MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
<57 
MARCH 6 
* 
Ixodes and ipannetjs. 
HOUSE FURNISHING. 
Through carelessness in driving, Madame 
de St a el’s coacliman one time upset her 
carriage, with a. friend of her's in it. Al¬ 
though no harm was done, the charming 
writer fancied the accident might have hap¬ 
pened to her father, and so, summoning the 
coachman to her presence, she soundly be¬ 
rated him. 
“ I am a woman of genius,” she exclaimed, 
hotly, “of prodigious genius, and I tell you 
that all the. genius I possess shall be exerted 
to secure your rotting all your days in a dun¬ 
geon if ever you overturn my father.” 
When her agitation was over, her friend 
rallied her upon her curious speech; but she 
failed to see the absurd side of it. 
“What had I to threaten him with, ex¬ 
cept mypoorgeniu3 ?” she answered naively. 
I was reminded of the incident by a re¬ 
mark made by a woman in regard to her 
house furnishing. “ And I can assure you,” 
she concluded, “ that I had just one hundred 
dollars and my genius to do it with." As 
one may well imagine, the genius went a, 
great way further than the bank note. In 
these years of close finances the “ poor 
genius” of the majority of women proves 
their best wealth, and in the matter of home 
making, what furnishing so delightful and 
winsome as that wrought from tasteful in¬ 
genuity ! 
Some one has well said that 11 parents who 
spend money judiciously to improve the 
house and grounds about it, are paying their 
children a premium to stay at home and en¬ 
joy it; but when they spend money unneces¬ 
sarily on fine clothing and jewelry for their 
children, they are paying them a premium 
to spend their time from home—that is, in 
places where they can display such orna¬ 
ments.” 
Culture of every kind Is slow of growth, 
and the result, of various causes that in them¬ 
selves may seem very Insignificant. One 
dominant source of influence upon character 
isone’s surroundings. Nothing more arouses 
a man’s charity and benevolence than a 
tasteful, comfortable home. The contrast 
between his happy condition and men less 
fortunate arouses his sympathy and pity. 
Elegance and luxury are without the reach 
of most people; but neither are needful in 
the happiest of home making. Simplicity, 
cheerfulness, and comfort are within the 
reach of all who appreciate the importance 
of personal surroundings, and these alone are 
required, 
A very expensive article in house furnish¬ 
ing is the carpeting. What contrivance and 
toil are put in the rag carpet ! What, economy 
and management to buy the three-ply or 
Brussels, and then what outlay of strength 
to keep them swept, and free from dust and 
moths ! 
The French “ do these things dilTerently.” 
Their carpets never cover the entire floor, 
and are put down with the design of being 
taken up once a week and shaken. They 
have rugs, or u footstool, in front of every 
chair or sofa where carpets are not used, 
and in summer time they never are, which 
is a great economy. Accustomed as we are 
to carpets, we think rooms look bleak and 
unfurnished without them, which they do in 
winter, if there is not the cheer of an open, 
sparkling fire, and, in summer, pots of bright 
flowers about. Our own custom certainly 
gives a greater sense of comfort, If not of 
cleanliness; but do we not over estimate the 
importance of the carpet ? It not unfre- 
qiieutly happens that rooms are left unoc¬ 
cupied and unfurnished because a suitable 
carpet cannot be procured. Why wait for 
that ? Buy the chairs as you may—one at a 
time, if no two alike all tire better—only do 
not choose those covered with green. You 
can do your own upholstering with chintz, 
or remnants of woolen stuff, or make covers 
of Holland linen in yellow or white. Rugs 
can be home-made of yarns or rags. The 
best footstools are made of strong ticking, 
round or square in shape, stuffed with hay, 
and covered with cloth, or shields crotcheted 
of yarn or worsted. Small mantel-pieces 
placed against the walls, not too high, should 
be draped with chintz, or with cloth in color 
or colors harmonizing with others in the 
room. For draping such shelves or brackets, 
cloth or flannel embroidered in bright silk or 
worsted look neat and bright. 
Be sure and have some of the chairs low. 
Just now there is a fancy for little old- 
fashioned, round-posted chairs, instead of 
tde splint bottom and back, Strong tapes in 
two colors, red and black, blue and white, 
gray and blue, &c., are used, woven in and 
out, basket fashion. They look very pretty 
and bright, and are called “shakers.” To 
the stock of seats add a camp-chair now and 
then. If you buy rocking chairs, let them 
be with the rockers under the seat, and not 
on the floor. No greater nuisance and mis¬ 
chief-doer can be found among inanimate 
things than rockers on the floor, sticking 
their sharp horns out like double-pointed 
daggers. Instead of ono large table, get two 
small ones; books on one, flowers or writing 
materials on the other. As for mirrors, you 
cannot well have too many; they are greatly 
to be preferred to poor pictures. Very pretty 
chromo-lithographs of flowers, on black hack- 
ground and perpendicularly oblong in shape, 
are now sold for 75 cents. For beauty, ele¬ 
gance and taste they are infinitely to be 
preferred to the gewgaws that abound in 
many rural homes—given as premiums to 
newspaper subscribers. For engravings and 
photographs, frames of wood in bright red, 
blue, &c., ornamented with Unes in gilding 
are fashionable. 
In furnishing walls reference should be had 
to what may be added to them. If there are 
pictures to be hung, choose paper of one tint, 
devoid of figures or lines, and finish around 
the top with a bright border. If there are 
to be no pictures, hang the walls with paper 
simulating panels. I once saw a drawing¬ 
room so papered with panels of yellow moire 
paper, banded with blue ; the furniture was 
of course in yellow and blue, in hanging 
pictures or mirrors, the cords should reach 
quite to the top of the wall, or be concealed 
entirely behind the frames, not reaching 
above them. The illustrative art is now 
carried to such an exteut that by a judicious 
selection and saving of woodcuts every 
family may, in a few years at least, have a 
tine portfolio of scenes and portraits. These 
prints are improved by pasting them smooth¬ 
ly on firmer paper, and by a certain exercise 
of taste in the neatness of the margin, in the 
printed or written explanation* attached, 
can be rendered mediums of most pleasing 
amusement and instruction. A portfolio 
may be made for them of two large leaves 
Of card-board—large paper box copers — 
neatly covered with muslin or paper; two 
sides are tied together with tapes placed near 
the end; tapes are placed similarly on the 
other long side edge of the leaves, to be tied 
and untied at will. 
In furnishing windows, waste no money 
on paper shades. If there are no shutters 
get shades of dark, heavy Holland, or in oil, 
if there are shutters. White muslin on rollers 
arc the best. To the cornice of the window 
may be added a lambrequin in color and 
material to match the mantel and brackets ; 
it may be well to add that lambrequins 
should be lined, as the sun would otherwise 
soon fade the material. Wo give an illustra¬ 
tion for lambrequin ; price 15c. The addi¬ 
tion of lace or gauzo curtains is a matter of 
fancy. In a room of common use they are 
often of more trouble than worth ; moreover, 
anything that keeps out the sun and light 
should not be patronized. It is a great mis¬ 
take to keep a room in profound darkness 
for any reason under the sun. 
In furnishing bed-rooms, keep brightness 
in view. Make pillow covers of white linen, 
bordered round with bands, ruffles, or plaited 
frills of pick chambri, or percale; put a 
lambrequin to match over the windows ; on 
the bureau and stands, white covers or mats, 
with pink borders ; on the chairs, tidies to 
match. Cover chair bottoms and stools with 
pink chintz, hang the walls with pink paper 
with bands of gray, or vice versa. Choose 
washstands with large tops, with full room 
for two pitchers, soap and brush dishes, 
water-glass, tooth-mug, &c. To the rack of 
towels add a wash-cloth a foot square, 
crotcheted of coarse, hard cotton yarn ; or a 
mitten, which some prefer. In a guest 
chamber pen and ink are oftentimes as ne¬ 
cessary for convenience as button-hook, 
bootjack, hand-mirror, clothes-brush, and 
something to read. 
For table furnishing, glass is now more 
fashionable than silver, and plain white 
china is quite out of fashion. Mintou ware 
—an English china—with surface in broad 
ornamented bands of chocolate brown is 
much in vogue ; but crockery in color—dark 
blue—all the majolica hues and designs, 
plates covered with leaves, birds, flowers, 
landscapes, beasts and fishes—with cake, 
fruit and dessert plates—all odd, unique de¬ 
vices seem tq be the demand of to-day. 
The natural desire for floral ornamentatiou 
results in a variety of imitations in paper, 
wa,x, cloth, porcelain, &c. In fine houses 
one sees a profusion of French artificial 
flower* in pq« that look quite like real ones. 
But natural flowers may be dried so as to 
preserve their form and color admirably, and 
form bouquets of real brightness and beauty. 
It is a little early yet to arouse interest in 
the matter perhaps, but the spring violets 
are not far away, and so here is the best 
method I know for drying them: Select a 
large-mouthed glass jar, or a paper box, and 
cover the bottom with white river sand to 
the depth of an inch or mom ; in this stick 
the stems of the flowers, so that they stand 
upright, but do not come within more than 
an inch from the top of 
the jar or box. Through 
a small sieve sift sand slow¬ 
ly over the flowers, taking 
care to keap their petals in 
their natural condition, and 
to sen that the sand settles 
about all the stamens and 
petals, shake the box occa¬ 
sionally. If the blossoms 
are of medium size, it will 
be sufficient to place the 
box for two or threo dajs 
in the warm sun ; but if 
large, iike zinnias or mari¬ 
gold, place the box in a 
moderately heated oven for 
four or five hours. Then put the box or 
jar away in a dry, dark place for a week, 
and when you move the sand pour it out 
very gradually. If the degree of heat has 
not been too great, the flowers will be beau¬ 
tiful, and remain so for years, if protected 
from dust. 
We have only room for a few more words, 
and that about the rug. The braid should 
be sewed on a thick piece of cloth cut in the 
desired shape. The fringe is of yarn. 
Miniwood. 
^S70 
LAMBRTMtTIN 
PATTERN. 
®Ite faulty fin[d. 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT 
OSTRICHES, 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker :—We have just, 
had a poultry show in our city and I have 
seen so much fine poultry on exhibition that 
I have formed a resolution to go into the 
business and beat anything that may be on 
exhibition next year; and as you seem to 
take pleasure in answering questions from 
those seeking information, I wish to ask a 
few, and hopo that you or some of your 
many correspondents will give me the infor¬ 
mation necessary to success in ray under¬ 
taking. I am like the Irishman who bad got 
into difficulty and prayed to the Good Lord 
to help him, saying, “I am not like some 
folks continually asking favors of ye, hut 
grant me this favor this time and 1 will not 
bother ye again for a week.” I have con 
eluded to go into raising Ostriches, r hear 
that they eat stones and I have a field of 
about five acres covered with that kind of 
food. There is no grass or weeds to hinder 
their readily finding their food except a 
little sorrel and here and there a mullein. I 
wish to confine them to this field so as not to 
trouble my neighbors. Will it be necessary 
to inclose it with a picket fence ; if so, how 
high must it be to keep them from stepping 
over it ? Will they hunt their food or will 
they do better kept in stanchions and fed 
three times a day. Do they roost standing 
or will they require beds ? 
Of course I shall have to commence by 
setting their eggs under my common hens. 
About how many can a common hen cover 
and be sure to hatch. Can I raise more 
gosling Ostriches from an odd number of 
eggs than even i If 30 how many, and 
where can I get some eggs already hatched ? 
Is then - flesh as good as other fowls, and if it 
is not all used fresh, will it be good corned ? 
I hear their feathers are valuable and are 
much sought after by ladies in Africa to 
stick in their hats. 
Can they (the feathers I mean) be put to 
some profitable use in this couutry ? I should 
judge from the nature of their food that 
their eggs would be rather hard ; how long 
would they require boiling before they could 
be eaten? Would their droppings interfere 
with the cultivation of the soil after their 
food is all gone ? Is there any danger of 
their getting hurt by other fowls ? I have a 
bantam rooster which fights anything, and I 
would not like to expose the Ostriches, at 
all events until their spurs get out good 
length. Are they perfectly hardy, or arc 
they liable to winter-kill, I expect their 
eggs arc so hard that they will not freeze, hut 
if they should would they be worth as much 
as; other frozen eggs; Do they have wish¬ 
bones, if sq are they good to stick over doors ? 
Now Mr. Editor please don’t throw this in¬ 
to the waste-basket, as a good deal is de¬ 
pending upon favorable answers to my ques¬ 
tions, and I might travel a long time and 
spend much valuable money before I found 
persons having experience in this business to 
give me the desired information. If there 
are any questions which I have not asked 
please answer them and oblige, 
Yours anxiously, J. c. L. 
Elmira, Chemung Co., N. Y. 
In reply, we may say that there is no 
doubt about it at alb There certainly is ice 
at t he North Pole and some in same other 
places. We have not, therefore, any doubt 
that, Elmira (What’s her name ?) can culti¬ 
vate Ostriches. It is true also that stones 
are sometimes hard ; but it is also true that 
they are sometimes soft; but which kinds 
are produced on the trees surrounding the 
North Pole, geographers have not informed 
us, hence we cannot answer, definitely the 
questions which our correspondent did not 
ask. About those he did ask, there can be 
no question whatever, 
- 
CHICKEN KILLING, 
Your correspondent, on page 28 of the 
Rural New-Yorker, describes an instru¬ 
ment for killing chickens ; but his descrip¬ 
tion is not entirely plain to me. Will he 
please tell if he has to use an ax with the 
instrument ? If so, allow me to suggest an 
improvement on his maclrine. By taking a 
small piece of steel, ground sharp, and fit¬ 
ting it to his block as shown at Fig. 1, he 
will have a perfect instrument, with which, 
after he lias secured the chicken’s head as 
described, all he will have to do will be to 
give the machine a sharp tap with an ax or 
mallet, and the deed which makes “Chicken- 
Hearted” so nervous to think about is done. 
But here let, me say that I think when one 
is only to kill a chicken for domestic use, for 
a person with strong nerves there is nothing 
better than a sharp ax. I never have to 
strike twice for one head. But the right, 
way to kill poultry for market is to tie them 
and then hang them up, heads down, and 
with a small knife cut the vein under the 
tongue. A person will soon become expert, 
and the chicken will suffer but, little and die 
very quick. s. c. 
-♦-*-♦- 
ABOUT GEESE. 
My sister has a pair of young geese which 
she raised last summer ; they have always 
eaten well and done finely till within a few 
days. She fed them on corn and gave them 
plenty of drink ever since snow came till 
now ; 9 he is feeding with carrot sprouts awl 
raw potatoes ; they eat, this feed well and 
seem more lively than when they gave up 
eating corn. Can you tell ns how to manage 
them now the laying season is approaching 
and greatly oblige ?—Anna Hayward, St. 
Lawrence Co., AV Y. 
•■An Editor has little opportunity for expe¬ 
rience with geese—that is, of the sort that 
lay eggs and bear feathers—and although we 
might consult, and publish what poultry au¬ 
thorities say as to their management, there 
are so many hundreds of good Rural house¬ 
wives who raise geese feathers that we pre¬ 
fer to give them opportunity to advise their 
good sister Hayward in this matter. Will 
they not do it, through the Rural columns 
and speedily ? If they don’t, we shall have 
to do the best we can for her. 
-- 
POULTRY NOTES. 
I Another Chicken Cholera Remedy. — B. 
Agee, Geary City, Kan., writes the American 
Poultry Journal:—“I will here give what I 
have found to be an infallible remedy for the 
so-called chicken cholera :—Make a mixture 
of two ounces each of rod pepper, alum, rosin 
and flowers of sulphur, and put it in their 
food in proportions of one tablespoonful to 
three pints of scalded meal. In severe cases, 
give about one-third of a teaspoonful in a 
meal pellet onoe a day to each fowl, putting 
a small lump of alum in their drinking water. 
I have tried the above ingredients with 
marked success ; have cured fowls in the last 
stage of the disease. I make it a practice 
now to give my fowls some of it once or twice 
a week, and have no symptoms of any disease 
among them.” 
Black Bantams are recommended by a 
poulterer as “hardy, healthy, and lay well 
and sit well. There is no comb-cutting— 
dubbing, as it is called, as when Game Ban¬ 
tams are kept,” 
Golden Pheasant.— You will greatly oblige 
a reader if you would give a picture of the 
Golden Pheasant intlm Rural New-Yorker 
and describe its color,— Correspondent, 
Q 
