flour. Stir it until it boils to prevent burn¬ 
ing ; then remove from the Are and let it 
stand until lukewarm, then put in a teacup 
of good yeast and keep it moderately warm 
until it rises. 
For the yeaBt cukes :—Take the yeast when 
light, and stir in nice Indian meal until it can 
be handled without sticking to the hands. 
Scatter a handful of meal on your cake- 
board and scrape the dough out of the dish 
on that; with the hands shape it into a 
mound. (Do not on any account mold the 
dough and roll out with a rolling-pin.) Slice 
off the cakes with a knife, and lay them on a 
suitable board to bo dried by the stove, or in 
the shade any way, as tho sun is apt to fer¬ 
ment. them. They should be turned often 
while drying. After the cakes are entirely 
dry they should be wrapped iu several thick¬ 
nesses of paper and kept from the air. Some 
people prefer soft yeast for bread as most 
convenient, making it. often, but using the 
cakes to raise it with. Cakes made in this 
way will keep three months or more. 
b. 0. D. 
fashionable. They are very large, round or 
oval, with dogs’ or horses’ heads in bold re¬ 
lief, or in imitation of the antique. 
Modes and painters 
WHAT SOCIETIES ARE DOING. 
DRESS GOODS. 
A new material for Spring wear, is India 
crape cloth. It is the width of satine, very 
durable, soft in its folds, comes in the cloth 
shades, and is sold for 75 cents a yard. It 13 
particularly to be commended for elderly 
ladies. 
Rubais poplin is a cheap, substantial mix¬ 
ture that will not. shrink ; it is suitable for 
home dresses; price, 35 cents. 
Foulards are the best material for derni- 
toilette, although there Is a certain risk in 
buying them. They may prove good for 
several seasons, or they may fray and actual¬ 
ly fall in pieces. It is well to choose those 
that are soft to the touch ; the crispy and 
stiff varieties are not durable. The patterns 
are especially pretty this season. The grounds 
are light Subdued tints with polka spots, stars, 
little sprigs and lozenges, always small and 
delicate. They are trimmed with silk the 
color of the figure, or with black velvet rib¬ 
bon. They cost ? 1. *35 and t ip wards. 
Japanese silks for evening 
grounds, 
same shade 
chase, however 
CHINESE FASHIONS IN HAIR 
Unmarried women in Chinn can always bo 
distinguished from matrons, as the hair is al¬ 
lowed to fall over the back in long tresses or 
in the form of a queue, or caught, up at the 
hack in a simple bow, fastened with silk cord. 
In Canton It takes the form of a plaited tail 
at the back, and a fringe of hair over the 
forehead. After marriage it is taken up and 
dressed into tho form of a tea-pot, having its 
handle above the head. InSwatow it is made 
to resemble a bird resting on the crown of the 
head, or a horn bent backward, and rising 
from the back of the head. The Manchtt or 
Tartar matron parts her hair in front, ns our 
ladies do. while the back hair is done, up in a 
huge bow adorned with flowers. Hair-dves 
are unknown, as hair is uniformly black, be¬ 
coming gray only in extreme old age. 
HOME-MADE BRACKETS 
The brackets shown in the accompanying 
sketches are easily made, and quite orna¬ 
mental. The shelf of the first is the fungus 
• wear are solid 
with stripes of blue, red, or of the 
they are not a judicious pur- 
r, and coat as much as foulard. 
The prevailing hue for early Spring, except- 
ing black, which is after all the most worn, 
is olive browu. There are numbers of these 
shades, from grave to gay, and the costume ^ 
may be as fashionable or as plain as tho taste 
of tho wearer may dictate. We saw one ( 
co 3 turns which was distinguished for its f 
plainness ; the under-skirt was brown silk, . 
with one ruffle put on in box plaits at iut.er- ( 
vab. The polonaise was very deep in tho 
back, draped and hung open in front, slightly ( 
drawn back. At one side of what we may 
term the panier in a very modified form, was 
a brown silk sash and ends simply fringed. 
The waist was perfectly plain, and a little 
round cape covered the shoulders. The bon¬ 
net was of brown silk plush, with standing 
front of velvet; and trimmed with brown 
ribbon aud abrown wing with a b 1 i£ht crim¬ 
son head. 
COSTUMES. 
A black silk costume equally plain, was 
even richer, Tho silk was the most lustrous 
of bonuet; that kind with a bloom on it such 
as we rarely sea in the shops on this side of 
the water. The underskirt had a flounce 
headed with three folds ; tho back width hav¬ 
ing a smaller flower similarly headed above 
the lower. The polonaise was perfectly plain. 
The front parted, and with a little draping at 
the sides, hung in the manner we have at¬ 
tempted to describe above. On each side, 
tho front was a bias piece, edged with nar¬ 
row folds; on this, at intervals, were large 
buttons covered with silk. Two large pock¬ 
ets were trimmed in the same manner. In 
the back the polonaise was gathered up iu 
two puffs, lifting it entirely from the skirt, 
the edge of wliich Is simply hemmed, not 
appearing. The waist is untrimmed. Coat 
sleeves with deep cuffs trimmed with buttons. 
Most Spring suits are made with rolling 
collar and rovers, to be worn over a habit 
skir t. On dinner toilets large puffs at the 
arm-hqles are seen, especially in the richer 
materials. All manner of Valenciennes waists 
are worn by young ladies. Muslin waists, 
with Valenciennes strips of inserting and 
embroidery, are set in in any way that may¬ 
be becoming to the form. They are either 
with or without sleeves. 
Scarfs of soft silk, like that of which ties 
are made, fringed and knotted at the end, 
are worn around the shoulders and tied in 
one loop in front. By-the-way, in making 
sashes, either for costumes or of fancy silks, 
it is desirable to have them fringed; in doing 
this it is better, if possible, to take it to an 
establishment where sashes are made. The 
silk can then be accurately matched, and it 
will be done cheaper than in any other way. 
EOS GENTLEMEN. 
Gentlemen wear about their necks large 
silk handkerchiefs. They come in all pos¬ 
sible colors ; but white are the most desirable. 
They are worn inside the coat, and crossed 
under the chin. They protect the collar from 
being soiled by the overcoat. For mourning, 
han dk erchief a in large black and white solid 
chocks are used. 
A new handkerchief for ordinary use is of 
yellow, raw silk, edged with a border of 
white silk and black polka dots. or three months 
Scarfs are straight and long, of the heaviest ; take half a dozei 
varieties of ribbed silk, in dark ruby, plum hops ; boil them 
green and purples. They are folded, and in a cloth. Ren 
fastened with scarf rings, which come in any potatoes line ; s< 
possible device. the liquor with ] 
Oxydized silver sleeve buttons are very thicken it with 1 
MY MODE OF WASHING 
cover the clothes ; but I get the water all 
ready first, by putting half a teaoupl'ul of 
the fluid and a pint of soft soap in it, then all 
body clothes. Tliis l do on Friday afternoon, 
uear night; let them stand and boil till the 
fire goes out; then put them on again in the 
morning while we eat breakfast; then pour 
all out of tiro boiler into a tub and Ux it again 
and add all the other white clothes and let 
them boil while washing out the others. The 
first clothes will need scalding again in clean 
water and soap. Then pass them through 
the water tho usual way. The other pieces 
will not need much rubbing ; then rinse, hang 
up. Now, this water will do for calicoes, and 
is very good for plants and scrubbing aud all 
the cleaning that comes on Saturday. We 
are almost always through with our work by 
twelve o’clock, not including dinner. We 
number seven in family, have a large house 
to take care of, and this Winter keep no help. 
I have taken Saturday for wash-day for 
two or three reasons ; one is, in Winter you 
have all day Sunday to dry your clothes and 
rest; another, it gives more of the full week 
for other purposes, as we are obliged to be 
around on Saturday baking and cleaning, ’tis 
just os well to do it all at the same time. I 
find a good many have changed from Mon¬ 
day to Saturday, and like the change very 
much. 
When I make soft soap, I add salts of am¬ 
monia and borax—twenty-five cents worth 
of each to the barrel. Mrs. L. A O. 
Milton-on-the-Hudson. 
1873: Pres- D. L. Pope, Geauga. Pice-Pm.— 
b. Gould, Geauga; B. L. Barden, Pulton; M. D. 
Call. I/like; A. D. Rawlins, Cuyahoga; G. W. 
Crosier, Lorain; W. II. will lama, Medina; 8. 
Free man, Portage; C. T. King, Huron ; R. Ba¬ 
ker, Michigan; T. B. Wire, Ashtabula. Sec. and 
Treat.- -8, D. Harris, Cleveland. Cor. Sec.— L. 
Bartlett, Chester Cross Roads, Geauga. The next 
meeting Is to be held In Clevelatidon the fourth 
Wednesday and Thursday Iri January-, 1874. 
Northwestern Unlrvmrn'* A«»’n. - Officers 
elect for 1873; Prce. '8. FAvn.rvE, Lake Mills, 
Wis. P tee-Prat'* — C, II. Wilder, Evansville, 
Wis.; N. Kldred, Iowa Falls, Iowa.; D. Turner, 
Crown Point, Ind.; J. Tuttle, Salem, Wls.; J. R. 
McLean, Elgin, Ill.; C. W. Gould, Elgin, III.; H. 
W. Mend. Hebron, Wls.; H. Smith, Sheboygan, 
Wls.; E. H, Seward, Marengo, 111. Sec,—G. E. 
Morrow, Madison, Win. dss't Sec. — W. H. Stew¬ 
art, Hebron, III. Treat.— R.R. Stone, Elgin, Ill. 
Northern IlllnoU flori. Hoc. -Officers elect 
for 1873: Pra.—S. G. Mi.tiilkk, Kendall Co. 
Flee-PraFto.—Robert Douglass, Lake Co.; Sam¬ 
uel F/dvvards, Bureau Co.; L. Montague, Stephen¬ 
son Co.; Captain Edward H. Beebe, Kane Co. 
Cor. Sec.— D. W. Scott, Galena. Secretaries.— 
Robert Little and Tl If. McAfee, Freeport. 
Treat. L. Woodward, Marengo. 
Iowa State Ag- Soc.— Officors oleot for 1873: 
Pra’t.—JOHN SCOTT, Story Co. Vice-Pres't.—'E. 
Smith, Davenport. See.—J. M. Shaffer, Fairfield. 
Treat.— w. U. Leach, Cedar Rapids. Directors 
—f. L. Downing, Okaloosa; John Grlnnell, 
Clayton; 0. F. Davis, Korkuk; Johxi Porter, 
Iowa City; S. Ii. Hewitt, Eagle Grove, Wright 
county. 
Northern Wls. Ag. Snc.—Tlit-i Society met at 
Oshkosh, Jan. 14, and elected the following offi¬ 
cers for 1873; Fra— A. M. Skbels, Rlpon. Sec. 
~R. D. Torry, Oshkosh. Treat— Jaa. H. Jones, 
Oshkosh- Vtco-Presideots, representing nine¬ 
teen counties, were elected, who constitute the 
Executive Committee. 
West Richfield, Medina Co., O., Ag. and 
Mecb. Ass’».— Pres ,— C. G. Hale. Vlce-Frestt — 
S. H. Edgertoti, J. Comstock, G. W. Woodruff, 
J. B. Porter, Geo. Kirk. 15. Vlall. W. Burt. 
commonly called “touch-wood,” found grow¬ 
ing in the woods c-n hard wood trees. The 
brace Is a piece of bittersweet vino, that has 
gained its spiral form by growing around a 
sapling, such pieces being easily found where 
bittersweet abounds. The upright is made' 
of a straight piece of vine, or any wood of 
the proper size having similar bark, sawed in- 
two lengthwise, and the bark left on. If the 
joints show they can be covered with any 
pretty tree-moss. 
SOMETHING GREEN 
We all like the sight of green in the late | 
Winter and early Spring days, before muoh 
green is to he seem So simple a thing as a 
carrot with a little attention may be made to 
yield much pleasure. Scoop out much of the 
inside from the bottom, cutting off the end 
of the root. Make two holes by which a cord 
may be inserted to hang it up, and after in¬ 
serting one, seal over the openings with wax. 
Fill the hollow with water and hang in the 
window. Change the water daily. The head 
end hanging down will grow rapidly and 
luxuriously, soon formiug a beautiful cluster 
of fresh, bright leaves. 
A sweet potato suspended In a glass jar in 
which there is water and placed in a window 
will put forth shoots and soon produce a very 
beautiful vine. Flax seed sprinkled in the 
hollow of a pine cone and kept moistened 
(place in a glass jar of water) will soon be¬ 
come a mass of green within the jar or vase. 
The other bracket is made of wild grape¬ 
vine, the joints fastened with pins and bound 
with the tendrils of the vine, made pliable 
by soaking in hot water. B - 
WA3HING MADE EASY. 
If Mollte P. G. wishes her washing made 
easy, tell her to go to the druggist’s and buy 
one pound of soda ash and one-half pound of 
eastern lime, put it in two gallons of soft wa. 
ter; bring it to aboil; then strain. Put. it 
in a stone jar and set away for use, I or a 
medium sized washing, use one pint to two 
or three pails of water, boiling the clothes one 
hour before rubbing. Be particular in rins¬ 
ing. The expense of the above preparation 
is thirteen cents. Mrs. H. J. H. 
Auburn, N. Y. 
YEAST CAKES 
