MQOBE’8 BUBAL WEW-YOBKEB. 
gomestitf (Bconontti. > 
:_ - ~ t 
HOW TO MAKE COFFEE. i 
- : i 
Much has l>een written on the making of ( 
coffee, and patent eoffce-pDta and other t 
apparatus, of more or less intricate, con¬ 
struction, have been devised for the prepa- , 
ration of the popular beverage ; and yet it 
must be confessed that a really good cup of ( 
coffee is rather the exception than the rule. 
The problem is not so simple as it seems at 
first thought. The virtue ol’ the coffee berry 
consists in ita volatile aroma and its fixed 
extractive matter. To prevent the former 
from escaping into the aiv and the latter 
from remaining in the grounds is the de¬ 
sideratum, but the ordinary methods of 
doing the one interfere with doing the 
other. By the French plan of filtering boil¬ 
ing water through the ground coffee, the 
nroma is readily extracted, but the fixed 
matter is mostly left behind. On the other 
hand, by the common Yankee plan of boiling 
the grounds for a long tittle in water, the ; 
extractive matter Is utilized, but the aroma 
flies off with the steam. Prof. C. A. Seely I 
has contrived a very sensible process of 
killing both birds with one stone, Which he 
thus describes: 
“ I take rather more than the usual amount 
of coffee, and pour on it hot water when it is 
ready to be used ; in other words, 1 make 
French coffee. The grounds from this 
operation I leave to soak in the pot till the 
next day, when I begin coffee-making 
by pouring hot water on these grounds, 
which hot water I use according to the 
French plan in making coffee from fresh- 
ground coffee. The process is now in full 
operation, and every time ocffoo is wanted 
the manipulations of the second morning 
are repeated. I thus extract all the soluble 
and useful matter of roasted coffee, and 
waste nothing. To put the art in the most 
practical form, I have found jt necessary to 
modify the coffee-pot. Perhaps the simplest 
apparatus is the most ordinary pot provided 
with two strainers. The strainers are of 
cup form, and fit into each other and into 
the top of t lm pot. For use I set a strainer 
on the ton of the pot, and in the strainer I 
place fresh-ground coffee ; over this 1 use 
the second strainer, containing the grounds 
of the last operation. Now hot water is 
poured into the upper strainer, ami perco¬ 
lates down into the pot, carrying with it all 
the goodness remaining in the grounds, and 
the aroma and much of the extractive of 
the fresh-ground coffee. When the water 
has passed down, I throw away the now 
useless contents of the upper strainer, and 
upset the contents of the lower strainer into 
the pot.” _ 
ORIGINAL RECIPES. 
old in cold weather. The English method of 
keeping meat for sometime has great merit. 
Experts say, hang up a quarter of meat with 
the cut end up, being tho reverse of the 
usual way, by the leg, and the juice will re¬ 
main in the meat, and not run to the cut 
and dry up by evaporation. It is worth a 
trial, and when once made will be continued. 
Iced Apples.—Pave, core, and slice ten 
apples of a large, tart kind. Bake them till 
nearly done. Tut them away to get entirely 
cold ; then prepare some icing, and first 
pouring off all the juice, lay the icing thickly 
on tho tops and sides as much as you cau. 
Return them to the oven to just harden and i 
be set. Serve with cream. 
Lemon Cake .—Three cups of loaf sugar: 
one cup of butter; four cups flour ; live eggs ; 
beat yelks and whites separately ; cup of 
milk and a teaspoonful of soda ; juice and 
grated rind of a lemon. 
REVIEW OF LAST YEAR’S FUR 
TRADE. 
M. M. Backus & Co. (838 Broadway, N. 
Y., City) send us their “ Review of Lost 
Year’s Fur Trade” under date of Jan. 80. 
lime water or other preparation. Our own 
dyers have not been idle, and already wo 
have a number ill tiffs cii,y, whose work 
excels any imported sample in the matter of 
raccoon, beaver aurl otter; and to this we 
are now happy to add, that entire success 
has crowned the perseverance of one of 
them in the matter of unhairing and dyeing 
fur seals. Thirty years ago, it was an easy 
task in this city to get the fur seal properly 
Year’s Fur Trade” under date or Jan. on. task in this city to get the fur seal properly 
The interests which many of our readers prepared by our own workmen ; but a 
manifest (by inquiry and otherwise) in this vv j 10 i e generation has passed away while 
business, warrants us in making the follow- , fchat fm q lus been out of fashion. 
20lcni([ information. 
Buffalo Cream Cake .—For cake, take one 
tablespoonful of butter, one cup of sugar, 
one egg, two-thirds of a cup of rich, sweet 
milk, two teaspoonsful of cream tartar and 
one of soda, (or two teasooonsful of baking 
powder) one and two-thirds cups of flour. 
Flavor to taste with extract of vanilla or 
lemon and bake in layers, the same as for 
jelly cake.— a, c. 
Custard for Calx— One pint of rich new 
milk, one egg. one tablespoonful of flour, one 
of corn starch. Flavor same as cake; 
sweeten to taste. Boil until thick, in a tin 
or earthen vessel, sat in hot water. When 
nearly cool, spread on all of the cakes but 
one and put togethor the same as jelly cake, 
cover the top layer with soft icing. 
Ginger Crackers.— One pint molasses, a 
half pound bfown sugar, a half pound of 
butter, one tablespoonful of cinnamon, one 
of cloves, und one of ginger, flour to make a 
stiff paste ; roll thin, cut in squares, or strips, 
and bake in a quick oven.— a. C. 
Mrs. J. D.’s Recipe tor Making Ginger 
Snaps.—O ip cup of sugar, one enp of sirup, 
. one cup of butter, half teacup of water, half 
teaspoon of soda, one teaspoon of cream 
tartar, two teaspoons of ginger; these are 
excellent.—F armer’s Wife. 
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SELECTED RECIPES. 
Stuffing for a Turkey or Chicken .—'Take 
some bread crumbs and turn on just hot 
water enough to moisten them ; pub iu a 
piece of butter not melted, the size of a hen’s 
egg, add a spoonful of pulverized sage, a tea- 
spoonful of ground pepper and a teaspoonful 
of salt ; there may lyi some of the bread 
crumbs that need to be chopped ; then mix 
thoroughly and stuff your bird.— German- 
town Tel. 
Meat in Cold Weather.—Meat is much bet¬ 
ter for family use when at least one week 
5 ? 
THE USE OF CHLORAL. t 
The friends of temperance have a new foe s 
to grapple with iu the drug chloral, which 1 
has recently come into use as a sedative i 
agent. It is now sold by tons every week in ; 
London ; and Baron Liebig states that one 1 
German house alone makes and sells a ton a 
week 1 The London Lancet and the London i 
Spectator both call attention to the enor- | 
moos consumption of this drug, asserting 
that but a small portion of that sold is 
prescribed as a medicine ; and that its use 
is mostly a popular vice, generally among 
women ; and that it is doing more harm 
than alcohol. Once addicted to it, the 
victim will soon reach such a state as to pass 
life hi a contented semi drunken stupefac¬ 
tion. The use of neither chloral nor opium 
is confined to either England or Germany. 
There are those among us who would turn 
in horror from the use of whisky, but who 
flatter themselves that their weak nerves re¬ 
quire the quieting effect of this new ami 
respectable sedative. Something should be 
done to stop or limit its sale before it gains 
the mastery over that class of women 
among us who have nothing to do but to 
kill time. 
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CURE FOR CATARRH. 
Although a catarrh of itself is not to 
be classed with the dangerous diseases, it is 
always troublesome, and if the bronchia; be¬ 
come affected a favorable termination, espe¬ 
cially with aged persons, is not always 
certain. A remedy for this affection, as 
suggested by Dr. Hager, is us followsFive 
parts of carbolic acid, six of aqua ammonia, 
(specific gravity 0,9150,) ten of distilled 
water, and fifteen of alcohol are to bo mixed 
together iu a wide-mouthed bottle, half Idled 
with Cotton or asbestos, and snuffed up from 
time to time from the bottle. After a 
through trial of his proscription Dr. Brand 
states that it shortens the first stage of the 
disease, prevents the second, and alleviates 
all the symptoms. Ho prefers, however to 
apply it by inhalation through the mouth 
as well as the nose, by pouring a few droj s 
on porous paper, and holding it in the hollow 
> of the hand before the face, with the eyes 
’ closed. 
BORAX FOR COLDS. 
A writer in the “ Medical Record ” cites 
a number of eases in which borax has proved 
a most effectual remedy in curing certain 
forms of colds. He states that in sudden 
hoarseness or loss of voice in public speakeis 
or singers, from colds, relief for an hour 
or so, os by magic, may be obtained by 
dissolving and partially swallowing a lump 
of borax the rizo of a garden pea, or about 
three or four grains held iu the mouth for 
ten minutes before speaking or singing. This 
produces a profuse secretion or “watering” 
of the mouth and throat—probably restoring 
the voice of tone to tho dried vocal cords, 
just as “wetting” brings back the missing 
notes to a Ante, when it is too dry. 
A Water Filter. —The following is a 
description of a filter used by Tom Ballard, a 
notorious counterfeiter ; Tom was dainty, 
too. Ho liked pure water— counterfeiters 
seldom indulge in strong drinks—and in his 
shed was a filter, fashioned by himself out of 
the simplest materials. It was only a can¬ 
vas bag that, ended in a point, and in it was 
placed pounded charcoal and other articles, 
but from it the not over clean well water 
dripped into a receptacle below, in drops 
as clear as diamonds. 
ing extracts from this Review. j T j 
As in other products, so in this ; the con- of 
sumer has bad the benefit of a large conces- con] 
sion in price ; and as a general result the it)K , 
stocks of furs have been reduced to a very j )j( „ 
moderate limit. is g 
The styles for the season have been very s) a , 
similar to those of the previous year, being km , 
tho muff and boa for suits, in almost every fnl , 
kind and color of fancy fur, and the sack in am) 
dyed fur seal. Trimmings in bands of fur {a y 
of half an inch to two inches in width have I t h( , 
been more popular than iu former years ; m(l 
but the demand for them has not become t( , u 
general. Coney (white, black, brown and )Vo 
silver), raccoon, fox (white, blue, gray and tll( , 
silver), lynx (dyed black or brown), otter, (lal 
beaver, chinchilla and skunk have been the 
materials chiefly required, and have been in (ht 
abundant supply, without advance in price , UB 
to the close of the season. 
Russian Sable have had even less demand 
than last year; their European price re ^ 
I mains nominally unchanged. . 
Hudson’s Bay Marten are in like disfavor ■ 
with the sable, and tlielr market value 
promises t.o be much reduced at the London 
sales of March next. jnt 
Ermine have gone into total neglect; they 
must he coutent to lake a very long sleep, as ^ 
fashion now denies them admission to her ^ 
circle in auy form or style. 
Muskrat have been in usual favor for ^ 
cheap muffs and boas, and are well sold out ^ 
of stock. 
Mink have also been pretty well consumed, ^ 
as the skins had been laid in at moderate ^ 
prices ami the goods were offered freely at 
lower limits than for the last fifteen years. 
This prompt reduction in price has made ( 
them acceptable, and will tend to keep them * A 
so in this country. In Europe they are ] 
lightly esteemed, and little used. 
Lynx has had a sickly time of it; and 1,1 
moderate sales of goods at half the cost a: 
of the skins have not exhausted the surplus ” 
stock of the former year. Age usually » 
t improves the luster of the dyed lynx skins ; 
- but most- of those imported have been so 
- wretchedly daubed, that they can hardly P 
> attain any respectable state of excellence tj 
s before the day of final judgement. 
Skunk, under tho fairer name of Black 
- Marten, have had a fail- degree of favor ; but < ! 
1 at prices that will discourage the furrier t] 
1 j from laying in stock for another year. Good 
* trimming went a begging last summer at» \ 
1 one dollar and a half per yard ; three times t 
1 that price would be a. reasonable one, if the , i 
1 raw skins should maintain their present , 
a value for shipmeut. i 
Siberian Squirrel are entirely out of style 
0 for the backs, the bellies are in some demand , 
^ ns linings for silk cloaks; the tails are in 
5 general use in the form of boas, formerly, 
v the average value of the back was twenty 
'* cents, of the belly five cents, and of the tail 
two cents; now fashion makes it that the 
belly is worth more than the back, while the 
tail is worth more thau the total hide. 
Raccoon was largely used for muffs; 
d ! when skillfully dyed black they had a ready 
tn I sale; inferior goods wero sold with great 
:n difficulty at considerable loss. Opossum 
is were similarly prepared and had a similar 
n- fate. Each of the last articles required 
)y I a dyed squirrel tail boa to complete the suit; 
jp and thus, the price depends materially upon 
ut that of the boa, which latter maintained o , 
or liigh value to the close. 
lis Caraculs had a moderate demand at a low 
,n price, are of very little importance for the 
ng J future. 
Is, Fur Seal Skin of prime grades and high 
ng luster have enjoyed an increased popularity, 
and are the established fashion for muffs, 
boas, sacks, caps and gloves. Their sale has 
a been more extensive than iu any former 
a year, and their price has been only a moder- 
ty ate one, in view of their universal favor, and 
m s of the perfection of finish and luster which 
his buyers now demand in that article of fur. 
of The stock and assortment liave been much 
an- better llnm formerly. The English dyers 
vas have made considerable progress in their art, 
Ies, and have given greater care and skill to 
ter their work. But most of them still pursue 
ops one beaten track, and refuse to color with¬ 
out first killing the surface of the fur with 
that fur has been out of fashion. 
There is no wonderful secret in this matter 
of preparing fur seals ; occult and mysterious 
compounds are all moonshine. The 
ingredients for coloring are in every good 
Dictionary of the Arts. All that is required 
is a faithful use of what is known; not to 
stand in terror and awe of something un¬ 
known. The rules are few and simple. Care¬ 
fully prepare the seal for nnhalring; pick 
and beam it faithfully ; eleanso the fur of all 
fatty matter by repeated washings; apply 
tho dye stuff daily with a brush and spread 
out the skin ill a drying room at suitable 
j temperature; repeat this latter process 
from fifteen to thirty days in succession till 
the color 1ms become sufficiently deep and 
dark; finally cleanse t-he skins with 
thorough washings in pure soft water ; and 
the product is a dyed fur seal skin, whose 
luster is clean, rich and permanent. 
Now to change all this perfection of art in¬ 
to a counterfeit, let the workman pluck out 
some fur along with the hair; let the 
knife leave many false cuts in the pelt ; let 
the dyer brush over a coat of litnewash or 
other killing upon the fur before applying 
the dyestuff, and let him finish with five I 
instead of twenty applications of the dyes; 
and the product is a daubed fur seal, burnt 
at the tips of the fur, dusky and smoky in 
luster, sticky and woolly in texture. Take 
a good magnifying glass, and you will 
discover the tips of the fur are not tapering 
needle points, but are singed and charred by 
the abuse they liave undergone. That pro¬ 
duet is u fraud. It- will smut first, last and 
forever ; the scorched surface will continue 
to crumble and drop away in wearing ; tho 
hue becomes a dull, dirty red; it was a sham 
at- its birth and remains so at its death. 
It has been much, the fashion to decry the 
product of American dyers. It will shortly 
become the ambition of our furriers to obtain 
and nse none other. It is only in the interest 
of important stocks, that American dyeing 
has been put, in distrust; and when any 
condemn American dyed seals, they fail to 
show side by side fair samples of the rival 
products. Buyers are as good judges with 
their eyes and fingers, as sellers are with 
their tongues. 
Otter anrl Beaver have been in good 
demand as borders in natural color, and as 
muffs and boas when dyed like the seal. 
The market for Raw Furs has opened here 
with considerable spirit.followingthat mani¬ 
fest at the London public sales this month, 
and further enhanced, by subsequent advices, 
of severe weather througout Europe. Tho 
advance is considerable and quite general 
> through the entire list. Badger and Bear are 
1 taken at ten per cent, advance. Beaver is a 
i little slow, and may be patiently biding 
i its t-imo, Fisher bring the full price of 
r last season. Fox of every description are 
1 quickly taken ; say, silver at twenty to 
3 I seventy-five dollars ; Blue at five to fifteen ; 
J Cross at three to seven ; White at two to 
three; Red and Gray at one and a half to 
; two dollars. Lynx are not plenty at two to 
y four dollars. Marten are threatened with an 
t avalanche iu the March sales, and are cou¬ 
rt sequontly drooping. Mink find buyers at 
r about the rates of last season, which are 
d very good ones in view of their neglect in 
; Europe. Muskrat are purchased at thirty 
u cents for winter, twenty-three for fall, and 
o eight for kits. Opo&smm commend thirty 
cents for fair. Northern Otter in full us good 
,v request as last season. Raccoon are taken at 
ie i one dollar and a quarter for Michigan, and 
Northern Ohio ; one dollar for Illinois and 
, h Wisconsin ; eighty cents for Iowa and 
’ | Missouri. Skunk fetch one and a half dollars 
• ’ for prime northern cased black. Wolf 
command one dollar for prairie, and three 
er dollars for large Northwestern. All the 
above quotations are for prime, well 
[1( l handled skins in shipping order. The collec- 
,q l tiouof all kinds to this date is not «. qnal to 
ir ! an average one. The period for shipment, 
(.q to the March sale will terminate in ten 
n-s days 5 bufc for th0! Leipzig Fair it will be 
rl prolonged to the last of March. Several new 
t( ’ houses have lately been established here 
me in the interest of foreign buyers, and the. 
th- competition makes lively times for an other- 
ith wise trade. 
