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CONDUCTED BY MARY A. E. WAGER. 
HOUSE AND SHOP GOSSIP. 
Molnssea in Roans. 
We had baked beans for dinner the other 
day, which were very nice, and caused a 
young man to affirm that ‘‘lie knew they 
had molasses in.” Cousin Annie was horri¬ 
fied at suck an ideal “But mother always 
puts two tablespoonfuls of molasses in with 
the beans when she puts them in the oven,” 
he assorted. “ And I can assure you it im¬ 
proves them greatly.” 
No harm in making the experiment. 
lti'd nitmUttts. 
We were shown a^reat variety of woolen 
blankets for beds, the other day, in a large 
shop. Besides the “ Whitney " mentioned 
a few weeks ago, we were shown the “Assa- 
bet” blanket, which the salesman thought 
even better, and costing about the same. The 
“ Cashmere” costs less, but is very desirable. 
Another nice blanket is called the " Double 
Extra Mills.” The “ Schuylkill ” blanket is 
very much Hiked, and costs, in large sizes, 
from $12 to $14 per pair. A superb article, 
manufactured in Indiana, and called the 
“ Peru Blanket,” is the newest in market, 
and costs from $9.50 to $18 per pair. We 
also noticed piles of 
Coverlids, 
those red and white and blue affairs such as 
our grandmothers doted on years ago — 
great, heavy, ugly things that are ouly (it 
to cover the floor when no other car¬ 
peting can be had. Notwithstanding their 
ugliness, the salesman assured us he sold 
“ quantities of them." We were confident 
no Rural reader was guilty of such exe¬ 
crable taste and judgment as to invest in 
that way. 
“ Hypocrite*.” 
We have noticed some pretty designs in 
pillow shields and head spreads, which, for 
short, are called “ Hypocrites.” The shield 
for pillows is cut just the size of the pillow, 
and bordered all around with a side plaiting 
four inches wide, the plaits held in place by 
a row of stitching an Inch from the outer 
edge. Inside the hem, all around, narrow 
white braid is put on In patterns. Monograms 
are embroidered in the center, if one wishes. 
The strip that simulates an elaborated sheet 
turned back, is nearly three-quarters of a 
yard wide, and nearly of the width of the 
sheet. It is trimmed on one side to match 
the pillow shields. It is not much trouble 
to lay aside these “extras” at night, while 
in the day time they trim a bed beautifully. 
They cost, ready made, of fine muslin, auy- 
wherc from $10 to $100. 
Ckluiz Window Oartiiiua. 
Those of our readers who put up chintz 
curtains for winter, should not fail to line 
them. They add greatly to the brightness 
and warmth of a room. 
About Food. 
Dio Lewis says:—“ To make the best 
bread that can be made of wheat, obtain 
good wheat and grind it without bolting; 
mix it with cold water until it is as thick as 
can he well beaten with a spoon ; after it is 
thoroughly beaten down, put it into a large 
iron pan, composed of many little ones, 
which must first be made hot; put it then 
quickly into a hot oven and bake it as rapid¬ 
ly as possible. 
Indian corn makes excellent nourishment. 
It contains a large amount of oil, 1ms re¬ 
markable fattening qualities, and is likewise 
remarkable as a licut-producer. Rice keeps 
its consumers fat, but It lacks the elements 
which feed the muscles aud brain. 
Potatoes, botti Irish aud sweet, arc very 
poor food for brain and muscle. 
Of meats, tbe best for beat and fat are 
pork, mutton, lamb, beef and veal; for mus¬ 
cle, beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork; for 
brains and nerve, beef, veal, mutton, lamb 
and pork. 
In cold weather, fat meat, butter, and the 
like will keep the body warm; and in warm 
weather, milk, eggs, bran bread, and sum¬ 
mer vegetables will keep it cool. 
There is no difficulty in a poor man’s hav¬ 
ing meat for his family every day. Take, 
for example, what is called a shank of beef. 
The very best can be bought for a fraction 
of what the dearest parts cost.* A single 
pound cooked in a stew with dry hits of 
bread will make a meal for an entire family. 
The Greek aud Roman armies ate but 
once a day. 
The common impression that tomatoes are 
the healthiest of all vegetables is a mistake. 
If eaten at all, it should be with great mode¬ 
ration, aud never eaten raw. Tomatoes 
have sometimes produced salivation. Dr. 
Lewis knew* a young woman who had lost 
all her teeth from excessive eating of to¬ 
matoes. 
1 Pies and cakes are poisonous.” 
- 4 ♦ ♦ 
Domestic Inquiries.—I have heard that there ts 
a dish much used union# farmers in Central New 
k York called pork-apple-pie. Will some reader 
^ f your paper tell how It is made.—L izzie Jane. 
BUTCHERING TIME. 
Cleaning Inwards, Tryimr l.nvd. Making 
Sausage, &c. 
As the time is at hand for killing and 
packing pork, I will give my way of doing 
the woman’s work. While they are killing 
the first hog I prepare a table for taking care 
of the inwards, and place upon it sharp 
knives, twine, &c., also a cloth and dish of 
iiot water. 1 now place a boiler near the 
table to receive the fat that is taken from the 
inwards and partly fill it with cold water, 
into which 1 put a handful of salt; 1 then 
get ready a basin for dirty bits of fat, and 
place at the end of the table a pail or tub to 
receive the inwards after the fat has been 
taken off. 
Then, as soon as brought in, I am ready for 
operations, which is very essential, as the fat 
cannot be removed as easily after cooling. I 
first commence with the stomach, tie the 
small inward that leads from it in two 
places, and cut and wipe the ends with my 
cloth. I then give it to my assistant to pick 
the fat from, and I proceed to draw the end 
through under the large inward, and tlfcn it 
is straight work. I continue to pull it from 
the fat. until I come to the large ones, letting 
it run into the pail, separating the large 
ones carefully with my knife, and then we 
pick all the fat from them and put in the 
suited water. When finished, the inwards 
go in the pail; then I scrape the fat off the 
table aud put it in the basin, and we are 
ready for another. After all arc taken care 
of, clean the table, knives, scrapers, pails, 
hook and all that have beeu used for butch¬ 
ering. After the fat has been in the water 
a short time, I take it out and change the 
water, which I do three or four times, always 
putting in satt. 
My husband takes the porkers down at 
night, places them on a clean plank, aud 
after cutting the two sides apart, takes out 
the leaf lard and assists in cutting it up 
ready to put over the tire as soon as made 
in the morning. Some put in a little water, 
but it is not necesssary if a small quantity of 
the fat be put in first and stirred well over the 
lire; then it can be filled up. Stir quite often 
to keep it from burning. I then change the 
water on the fat in the boiler for the last 
time, amt after standing two or three hours 
longer, take it out in a cloth strainer, which 
I place in a basket over a tub to drain, leav¬ 
ing the water to soak bloody pieces. While 
it is draining I cut tip such pieces of pork to 
cook for lard as arc not good to salt, after 
which cut the lard that was taken from the 
water. As soon as each kettle is mil cooked 
(which is quite necessary to keep good,) we 
set it out to cool, and when the scraps settle 
dip off all we can of-the lard, and then they 
will cool faster, after which strain and refill 
the kettle. I put the leaf lard in the bottom 
of my tali for summer use. It is belter to 
stir in a little salt when partly cooled. 
After the pork is all cut up and carried 
into the cellar ready for salting, my husband 
assists in cutting the sausage meat in strips 
ready for the machine; then weigh it and 
measure out the salt, pepper aud sage (which 
has been previously prepared) in the propor¬ 
tion of one even teaspoonful of pepper, one 
ami u-half of salt and two of sage to one 
pound of meat.. We spread the meat and 
sprinkle the seasoning over it before putting 
it in the machine, which saves much trouble 
in mixing. 
We salt no bones with the pork, and not 
much lean meat, but trim it off for sausage 
meat. 1 cut all that is good from the heads 
and skin it and-cut off for sausage meat, or 
lard, and then throw them out to the liens. 
The legs, both the upper and lower part., 
I skin, ami then they are put in the brine on 
top of the pork for a few days, when they 
will be salt enough to boil for the table. 
After the lard is all cooked, 1. put in the 
dirty lard, for we get quite a little quantity 
during the whole process, and cook and 
straiu for greasiug wagons, <&c., and then 
put over some water and boil the skins that 
liaye been taken off the meat for sausage ami 
lard; also the heads and legs for soap 
grease; then let the water cool and skim off 
the fat, which can be put with the dirty lard 
or in the soap grease. A. Run a list. 
Saekett’s Harbor. N. Y. 
CONTRIBUTED RECIPES. 
J)ryh»R Green Corn. 
I think I have, a better way of drying 
green corn than Alice’s. Husk the corn 
and silk it. Then shave it off' with a sharp 
knife. To six quarts of the shaved corn 
add a teacup of sugar and stir it all up to¬ 
gether. Put it on a pie platter and plates and 
set in the oven. Let it scald ten minutes; 
then take it out and put it on a clean table 
cloth, and spread in the sun and let it dry. 
When dry, put in a jar or box to keep.— 
Clara B._ 
To Make Giniter Simps. 
I send you a recipe for making ginger 
snaps, which I think is very good:—One 
heaping cup of lard, two cups of molasses, 
two heaping teaspoons of soda; cloves, cin¬ 
namon and ginger to taste; a very little 
alum and salt.—M amie. 
jllobcs aub banners. 
<£p <&P 
MINTWOOD’S CONVERSAZIONE. 
Etiquette of Invitations. 
Kansas Gnu. writes:—“ When an invita¬ 
tion i9 received to a wedding, party or recep¬ 
tion, by card through the post office, or by 
having it left by a niessouger at your house, 
and you wish to accept, it, is it necessary to 
send a reply?” Usually, yes; always yes, 
when the invitation requests a reply by using 
the characters R. S. P. V., {revpondez, x'tl vous 
plait —“ answer, if you please.") It is imma¬ 
terial how the reply is sent , per post or mes¬ 
senger, but it should be sent within a day or 
two, and written in a vein similar to the 
wording of the invitation, be it formal, cour¬ 
teous or “ humorous.” Excuses or “ regrets” 
to lie sent in like manner. 
“Will you please give some proper form 
for each, ami oblige more than one Country 
Girl ?” 
FORMAL NOTE OF ACCEPTANCE. 
“Miss Brown accepts with pleasure the 
polite invitation of ill’s. Smith for the eve¬ 
ning of Nov. 20th.” Giving date aud resi¬ 
dence of the writer. 
NOTE OF REFUSAL 
may be worded as followsMiss Brown 
regrets that she cannot accept the polite in¬ 
vitation of Mrs. Smith for the evening of 
Nov. 20th,” When invitations are issued 
for dinners and the like, it is often very con¬ 
venient for the hostess to know just how 
many to prepare for. If an invitation is ac¬ 
cepted, it should bo regarded as one of the 
impossibilities not to comply with it. If the 
invitation is to a church ceremony simply, it 
is not necessary to reply to the invitation. 
Mourniue Kobe* nutl CiirIoiiih. 
Cornelia, Pa. — “IIow long after the 
death of a parent is crape usually worn?” 
From six to twelve months. Silk with crape 
can ho worn at. the end of six or nine 
months, ftomlsiziue with crape is deep 
mourning. Two years’ wearing of mourn¬ 
ing robes is considered sufficient for the loss 
of a parent. Lavender and gray is adopted 
at the end of eighteen mouths, in black 
goods there is a great variety aside from 
merino and Empress cloth. Henrietta Cloth, 
.Tames cloth, Alexandria poplin, Delhi pop¬ 
lin, crape cloth and a variety of ribbed 
goods, furnish a large selection. After crape 
is lightened, dressees are trimmed with bias 
folds of lho same, piped on each edge with 
the goods. Chemisettes, collars and cuffs of 
hook muslin are ornamented with the appli¬ 
cation of narrow white braid, stitched on in 
patterns with black thread. As crape veils 
are so injurious to the eyes, they arc worn 
atone side;, and a strip of blue or gray gren¬ 
adine is admissible for protection to the face 
wlieu walking or riding. 
IMkIh nn«l Loft Stocking*. 
I see iii the English papers t hat, there is a 
stocking on the market especially adapted 
to those who have to walk a good* deal, 
called “ Right and Left Stockings,” which 
are made to tit. the foot just, as a boot is, 
and which afford greater freedom to the toes 
than those of ordinary shape, are more dur¬ 
able, because they do not work at the heel 
nor fold into creases. Is there any similar 
stocking of American make? If not, there 
should be; for the idea that any shaped 
stocking ean be worn comfortably is as ab¬ 
surd as that any shaped shoe looks neat on 
anybody’s feet.—c. 
There is no similar stocking of either 
American or English manufacture, in tbe 
American market, to our knowledge. “ ’Tis 
a poor foot that can’t shape its own stock¬ 
ing.” The best fitting atockings arc those 
with a seam down the hack, and the bottom 
of flic foot a separate piece sewed in. Stock¬ 
ings so made, if of the proper number or 
size, usually fit smoothly and furnish plenty 
of perambulating room for the toes. 
About Fnr*. 
Country Dealer.— Sable, mink, ostra¬ 
cism, ermine, squirrel, grebe, black monkey, 
and seal are perhaps the leading furs in the 
market. All fur goods are lower than last 
season, owing probably, to the decline in 
gold. Mink lias the general preference. 
Astrachan and black monkey will be worn 
in mourning; squirrel and grebe will be 
chosen for children, as well as ermine. The 
latter is no longer so very expensive, but 
that most young ladies can have a set. 
Seal skin grows steadily in popularity, and 
the jacket and sacques made of it are very 
elegant. Black silk sacques, lined and wad¬ 
ded, and bordered with l'ur, promise to be 
very popular, and are decidedly stylish. 
There is no very decided change in the shape 
of furs; the small pointed cape is retained, 
although boas or tippets have the preference. 
DresBt-M uu<! Aprons for Ckfltlren. 
Mrs. J.—Dresses for small boys and girls 
are very much ornamented with white braid, 
put on in figure eights (8) in great profu¬ 
sion ; the braid is not sewed down flat, as if 
to be ironed. The small waists are laid in 
three box plaits, with braiding on each one; 
the skirt is laid in six box plaits, with a 
square lappet of the cloth falling over each 
from the belt, which arc each bordered with 
braiding. Goods of all shades in velveteen 
and plain worsted, are so ornamented. For 
school aprons for your little girls, get ecru 
or unbleached linen or salmon cambric; 
make with plain gored skirt, applied pockets, 
skeleton waists; cut the edges in scallops 
and bind with scarlet braid. 
Rib* fur Children. 
India rubber cloth (stone color), a yard 
and a-lialf wide and costing $3.25 per yard, 
is an excellent material for childrens’ bibs or 
for napkins to spread on the table in front 
of them. It is impervious to fluids, and 
needs but to be wiped off to be kept clean. 
nruNMufi—Drab, Blue uiul Brown, Ere. 
’Ella asks about making dresses for her¬ 
self of the above shades, but fails to specify 
whether she desires them for house nr street, 
long or short. The illustrations given last 
week will aid her in choice of trimmings. 
To have the drab alpaca suitable for a spring 
suit, it should be made short, three folds on 
the skirt, piped on each side with velvet or 
satin of a little darker shade; tunic, waist 
and sleeves with a narrow frill headed with 
the bias hands piped as on skirt. Drab is a 
cold color for winter—why not leave the 
goods unused until spring ? Nothing prettier 
than blue velvet can he used for trimming 
your blue merino. Ruches of the same, 
tw r o and a-l>alf inches wide, cut straight 
and fringed out on both edges, form a very 
pretty heading for frills. Moss trimming or 
fringe of same shade would also he pretty. 
Etiquette of Call**. 
“ Will Mentwood have the kindness to 
inform ‘A Country Subscriber’ what would 
be the proper course for a lady to pursue in 
calling on a person at a hotel? Please give 
explicit directions through the columns of 
the Rural New-Yorker.” 
Ask a servant or porter at the hotel to 
take your card to the person you wish to see, 
while you wait for an answer in the hotel 
parlor. A call made under such circum¬ 
stances, does not differ from one made in the 
ordinary way at a private residence. If, 
however, you are a total stranger to the per¬ 
son you wish to see, aud your card is an¬ 
swered in person, you should introduce your¬ 
self iu some way, to further enlighten the 
person as to who you are, aud at once make 
known the oiijeel, of your visit. If the per¬ 
son is a distinguished guest, and you call 
simply to pay your compliments, you should 
express your pleasure at the privilege, with 
as much graeiousness as possible, but re 
member that a lavish profusion of compli¬ 
ments is odious. Honest appreciation of an 
author’s books, a lecturer’s essay, an artist’s 
picture, or a statesman’s policy, modestly 
expressed to such, is always admissible. 
Toilet lor You ini' MIsmok. 
Lizzie, (’oldwater, asks:—“ How long do 
girls of fourteen and fifteen years of ago wear 
their dresses? Are waterproof cloaks suita¬ 
ble to wear to church? What would be 
pretty for a cloak (‘for nice’) for a girl of 
that ago? IIow should site dress her hair?” 
Girls of the age you mention wear their 
dresses to the tops of their hoots—a little be¬ 
low, rather than above, if the boots button 
very high. Waterproof cloaks are not worn 
ns part of a church costume. They are 
“suitable" when one cannot afford a hotter 
wrap. A pretty cloak for a girl of “ that 
age" may be made of velvet, of plush, of 
heaver; or any of the fancy, light-colored 
cloths, trimmed with shaded or black velvet. 
A winter cloak, no matter of what made, 
should ho lined. A heavy beaver, uuliticd, 
is a cold thing. Her hair may hang down 
her hack in two Chinese braids, or be 
crossed at the back, or over the head, or 
looped high, or low at the back, or worn 
loosely in a net; the front may be smooth, 
or crimped, or brushed over side rolls. 
Blue Eycil Girl and Iter Dresses. 
V.—A “ blue satin duchene” would be 
stylish trimmed with velvet of the same 
shade. A blue or violet Empress or Cash- 
mere, with a deep flounce on the skirt and 
a long overskirt, would also bo stylish and 
becoming. Moss trimming is also used for 
heading instead of velvet. You might sub¬ 
stitute black velvet for the Astrachan on 
your heaver basque* if you desire a change. 
If you get something new, why not choose 
a short basque or sacque, of blue or violet 
plush, us the shade of your dress may be? 
Your last year’s black alpaca is not tar 
from the present, style. A longer overskirt 
or a deep flounce placed above the narrow 
ones overlapping each other, would add a 
look of newness. Overskirts are mostly 
long, open in front and slightly raised on 
the hips. Should you choose Cashmere for 
a dress, trim it with ruches of the same, 
or with bath edges fringed out. Passemen¬ 
terie braid or gimp trims it prettily, or 
crimped fringe. Velvet, is too heavy, and 
belongs to heavier goods, it is neither so 
clinging and soft, nor so “ artistic.” 
Croquet for Recreation. 
P. II., asks:—“ Is there anything better or 
newer than croquet for recreation in the 
country ?” Nothing better than croquet has 
yet been developed. 
aunfrfu; antr fttstfuL 
THE SALT OF TOE SEA. 
To very many readers the sources of the 
salt of the sea is an unsolved mystery. Many 
theories upon the subject have been promul¬ 
gated, the most readily credited of which 
has been the existence of large deposits of 
salt similar to the mines of Cracow, or the 
more recently discovered mountain of salt 
in Nevada. This hypothesis might furnish 
a reasonable solution of this interesting ques¬ 
tion if one more satisfactory had not been 
deduced by the labors mid inquiries of sci¬ 
entific men. 
The researches of agricultural chemists 
have demonstrated that nearly all soils, as 
well as the crops grown thereon, exhibit to 
a greater or less extent traces of saline mat¬ 
ter, from which they reasonably conclude 
that this mineral substance permeates the 
whole structure of the earth in an apprecia¬ 
ble quantity. 
This saline matter, under the disintegra¬ 
ting influence of frost, rain, and the various 
gases with which the atmosphere is often 
charged, becomes separated or dissolved in 
limited quantities, and is by the rivulets and 
larger streams, with other matter, carried 
forward to the sea. This process has been 
going on for ages, since “ the morning stars 
sang together.” Couple with this the estab¬ 
lished fact that the evaporation from the sur¬ 
face of the water ranges in the Northern 
United States at from fifty to fifty-six inches 
annually, and in the humid climate of Eng¬ 
land at over forty-four inches, while under 
the burning sun of the tropics it is largely in 
excess of this amount, aud we may form 
some idea of the process of condensation to 
which the waters of the sea have been so 
long subject. The same process of conden¬ 
sation holds good in all seas, and is made 
most apparent in those which, while con¬ 
tinually receiving fresh supplies of water, 
have no outlet. 
As instances in corroboration of this 
theory, we may cite tbe Dead Hea, as also 
others on the Eastern Continent, and the 
Great Salt Luke in our own. Having in 
mind that this vapor comes off only as 
fresh water, to be again ret urned in rain and 
snow to re-wash the earth and return to the 
sea,.and you may have some conception of 
the vast amount of saline and mineral con¬ 
stituents which have thus been deposited 
and remain, the son imparting thereto not 
only its saline character, but many other 
constituents. 
A very familiar illustration of the results 
of evaporation utav be seen in the manufac¬ 
ture of suit at Syracuse, N. Y., ns well ns 
Other places, by what Is known as solar 
evaporation ; when, by the heat of the sun, 
the fresh water is carried off, and only the 
valuable salt of commerce remains. The 
bed of old Ocean has, from the foundation 
of the earth, been a reservoir from which 
salt lias not been removed, but additions 
continually made; hence its known saline 
character. 
To the agriculturist the lesson of this un¬ 
varying law and process is the propriety, if 
not great necessity, of supplying to cultivated 
ground, at proper intervals and in judicious 
proportions, by the use of salt as a fertilizer, 
some portions of the great waste or drain to 
which tilled land, more than that covered 
by forests or even grasses has been so long 
subjected. They may find in this solution 
of the source of salt in the sea, the explana¬ 
tion of the known value of salt in agricul¬ 
ture.—w. 
- 44-4 - 
THE GULF STREAM- 
A writer gives the following graphic de¬ 
scription of the Gulf Stream ;—There is a 
river in the ocean. In the severest drouth 
it never fails, and in the mightiest floods it 
never overflows. Its banks and its bottom 
are of cold water, while its current is warm. 
The Gulf of Mexico is its fountain, and its 
mouth is tho Arctic seas. It is the Gulf 
Stream. There is in the world no other so 
majestic a (low of water. Its current is more 
rapid than the Mississippi or the Amazon, and 
its volume more than a thousand times 
greater. Its waters, as far out as tho Carolina 
coasts, are of an indigo blue. They are so 
distinctly marked that the lino of junction 
with the common sea water may be traced 
by the eye. Often one-half of the vessel 
may be perceived floating in the Gulf Stream 
water, while the other half is in I,lie com¬ 
mon water of the sea, so sharp i3 the lino 
and the want of affinity between these 
waters; and such, too, the reluctance, so to 
speak, on the part of those of the Gulf 
Stream, to mingle with the waters of the 
sea. In addition to Ibis there is another pe¬ 
culiar fact The fishermen on the coast of 
Norway am supplied ivitli wood from the 
tropics by the Gulf Stream. Think of the 
Arctic fishermen burning upon their hearths 
the palms of Hayti, the mahogany of Hon¬ 
duras, and the precious woods of the Ama¬ 
zon and Orinoco. 
