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CONDUCTED CY WARY A. E. WAGER. 
FARMERS’ DINNERS. 
BY JULIA COLMAN. 
Fruits ami Desserts. 
No meal for either farmers or other people 
should be considered complete without 
fruits. They should he unstinted in quan¬ 
tity, and iu reasonable variety. Laboring 
men of all classes are prone to consider 
them more ns matters of taste and ornament 
than of use or nutriment. But, besides the 
nutrition which they really contain, their 
acids play quite an important part in the 
economy of the system. Often, in our ordi¬ 
nary eating, they are the ono most import¬ 
ant item lacking, and needed to keep the 
system in easy working order. 
Lioblu’s Remarks oil Apples, 
a portion of which we have quoted before, 
and which can hardly he made too familiar, 
hear directly on this point, and are applica¬ 
ble to many other edible fruits. He says: 
“ Thu importance of apples as food has not, 
hitherto, been sufficiently estimated or un¬ 
derstood. Besides contributing a large pro¬ 
portion of sugar, mucilage, and other nutri- 
livo compounds in the form of food, they 
contain such a line combination of vegetable 
acids, extractive substances and aromatic 
principles as to act powerfully in the capaci¬ 
ty of refrigerants, tonics and antiseptics; 
and when freely used at the season of ripe¬ 
ness, by rural laborers and others, they 
probably maintain and strengthen the power 
of productive labor.” 
It. is true, that fruits and fats do not al¬ 
ways harmonize in the digestive apparatus 
nor in the habits they induce; but it is 
equally true that of the two the fruits are 
far belter suited to hot weather. I know it 
is not an easy matter to have fruits in much 
variety in early summer, unless we can draw 
on the previous year’s supply. The latter, 
however, wo ought, to he able to do, and now 
is the time to make the desired arrange¬ 
ments for another season. 
Slowed Dried Fruit* 
can he used all the spring and early sum¬ 
mer, and if carefully prepared will rarely he 
neglected, (flood dried apples cooked occa¬ 
sionally with rhubarb, green or ripe currants, 
green gooseberries, canned tomatoes or dried 
currants, raisins, <&e., give great variety. 
But, we repeat it, they must lie carefully pre¬ 
pared, very clean, aud not overstewed, 
broken or messy.) More than half the ob¬ 
jections to dried apples would he obviated 
by a little more care in their preparation. 
Other dried fruits and canned fruits may be 
brought in to give variety. When the fresh 
fruits make their appearance, they may be 
brought on freely as 
OcSMCVtH, 
such as strawberries, cherries,whortleberries, 
raspberries, and even currants. There is no 
danger but that the same fruit, if necessary, 
will be just as well relished for tea, and 
once a day for these fruits in their season, is 
a meager allowance. We will not, however, 
confine the desserts to fruits, we will have 
cooked dishes also, and we would put them 
upon the table with the main course, and let 
people make half their dinner of them if 
they choose. They will often enjoy it far 
more, aud feel better for it afterward, than 
when they eat heartily of meats and greasy 
food. And, by the way, it is quite as eco¬ 
nomical in the first cost, to say nothing of 
doctor’s bills and loss of time. But these 
cooked desserts I would have more or less 
of fruits, and dressed with fruit juices. A 
very simple and yet a very enjoyable dish is 
made with 
Rice and Raisins. 
The Valencia, or seedless raisins, or the 
Zaute currants are best, for they will cook 
thoroughly in about the same time required 
for the rice. Take about equal quantities of 
the fruit and the grain, wash and put them 
in alternate layers in a stew-pan, adding full 
twice their joint measure of water. Let it 
boil up fifteen minutes, then set it hack to 
simmer three quarters of an hour more. 
Serve with a sauce of lemon or other fruit 
juice, water and sugar, thickened with wheat 
meal. Simple 
Cracked Wheat 
makes a very satisfying dish, either eaten 
with the same sauce or milk, trimmings. If 
rather fine, it may be cooked in the same 
manner as the rice, with Malaga raisins. 
Few other fruits will endure the three hours* 
cooking which cracked wheat commonly re¬ 
quires. Many prefer the cracked wheat 
cold, a very sensible preference in hot 
weather. In that case have it. neatly molded, 
even if in nothing better than a bowl or an 
oval dish, turning it out upon a plate or a 
platter. It. is just about as easy to have 
things neat aud appetizing in their appear- 
v. mice as to have them dowdy and repulsive, 
K and it pays in cheerfulness, satisfaction and 
„ digestibility better than any other condiment 
with which I am acquainted. By the way, 
cracked wheat, when done, should always 
be fluid enough to take the mold kindly. 
When stiff and dry, and especially if not 
cooked quite enough, it is a harsh, uninvit¬ 
ing dish. 
Wheat. Men I Mush 
is another dish that is often spoiled. To 
have it at its best, the water should be made 
to boil, and the meal sifted In slowly with 
one hand, while stirring with the other, until 
you have it. barely thick enough not to drip 
from the spoon. Then cover it closely and 
let it simmer for thirty or forty minutes. 
Do not stir it once during this time. That 
is all, unless you want a variety and there is 
a flue assortment. Wit h rice, add the cooked 
rice to the water before making the mush, 
say about one-half pint to a quart of water. 
With currants, add about one gill of nicely 
washed currants, and in the same way. 
Dried whortleberries, ditto. With fresh 
whortleberries, which are still hotter, at least 
double the quantity of fruit, must be added, 
when the mush is nearly or quite thickened, 
after which stir as lit,fie as possible, or the 
fruit will be broken and the mush discolored. 
The same directions lor making it with 
grapes, cooking in both the latter eases bare¬ 
ly halt an hour. They should lie cooked, if 
possible, in porcelain kettles, or in pipkins. 
These are all very desirable dishes, sauced 
either with milk, cream, sweets, or with 
fruit juices or sauces. See also “American 
Plum Pudding,” in Rural New-Yorker of 
March 21. 
When a little girl, I knew a farmer’s 
family where they always had good dinners, 
though not. commonly In distinct courses. 
Once in a while they would have a pudding, 
or apple dumplings, or some other similar 
thing for the main dish. They always enjoy 
them hugely, and took the opportunity to ut¬ 
ter various jokes at the expense of people who 
“Could not afford to have more than one 
little saucer of pudding at once.” I have 
since reflected that one secret of their enjoy¬ 
ment was that their puddings were simple 
enough to he digestible, and that the partak¬ 
ers were not tempted to cat more than they 
needed by the variety of dishes, and by hav¬ 
ing them brought on one after another. I 
think that an excellent plan. 1 do not sec 
why we who really caro very little about 
the fashion in our eating, need to be con¬ 
fined to one little dish of such wholesome 
and pleasing aliment as these puddings. It 
is still worse when wc have to take that 
after having eaten quite enough of other 
food, and therefore have lost both our relish 
.wnYour appetite. 
CD 
(Ebc floirltrn-flartr. 
lT 
THE DRAGOON PIGEON. 
We take pleasure in being able to present, 
our readers this week with a fine portrait of 
a Blue Dragoon Pigeon, which we copy, 
with adcscription of this variety of pigeons, 
from a late number of the London Poultry 
Chronicle. These pigeons were shown to 
some extent by the New York Columbariau 
Society at its annual show last fall, and 
from their trim and fine appearance were 
awarded considerable praise and a due share 
of attention. These birds are extensively 
bred in England by the members of the 
Birmingham Columbariau Society. Our en¬ 
graving represents a Blue Dragoon hen 
pigeon four years old, of great merit, and 
which was awarded the first prize by that 
Society at its last exhibition. 
packing eggs, I sent five eggs more than one 
huudred and seventy miles by railway; they 
were absent three days, and twice traveled 
through Loudon in the railway van. On 
their return they were placed with some 
other eggs under a hen, and four out; of the 
five eggs were duly hatched. These eggs 
were carefully packed, and the lid of the 
box screwed down. The only objection to 
oats as a packing material is, that, some¬ 
times, but. very rarely, an egg may he pierced 
with the sharp end of an oat; T have only 
known, however, one or two instances of 
Such an accident. The plan 1 now adopt, in 
packing eggs is to wrap each egg in several 
folds of newspaper, and then place a thick 
layer of cotton wool, aud straw cut to the 
length of the box, both under and over the 
eggs, filling up every interstice with pledgets 
of cotton wool. This plan prevents any 
chance of the eggs being broken, and pre¬ 
serves t heir vitality as well as is done by the 
oats. There is one thing I invariably do, 
and 1 think it ought to be done by every 
one who sells eggs for sittings, and that is to 
write on each egg, legibly with a pencil, the 
date on which it, is laid. Egg boxes should 
invariably have their lids screwed down. 
I have constantly received boxes of valuable 
eggs, of which not one lias hatched, and I 
believe, solely in consequence ot the lids 
being nailed down, the jar of the hammer 
destroying the vitality of the egg. No egg 
Each egg was first wrapped in newspaper, 
and then in a layer of cotton batting, and 
packed in saw-dust; the lid of the box 
being screwed instead of nailed on. Wo 
set the eggs on the 30th of May—thirteen 
under one and eleven under another hen of 
the native breed. After wafting the requi¬ 
site time we examined the eggs, and found 
every one of them rotten— not one showed 
any sign of incubation. What the reason is 
that, they did not hatch we cannot tell, for 
the best of care was taken with them ns an 
experiment. Having expressed our doubts 
as to the feasibility of packing eggs in saw¬ 
dust, we were more particular than wo other¬ 
wise should have been. This experiment 
leads us to believe, more than ever, licit saw¬ 
dust is not the best packing for eggs.— L. 
TOILETTE SUGGESTIONS. 
BY MINT WOOD. 
—-- yc&ir 
Tins dragoon ujsn pigeon. 
VVkNXS.S <r. 
CANNING FRUITS. 
Please tell your lady readers that they 
may lighten their labors by folding a clean 
cloth, six or eight thicknesses, wetting it 
thoroughly, and laying it in a clean pan, and 
setting the can on it, pour in the hot fruit 
and seal as usual. The pan confines all the 
juice from the shelf or table, and saves any 
pieces of fruit that may drop. The steam 
from the cloth, (generated by the hot fruit,) 
under and outside the can, keeps it from 
breaking more successfully, in my experi¬ 
ence, than setting it in hot water or taking 
it just out of hot water, steaming over the 
stove. It does not matter whether the cloth 
he wet with cool water or warm. If I have 
jars or bottles that arc not self-sealers, 1 pre¬ 
fer, to any corks or cloths and wax, to paste 
a tight piece of paper over the mouth of the 
jar, following it with three or four more pa¬ 
pers, pasting the top of the first layer and 
tlie under side of the next, all the way, thor¬ 
oughly smoothing each one to exclude the 
air before pasting for the next, and at last a 
bit of cord wound around a few times draws 
it snug under the bilge at the top; as it. dries 
quickly, there is a nice, smooth pasteboard 
cover, air-tight, and as the fruit shrinks in 
cooling, it can lie cared for with as little 
trouble as any seal, and cleans easily when 
the jar is emptied, which is done by cutting 
off the board with any narrow blade. I like 
white tissue or blank newspaper sheets best, 
for the first layer especially; but ordinary 
printed paper will do very well for all.—Miss 
B., Ionia, Mich. 
I often bear people complain of canned 
fruit spoiling, and many think it a very diffi¬ 
cult task to put it up properly. Wo are 
never troubled with having any spoil, and 
are sure of finding it as good when opened 
as when sealed. Wc invariably use tin 
cans, having tried others and found them 
inferior. By cleaning the cans as soon as 
used, they can he used a number of years. 
We have some we have used seven or eight 
years, and I don’t know but they will last as 
much longer. Wc prepare our own sealing 
wax by taking one pound of resin and one- 
fourth pound of tallow; heat it up and pour 
into water. By placing some of this wax 
into warm water just before using, it can be 
made into strings, which are very conve¬ 
nient for use. Prepare the fruit and heat in 
tin, using as little water as possible; scald 
the cans, and fill even full with fruit, being 
careful to keep them hot; remove all the 
blubbers and place the cover on tightly. 
Place one of the strings of wax- over the 
spring. It will melt and till all vacancies, 
and all is secure.—**'* 
The Chronicle, speaking of these birds, 
says:—“ In Dragoons there arc live acknowl¬ 
edged colors—Blue Sfiry, Red, Yellow and 
White. The first itfiuliYsl. named arc the 
most numerous class ; but in speaking of all 
the colors wo do not wish to show a prefer¬ 
ence for anyone kind, but to advocate the 
claims of all collectively. The great diffi¬ 
culty, especially to the uninitiated, is in sev¬ 
ering them from their allies, the Carriers, 
whose name must inevitably crop out when 
describing Dragoons; hut, let it be under¬ 
stood there is, and should be, a marked dif¬ 
ference between the matured birds of each ; 
yet notwithstanding this difference, the 
young Carrier is often very improperly 
placed in competition with Hie Dragoon, 
and too frequently gentlemen who are called 
upon to adjudicate at some of our shows ap¬ 
pear so perplexed by the comparison that 
they are occasionally beguiled into the error 
of placing young Carriers upon the prize 
list, in the Dragoon class, which Is rather 
discouraging to those who have from time to 
time pointed out in what particulars the 
great dissimilarity exists. 
“ Dragoons should not he large birds, but 
of moderat e size, neat, and compact in form; 
light iu feather ; have sharp-pointed wings ; 
be broad in shoulder, with butts well dis¬ 
played, and narrow-rumpod. The head 
Should he long and straight; skull narrow, 
well developed at the back. The eye should 
he large and prominent; the lash, cere, or 
flesh wattle, uniform, equal, white, and cir¬ 
cular, with but, little of it. The wart upon 
the beak should be small, and not overhang¬ 
ing. Tiie neck should be long, slender and 
graceful; the carriage erect; the legs long, 
clean, and angular; the feet large. The 
general hearing of these birds is of a timid, 
tremulous kind, invariably displaying a 
shaking and nervous temperament. The 
Blues, Silvers, and Whites, are prolific birds, 
good nurses, and are swift and good flying 
pigeons; but this cannot be said of their 
brethren the Reds and Yellows, whose con¬ 
stitution seems to have suffered by close 
breeding; in order not only to perfect,but to 
keep pure their beautiful uniform color, and 
in consequence they are not to he trusted 
from home, otherwise they will probably be 
lost.” 
—---—• 
PACKING EGGS 
For Transportation and Sittinti. 
should be packed in sawdust, nor should 
eggs more than ten days old be sent to any 
distance.” 
-- 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Pigcmi Flying— Fast Time. 
Tite members of the Hungarian Ornitho¬ 
logical Society of Pesth, recently dispatched 
two carrier pigeons to Cologne, whence they 
had arrived two days before. The pigeons 
commenced their flight at six A. M., and at 
five on the same afternoon a telegram ar¬ 
rived from Cologne, stating that they had 
reached that town at two, thus performing 
the whole distance between Pesth ami Co¬ 
logne (about GOO miles) in eight hours. 
Fattening Fowls How the Enulish do it. 
Among the various modes of fattening 
fowls, which are from time to time presented 
to the readers of the Rural New Yorker, 
none arc more highly commended by the 
English press than that, pursued by breeders 
in that country. It is claimed that their 
mode Is not only the most economical, but. 
proves perfectly successful. Their met hod 
is to put the fowls to he fat tened into coops, 
as usual, hut where they can get no gravel. 
Keep corn in their feed-boxes all the time, 
and also give them corn meal dough, well 
cooked, once a day. For drink, give them 
fresh skimmed milk, with a sprinkling of 
pulverized charcoal in it. Fed in this way, 
it is said they will fatten nicely in from ten 
to twelve days. If kept beyond that time, 
it is customary to furnish them with gravel 
to prevent them from falling away. 
We have given in these columns the 
mode practiced by those conversant with 
packing eggs for transportation in this coun¬ 
try, and deem it not inappropriate to give 
the wodUH operand of one of our English 
cousins on this subject, us it, appears in the 
London Farmer -. 
“ As an experiment to test my mode of 
Monstrosities iu tbe Poultry Yard. 
In a late number of the London Field and 
Farm we find the following statement of a 
curious freak of nature. The Field says: 
“ Our friend, Serjeant Hunt, has been rais¬ 
ing a cross between a Dorking cock and a 
La Fleche hen. The eggs were all very 
large, and the result of a sitting of twelve 
has been, first, a monstrosity in the shape of 
a chick with four wings and four legs, one 
pair of each being close behind the other 
pair, (this chick didn’t live long after it. was 
assisted out of the shell, and is now pre¬ 
served in spirits ;) secondly, there was a case 
of twin chicks, hatched healthy and strong, 
hut not now distinguishable from one other 
chick hatched at the same time with them; 
the three being the produce of two eggs left 
in the nest for the hen to hatch out after the 
rest had been removed.” 
Report on Mr. Ilennett’s Ettits. 
As stated in the Rural Nhw-Yorkeu of 
June 11th, we received from Daniel Ben¬ 
nett of Painesville, Ohio, two dozen Light 
Brahma eggs, which were nicely packed. 
The universal verdict among buyers to¬ 
day is that dry goods have again assumed 
ante bellwm prices. A lew women are pur¬ 
chasing somewhat, largely in view of higher 
values by another season; and to look over 
the counters and note the beautiful fabrics 
lor the prices marked on them, is enough to 
tempt, any one to buy a dress or two more 
than is really needed. 
The season thus far has developed no 
particular change in suits or dresses. 
Black lace is worn at the throat and 
wrists instead of white, and especially with 
black dresses. When dresses arc cut low, 
black dotted net forms a sort of chemisette. 
It, may be relieved with a narrow ribbon or 
velvet looped in. 
In white laces there is something com¬ 
paratively new in valenciennes. “ Italian 
valencionne’’ costs about one-third as much 
as the real, and can scarcely be distinguished 
from it. It is a woven lace with the edge 
put in by hand. It never comes more than 
an inch wide, and costs from eighteen to 
twenty-five cents a yard. 
Bash, throat and hair ribbons conic in sets 
at the best shops— i. e., iu suitable widths 
for each, and in precisely the same shade. 
Two and one-fourth yards makes the sash. 
That four inches wide is a good width. 
Three fourths of a yard, two inches wide, 
makes the bow for the throat. Three-fourths 
of a yard is sufficient for the belt for an 
ordinarily sized waist, or a, yard and a half 
makes the belt and necktie. One yard does 
for the hair hows, which should lie about an 
inch wide. Wear almost any color with 
black, except, blue. 
Hair is promising greater simplicity. 
Misses and young ladies wear their hair in 
two long braids down the back, to quite an 
extent. Each end is finished with a bow of 
ribbon. 
The old-fashioned “buskin,” or half low 
shoe, is in vogue again. They are made 
with thick soles, firmly arched insteps, and 
are worn on the street on hot days. 
Bathing suits arc made of flannel. From 
six to seven yards of the single width flan¬ 
nel is required. Good enough flannel, part 
cotton, may be had for thirty-five cents per 
yard. Make Garibaldi waist, sailor collar, a 
short skirt, coming just below, mul tiirkisli 
trousers, buttoning above the ankle. Gray 
flannel, trimmed with black braid, is pretty, 
and not conspicuous. Bull water warps 
bone or rubber buttons, .let ones are better. 
Bathing shoes are made with heavy twine 
bottoms and linen tops. They cost some¬ 
thing less than $1. 
Where llie waist and skirt of a dress are 
made separate, sew a flat button at the mid¬ 
dle of the waist bottom iu tlie back, and 
work a buttonhole in the middl# of the skirt 
hand. This insures fastening the skirt on 
straight every time. 
Do not allow winter clothing to “hang 
up” during the summer. Fold all neatly 
and lay them away with a bit of camphor 
gum. 
While lisle thread gloves, suitable only 
for cotton dresses, may be kept white by 
laying them, after being well soaped, in the 
sun for a few hours. 
Cotton and worsted braids for trimming 
dresses that are to be washed, should always 
be dipped in water to shrink them before 
being applied. 
The latest shape in hats is called the 
“ Saratoga.” It has a moderately broad 
brim, a high crown, but not running up to 
a peak like tlie peasant hats. Beautiful 
braids iu Neapolitan cost, from $! to $1.50. 
While or gray felt, and beaver hats are all 
the “rage” for gentleman. Such a light- 
colored hat mania has not existed before for 
some years, 
-»«♦ - — - 
Answers •<» Correspondent*. —Mrs. If. W. H., 
Went Prairie, Iowa Surplice waists are worn, 
and are very becoming to some flu urns. Wear a 
lace ohcniisei.f o. Undorsleoves are worn. (I or© 
the skirt of your green bareire, make it short, 
and put a bias Bounce on the bottom. Wear a 
black silk uaoque with it- 
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