innovation in practice. Bill this is not 
all; out of their own months, by the admis¬ 
sion of the papers themselves, they are con¬ 
victed, Dr. Fell did not use this article 
with invariable success, aud it is not true 
that cancer never reappeared after the appli¬ 
cation of this preparation. It did so in ibis 
very case pronounced cured, and wlnit is 
worse, killed the patient. A Milwaukee 
newspaper declares that the account of the 
cure of Mason, published as a fresh piece of 
news, is not true. The lact is, that since tlie 
item commenced its travels, Mr. M. lias died 
of tlie same cancer that tvas cured. 
“ There are several varieties of cancer; 
the one attacking the skin lacks some of the 
elements of the true, is not so malignant, 
and this is the kind Avliich cancer doctors 
pretend to cure.” 
In the ubovc, Professor Eve has described 
how these stories of cures and the formula 
for them become propagated; but I think 
that when error falls under the eye of any 
one who knows better, it is bis duty to 
correct it. William A. Byrd, M. D. 
Ursa, Illinois. 
--- +++ - 
Remedy Tor Poison by Ilee Stines. 
Let a person stung by a bee apply sour 
milk as soon as possible, and if tlie pain is 
not all gone in five minutes I will confess it 
has a different effect than it has always had 
upon the writer. 
The worst cases of poison from ivy I ever 
saw Avere cured by a very few applications, 
and in a very tew days, of the same remedy— 
I sour milk.—M. McLank, M. D., Dwight, 111. 
