gomestitj (Bconontg, 
SMALL FRUITS. 
THE BEST WAVS OF USING A^D PRESERVING THEM. 
I do not. aim to instruct old and experi¬ 
enced housekeepers ; but these simple things 
which I shall write, many a young housewife 
will be glad to read rather than to learn 
them through her own trying—which is al¬ 
ways wearing —experience. 
The strawberry season is over and all 
housekeepers know that strawberry short¬ 
cake is a most welcome dish for dessert. 
But, a word as to canning them ; allow from 
% to ><{ lb, of sugar, to 1 lb. of fruit, and 
cook them thoroughly ; they will thus retain 
their color and flavor bettor than when less 
sugar is used ; when cold go over the tops of 
your cans and see that they are tight; then 
set them away in a cool, dark place. Keep 
all canned fruit cool and dark ; if necessary, 
cover the cans with paper. 
RASPBERRIES) WHITE, REG AND BLACK. 
Use your white raspberries, freshly picked, 
for the table ; never cook them. Use the red 
for jam ; they are lino for this ; if you can 
them, use as much sugar as recommended 
for strawberries. Do not can black raspber¬ 
ries in the common way ; make what you 
wish into a preserve, using % lb. of sugar to 
every pound of fruit; cook thoroughly anti 
can while hot. Black raspberry jam is most 
excellent. 
We seal up all our fruit while hot, whether 
canned proper, preserved, or made into jam. 
Dry all the black raspberries you do not wish 
to use in other ways; you will find that the 
oven-dried berry when cooked has retained 
its flavor and color almost, intact ; (being 
greatly superior to the berry as it is usually 
canned) and can be used for pies and tarts as 
well as for the table. 
Every housekeeper knows that, a dish of 
freshly-picked black raspberries, with sugar 
and cream, is most acceptable at tea time ; 
but nil do not know that black raspberry 
short-cake is good too, 
CHERRIES. 
For canning, the common red cherry is the 
very best; pib them, sti r into them j ust sugar 
enough to sweeten them well ; pour a very 
little water into your kettle, just enough to 
prevent the fruit from burning when first 
put in, and turn in the cherries, (If you 
have not a porcelain lined kettle, use a height 
tin pan). Cook them well, and can ; do not 
hurry while putting them up ; be sure the 
air bubbles are out and they are almoit cur¬ 
tain to keep. Make a few red cherries into a 
preserve (if you can afford it) using lb. of i 
sugar to I lb, of fruit: ; oven-dry all you can 
spare ; they make a most excellent sauce 
when stowed. Do not use the common red 
cherry for pickles ; they are too juicy ; use 
the fair, red-cheeked firm-meated cherry for 
this ; a dish of these fair, plump cherries, 
pickled with their stems on, is quite an ad¬ 
dition to the ten-table. 
The rich, early cherries use freely upon the 
table ; they lose much of their flavor when 
canned, and arc not satisfactory. Dry them ; 
you will iind them very nice for puddings, 
and even for cake, 
RECIPE FOR PICKLING CHERRIES. 
3 lbs. of sugar to 1 quart of vinegar ; (if 
your vinegar is very strong reduce it with 
water) ; spices to taste ; this for seven lbs. of 
fruit; when the syrup is hot put in the cher¬ 
ries ; cook them well but not until the skin 
shrivels ; watch them, and have them as 
plump as when first picked from the tree ; 
we put ours into cans and seal them up hot. 
THE COMMON CEO AND WHITE CURRANTS, 
made into jelly, preserved, canned, or dried 
are always excellent. The black currant 
growing in many gardens is yet not a great 
favorite, but made into a preserve nothing 
is superior to it, for the pudding known as 
roly-poly. A spoonful of this rich preserve 
in a glass of cold water with a little sugar 
added, is a most refreshing drink in a warm 
day. 
HUCKLEBERRIES. 
What visions of bright mornings radiant 
with glistening dew-drops ; of golden har¬ 
vest fields, rail fences, and draggled skirts 
the word calls up ! But the f picy odor of the 
woods is life-giving, and (yonr feet well pro¬ 
tected) tho draggled skirts will not harm you 
if you keep moving. 
Cream and Riigur and huckleberries! 
Bread a nd milk and huckleberries ! Huckle¬ 
berry pic ! Huckleberry short-cake ! If you 
can them, malm them very rich and cook 
them thoroughly, else they are not apt to 
keep. Dry them for pies in the winter. No 
cultivated berry equals in flavor the wild 
one. In one, all the spicy odors, of the woods 
seem commingled ; in the other more vulgar 
and powerful manures contribute to larger 
growth and often to tho aridity of the fruit 
(not unimportant items surely) but the line 
aroma seems to elude the gardener’s devices. 
What shall bo feed them with i Cedar 
boughs and pine cones, lilies of the valley and 
violets i I do not know. 
BLACKBERRIES. 
The cultivated ones are excellent for the 
table when fully ripe and freshly picked; 
but if you can get wild ones for canning do 
so. For these you should use at least from 
X to M lb. of sugar to 1 lb. of fruit. 
PLUMS. 
Almost all plums, with the exception of 
green gages, are good for canning ; never 
remove the skins or the pit, most of the 
flavor is contained in these ; use ouly just 
enough sugar to sweeten them. The large 
varieties make an excellent pickle ; remove 
the stems, wipe them clean and pickle same 
as cherries. Marjoram. 
-- 
DOMESTIC BREVITIES. 
Ilnw They Cnolc Beans in Maine. —I wish 
1 some of your readers who stew beans would 
try the following recipe for bilking them. 
This is the way tho down East lumbermen 
cook them, who cat them twice a day for 
four or five months each year:—Take one 
quart of beans ; first soak, if pen beaus, until 
they arc swelled full ; it will take over night 
certain ; if yellow eves parboil until the skins 
crack open when blown on with the breath ; 
drain off the water, put about two-thirds the 
beans in the pot, put hi one and one-half 
pounds fat salt pork, then tho rest of tho 
henna ; bake not less than twelve hours, first 
covering the beans with hot water. These 
are genuine Yankee pork and beans. The 
way they are cooked in toe woods is this : 
A hole is dug at the. foot of tho lire, filled 
with hot coals, tho bean-pot put in, filled 
around with coals and covered with hot 
ashes, where it remains from about three 
P. M. until breakfast the following morning— 
about fourteen or fifteen hours. There, are 
probably more beans eaten in Maine than in 
the whole State of New York. 
CucsMnber Salad. —We have just prepared 
our winter’s supply of cucumber salad, and 
this is how wo mad© it:—There were about 
a dozen ripe White Spine cucumbers lying 
on their vines, and these we picked, washed, 
pared, out into strips, taking out the seeds, 
and then to each dozen ououmbers which we 
cut up into pieces like small dice—wo put 
twelve large white onions, chopped; six 
large green peppers, also chopped ; onoquar 
tor pound each, black and white mustard 
seed, and a gill of celery seed. These were 
all mixed together, a teacup of coarse salt 
added, and they were then hung up in a cot¬ 
ton bag to drain, for twentv-l’our hours. 
Then the salad, with enough cold cider vine¬ 
gar added to cover it, was put into stone jars 
and fastened nearly air-tight. In six weeks 
it will be fit for use. We found the recipe in 
an old paper some years ago, and it has 
proved one of the nicest pickles we overused. 
It looks as well as it tastes, so white and 
crisp, and makes an elegant salad for a joint 
of cold meat.— Hearth and Home. 
A New Way to Serve up Peaches. —Take 
good-sized freestone peaches, wipe them with 
a towel, halve them, and place them flat side 
down, in hob butter or lard. Let them fry 
to a nice brown, then turn and fill the seed- 
cup with sugar, which, by the time the fruit 
is properly coated, will be melted and form 
with lho juice of the peach a rich syrup. 
Serve up hot, and if you don’t like them join 
need not repeat the experiment. Most per¬ 
sons think the dish a super!) one. Medical 
writers caution people, against eating peaches 
served up in any form in the evening. It Is 
asserted that they are depressive to the circu¬ 
lation, and exhaust the system by the prussic 
acid which they contain. It is better to oat 
them in the morning or not Inter than an 
early dinner so that some exercise may follow 
eating to aid their proper digestion,— Anon. 
Jacket, of Mull, Insertion and Lace.—On 
page 03 we give an illustration of an article 
of dress which will attract the attention of 
our young lady readers at this season. It is 
made of mull puffs and insertion edged with 
lace. The bows are of narrow, rose-colored 
gros grain ribbon, and a broad, rose-colored 
gros grain ribbon is used for the large bow at 
the back. It is unique, pretty ancl comfort¬ 
able as a par; of a summer costume. 
Good Cookies. —One cup white sugar, one 
of butter, 1 egg, half teaspoon soda, a pinch 
of ground mace; mix soft, roll thin, bake 
quick. Will keep well if let alone.—A nhie B. 
MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS IN HOT 
WEATHER. 
Ttik following excellent rules for the rare 
of infants during the hob months were pro 
pared by a committee of six physicians ap¬ 
pointed for tho purpose by the Obstetrical 
Society of Philadelphia: 
hale. 1.— Bathe the child once u day in 
tepid water. If it is feeble, sponge it all over 
twice a day with tepid water, or with tepid 
water and vinegar. The health of a child 
depends much upon its cleanliness. 
ttule 3. —Avoid all tight bandaging. Make 
the clothing liglu. and cool, and so loose that 
the child may hoVo free play for its limbs. 
At night undress it, sponge it, and put on a 
slip. In tho morning remove the slip and 
dress tho child in clean clothes. If this can 
not ho afforded, thoroughly air tho day- 
clothing by hanifing it up during the night, 
l ie clean diapers, and change them often. 
Never dry a s-oiled one in the nursery or in 
the sitting-room, and never use one for a 
second time without first washing it. 
Iiule 3.—Tho child should sleep by itself in 
a cot or cradle, it should be put to bed at 
regular hours, and be early taught to go to 
sleep without being nursed in the arms. 
Without the advice of a physician, never 
give it any spirits, cordials, carminatives, 
soothing-syrups, or sleeping-drops. Thou 
sands of children die every year from the 
HSO of those poisons. If the child trots and 
does not sleep, it is either hungry or ill. If 
ill it needs a physician. Never quiet it by 
candy or cake ; they arc the common causes 
of diarrhea, and of other troubles. 
i.ule ,‘\,—Give the child plenty of fresh air. 
In t he cool of the morning and evening send 
it out to the shady sides of broad streets, to 
tho public squares, or to tho Fork. Make 
frequent excursions on the rivers. When¬ 
ever it seems to suffer from the heat, let il 
drink freely of icc-wate.r. Keep it out of the 
room in which washing or cooking is going 
on. It is excessive heat that destroys the 
lives of young infants. 
Hi tie. 5.—Keep your house sweet and clean, 
cool and well aired. In very hot weather 
let tho windows bo open day and night. Do 
your cooking in tho yard, in a shed, in the 
garret, or in an upper room. Whitewash 
the walls every spring, and see that the cellai 
is clear of all rubbish. Let no slops collect 
to poison the air. Correct ail foul smells bj 
pouring r.-irbolio add or quick-lime into tin 
sinks and privies. The former article can hi 
got from the nearest druggist, who will givi 
the needful directions for its use. Main 
every effort yourself, and urge your neigh¬ 
bors, to keep the gutters of your street oi 
court clean, - 
Rule Breast-milk is the only proper 
food for infants. If the supply is ample, anc, 
tho child thrives ou it, no other kind of food 
should be given while the hot weather lasts. 
If the mother has not enough, she must not 
wean the child, blit give it, besides tin 
breast, goat’s or cow’s milk, as prepare* 
under Rule 8. Nurse tho child once in two 
or three horns during the day, and us soldou 
as possible during the night. Always remms 
the child from the breast as soon as it ha 
fallen asleep. Avoid giving the breast when 
you are over-fatigued or over-heated. 
Rule 7.—if, unfortunately, the child must 
be brought up by hand, it should be fed on u 
milk-diet alone, and that, warm milk out oi 
a nursing-bottle, as directed under Rule 3 
Goat’s milk is the best, and next to it cow’.- 
milk. If the child thrives on this diet, nc 
other kind of food whatever should be. givei 
while the hot weather lasts. At all season: 
of the year, but especially in summer, then, 
is no safe substitute for milk to an infant 
that has not cut its front teeth. Sago, ar¬ 
row-root, potatoes, corn-flour, crackers, 
bread, every patented food, and every article 
of diet containing starch, cannot and mu.«t 
not be depended on as food for very young 
infants. Creeping or walking children must 
not be allowed to pick up unwholesome food. 
Rule 8.—Each bottlcful of milk should be 
sweetened by a small lump of loaf-sugar, or 
by half a teaspoonful of crushed sugar. Ii 
the milk is known to be pure, it may have 
one-fourth part of hot water added to it; 
but, if it is not known to be pure, no watei 
need be added. When the heat of the weath¬ 
er is great, the milk may be given quite cold. 
Be sure that the milk is unskimmed ; have 
it as fresh ns possible, and brought very early 
in the morning. Before using me pans into 
which it is to be poured, always scald them 
with boiling suds. In very hoi weather, boil 
the milk as soon as it comes, and at once put 
away the vessels holding it in the coolest 
place in the house—upon ice if it can be af¬ 
forded, or down a, well. Milk carelessly 
allowed to stand in a wanu room soon spoils, 
and becomes unlit for food. 
Rule 9.—If the milk should disagree, a 
tablespoonful of lime-water may be added to 
each bottlcful. Whenever pure milk cannot 
he got, try tho condensed milk, which often 
answers admirably. It is sold by all the 
leading druggists and grocers, and may be 
prepared by adding, without sugar, one tea- 
spoonful. or more, according to the age of 
the child, to six tablespoonfuls of boiling 
water, Should this disagree, a teaupoonful 
of arrow-root, of sago, or of corn-starch to 
the pint of milk may be cautiously tried. If 
milk in any shape cannot be digested, try, 
for a few days, pure cream diluted with three- 
fourths or throe*fifths of water—returning to 
the m ilk iib soon as possible. 
Rule 10.—The nursing-bottle must be kept 
perfectly clean ; otherwise the milk will turn 
sour, and th© child will bn made ill. After 
each meal it should be emptied, rinsed out, 
taken apart, and tho tube, cork, nipple, and 
bottle bo placed in clean water, or in water 
to which a little soda has been added. 11 is a 
good plan to have- two nursing-bottles, and 
to use them by turns. 
Rule 11.—Do not wean the child just before 
or during tho hot weather, nor, as a rule, 
until after its second summer. If suckling - 
disagrees with the mother, she must not 
wean the child, but feed it in part, out of a 
nursing-bottle, on such food as has been di¬ 
rected. However small the supply of breast- 
milk, provided it agrees with tho child, tho 
mother should carefully keep it up against 
aickncHB ; it alone will often save the life of a 
child when everything else fails. When tho 
child is over six months old, t he mother may 
save her strength by giving it one or two 
meals a day of stale bread and milk, which 
should lie prCfi-ed through a sieve and put 
into a nursing-bottle. When from eight 
months to a year old, it may have also one 
meal a day of tho yolk of a fresh and rare- 
boiled egg, or one of beef or mutton-broth 
into which stale bread has been crumbled. 
When older than this, it can have a little 
meat finely minced ; but even then milk 
should be its principal food, and not such 
food as grown-up people eat. 
For the convenience of mothers, the follow¬ 
ing receipts fur special forms of diet are 
given : 
Roiled Flour, or Flour Ball. —Take one 
quart of good flour, tie it up in a pudding-bag 
o tightly as to get a firm, solid mass, put it 
into a pot of boiling water "curly in Ihc morn¬ 
ing - , and let. it boil until bedtime. Then take 
t out and id it diy. In tho morning, peel 
iff from the surface and throw away the thin 
ried of dough, and, with a nutmeg-grater, 
trata clown the hard, dry mass into a pow- 
ler. Of tin’s from one to three teaspoon fills 
nay bo used, by first, rubbing it into n paste 
with a little niiik, then adding it t.o about a 
pint of milk, and, finally, by bringing the 
whole to just t he boiling point. It must be 
riven through a nursing-bottle. 
An excel Inn t food for children who are 
-■ustive in their bowels may be mad© by using 
oran-meal or unbolted flour instead of the 
white flour, preparing it us above directed. 
Rice Water.— Wash four tablespooofuis of 
rice, put. it into tsvo quarts of water, which 
/oil down to one quart, and then add sugar 
uul a little nutmeg. This makes a pleasant 
drink. 
A half pint or a pint of milk added to this, 
just before taking it from tho fire, and al¬ 
lowed to come to a boil, gives a nourishing 
food suitable for cases of diarrhea. 
Hugo, tapioca, barley, or cracked corn can 
bo prepared in the same manner. 
Reel Tea.—Take one pound of juicy, lean 
beef—say a piece off tho shoulder or tho 
round—and mince it up with a sharp knife 
-n a board or a mincing-block. Then put it 
with its juice into an earthen vessel contain¬ 
ing a pint of tepid water, and let it stand fox- 
two hours. Strain off the liquid through a 
clean cloth, squeezing well the meat, and add 
a little salt. Place the whole of tho juice 
thus obtained over the lire, hut remove it as 
won as it has become browned. Never let it 
boil; otherwise most of the nutritious mat¬ 
ter of tho beef will be thrown down as a 
sediment. A little pepper or allspice may bo 
added if preferred. 
Mutton-tea may be prepared in the same 
way. It makes an agreeable change when 
i,he patient has become tired of hoof-tea. 
Raw Reef for Children. — Take half a 
pound ot juicy beef, free from any fat • 
mince R un very finely; then mb it into a 
smooth pulp either in a m-rtar or with an 
''»;<■•»nary potato-masher. Spread a little out 
upon /x pinto ami sprinkle ovbi* it sorn© n&lt 
or some sugar, if the child prefers it. Give 
.t with a teaspoon or upon a buttered slice 
ot stale bread. It makes an excellent food 
for children with dysentery. 
