JULY 31 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
,§<rmestii( dittoing. 
PREVENTING MOTES. 
I was pleased with * Aunt Martha’s” 
prescription for presenting moths, but many 
of us have a class of clothing left by the 
dear ones, “ who have gone before,” to the 
land of rest, which we cannot easily see 
worn out so soon, by others who cannot feel 
the sacredness with which we hold them 
ourselves. We have such a class of clothing 
at our house, to examine which Is like visit¬ 
ing the graves of our friends. Many of 
tbera are folded neatly and laid away, and 
the trunk itself seems to demand a freedom 
from intrusion by vulgar hands. 
Do not blame us, “Aunt Martha,” we 
cannot help it. By-nnd-by, we can give 
them away—most of them, perhaps— but we 
cannot do it now. 
This is the way I take care of such clothing 
that no moths may find them. I have no 
“cedar press,” but in lieu of one, I take 
cedar oil, put it on little pieces of cloth and 
put those pieces among woolen goods. Such 
as are hanging in a clothes press, robe, coat 
and other things, may hold one of those 
saturated scraps in a pocket, which Is said 
to be sufficient. In addition to this I watch 
my clothes press floor, that it may not be 
left open long enough for a miller to get 
there and deposit its tiny eggs. They (the 
millers) are very persistent in hunting a 
suitable place for their eggs, and from these 
come the moths. They only appear where 
the millers have been before. I have many 
years kept my clothing free from moths, by 
having large sacks made of old calico or 
similar material, without any holes in it, to 
hold the woolen shawls, blankets or any¬ 
thing you wish to put in them, and hang in 
a dark place. This is a nice way to keep 
carpet rags, either those wound in balls, or 
those already cut, and those not yet cut. 
Some person? cannot be ready to have them 
wove and put out of the way in the spring, 
as much as they may wish to do so. Others 
may not be able to sew all they have. cut. 
While, we are talking of carpet rags, we 
remember some lady who spoke of twisting 
two colors together to make a different as 
well as very pretty stripe. I would remark, 
from experience, that it is not necessary to 
twist them, as they will become more or 
less twisted in winding on the ball, and 
again, when put on the shuttle, the two 
colors are sufficiently twisted to be pretty. 
It does not appear to be noticed by all that 
a slight twist is much the prettiest. I hear 
people talk of “hit or miss” carpet, as if 
one could sow them carelessly. Instead of 
that, I carefully arrange all my “hit or 
miss” carpet, and think it rather prettier 
than striped. Auny Flora. 
-♦ - 
PICKLING CUCUMBERS. 
“A Reader ” asks the best method of 
pickling cucumbers, We have found that as 
good a way as any is to put them in salt as 
soon as piskled and keep them covered with 
the same till ready to use. Then freshen 
with frequent changes o’ water, and finally 
scald in pure cider vinegar, the stronger the 
better. We have never Used cheaper made 
vinegar, and do nob approve of poisonous 
mineral acid preparations in place of the 
true vegetable acids. If “Deader’' wishe- 
to sell the pickles in the New York market, 
he had better dispose of them without silt¬ 
ing or pickling, as each New York dealer has 
a different method of doing the work. Ho 
will, however, probably find a better market 
for pickles iu almosL any city or village re¬ 
mote from New York, and as much higher 
prices than New York dealers are willing to 
pay for green cucumbers. 
-- 
SELECTED RECIPES. 
To Can Tomatoes. —Be sure they are per¬ 
fectly fresh aud ripe ; immerse them a min¬ 
ute or two in scalding water—in an ox muz¬ 
zle if you have one ; remove the skin, put 
the pulp into a colander to drain; then put 
in the preserving kettle and boil till just 
done ; a minute too long will make the seeds 
give out their bitter fl avor, put at once in 
cans aud sc tl. If these directions are fol¬ 
lowed, you may have tomatoes all winter as 
fresh as though just from the vino. 
Green Pea Soap without Meat. —Two let¬ 
tuces, 2 cucumbers, 3 onions and a pint of 
peas ; put them, out uu, into a stew pan, 
with y lb. of fresh butter and a little pepper 
and salt: then cover them down and let 
them stew till tender. Have a quirt of peas 
stewing in two quarts of water, with a sprig 
of mint; when done, pulp them through a 
sieve, add thr ; liquor they were stewed in 
and the other ingredients. 
Broiled Tomatoes. —Cut medium-sized to¬ 
matoes in halves and put them upon a grid¬ 
iron, surface down. When the surface ap¬ 
pears to be somewhat cooked turn them, 
and finish the cooking with the skin toward 
the fire. The cooking should be gradual, so 
as not to break the skin. Place upon a dish, 
put a little salt and a lump of butter upon 
each half, and serve quite hot. 
Indian Cakes without Eggs.— One pound 
of Indian meal, 1 punt of cold milk poured 
over it 12 hours before using. Jii3t before 
baking add 1 pint of milk, a pinoh of salt 
and a small teaspoonful of sorla ; then add 
wheat flour enough to make it a proper con¬ 
sistency for baking on griddle. 
Baked Tomatoes.—Select thoroughly ri¬ 
pened fruit, cut them in halves ; sprinkle 
over thocut half with bread crumbs, sugar, 
salt, pepper and butter. Place them in a 
baking pan, out side upward, aud bake in an 
oven for two lioum. Serve on a platter gar¬ 
nished with curled parsley’. 
Dessert.— Place as many crackers as may 
be desired in saucers and cover with boiling 
water. When all the water is absorbed, 
cover with thick cream and sugar; then 
place a spoonful of jelly in the center of 
each and season with nutmegs. No nicer 
dessert can be desired. 
Lamb Stew.—Take y a shoulder of lamb, 
boil in 2 quarts of water for two hours ; then 
put in potatoes, onions, turnips cut in quar¬ 
ters, 2 teaspoonfuls of salt, and pepper to the 
taste. Ten minutes before serving put in the 
dumplings. 
Cheap, Nice.>, Pudding .—Boil one quart of 
milk ; then add 3 tablespoonfuls of flour, 4 
eggs, 6 tablespoonfuls of sugar and a little 
nutmeg. Bake half an hour. If wanted 
richer, add raisins. 
Soft Gingerbread. —Two cups of molasses, 
one of shortening (either butter or drip¬ 
pings), one cup of boiling water, one table¬ 
spoonful of ginger, one of soda, and flour to 
thicken. 
Ginger Snaps. —Take 1 tablespoonful of 
ginger, 1 even do. of saleratus, 1 of lard, y 
pint of molasses, y teacupful of water. 
Knead soft, roll thin, and bake in a quick 
oven. 
Soda Gahe. -One-half cup of butter, iy 
cups of sugar, 2 cups of flour, y cup of milk, 
8 eggs, y teaspoonful of soda, 1 teaspoon ful 
of c/eam tartar. 
)trpiui[ Jnfornmtton. 
OUR HAIR DYES. 
Under the above heading the Michigan 
Farmer has these comments on hair dye 
swindles, etc.: 
We have been giving a “showing up” of 
sundry patent medicines in the la3t two or 
three numbers of the Farmer, aud have 
thought it might be well to touch up cur 
“hair dyes” and the poisons they contain. 
The danger, of course, is not so great iu the 
use of these dyes as in tha case of me li 
cines; still a great many case.s of liurlful- 
ncss following their uss come to the physi¬ 
cian’s knowledge. 
J. M. Merrick of the Eoston Board of 
Health has been chemically examining some, 
of these dyes, and reports finding in each 
fluid ounce of the several brands from five 
to ten grains of plumbic acetate (sugar of 
lead), and from ten to twenty grains of sul¬ 
phur. The brands he examined were Ay¬ 
er’s Hair Vigor, Ring’s Vegetable Ambrosia, 
Chevalier’s Life (death) for the Hair, Mrs. £». 
A. Allen’s World's Hair Restorer, Hall’s 
Vegetable Hair Rsnewer and Phalon’s Vi- 
talia. This last consists of two liquids—one 
a solution of lead, and the other a solution of 
hyposulphite of soda. 
The modus operandi of all these dyes (for 
they emphatically are not restorers) is to get 
a coating of the sulphite of lead on the hair, 
by the chemical action taking place between 
the lead and sulphur. Tuis sulphite of lead 
is black, and hence it colors the hair black 
on just exactly the same plan as you whiten 
your fences and stables by whitewashing 
them. You only cover up defects by their 
use, besides laying yourself liable to be pois¬ 
oned by the absorption of the mineral ingre¬ 
dients (for they are not vegetable, although 
they are so advertised and asserted to be by 
the proprietors) into the system. Many a 
case of skiu disease, neuralgia of the scalp 
and loss of hail* is directly traceable to the 
use of these so called “restorers.” 
Another way they swindle you is in the 
exorbitant prices they charge you for these 
mineral solutions. The ingredients of a bot¬ 
tle that you pay $1.50 for can be purchased 
for a few cents at the most. 
--*■-*-*-- 
BLOOD DRINKERS?. ] 
Upon inquiry at slaughter hous°s it is 1 
found that there are nearly 200 persons in ■ 
the City of Now York who are in the habit 1 
oj drinking blood flowing warmly from oxen 1 
for strengthening purposes and for the cure 1 
of certain diseases. A lady is reported to 1 
have spoken to an inquirer as follows : 
“ Prof. Nalpean of Paris prescribed blood ' 
for me. I was consumptive and hastening 
to the grave, lb has prolonged my life 15 
years. I had the utmost repugnance for it 
at first, but now a hall’ pint of hot blood * 
from a well-conditioned ox is the greatest ( 
luxury of my life. My sister’s baby, so far, | 
has been preserved aud nourished with little | 
else hut blood. 1 know twenty persons who 
drink it in my neighborhood to whom I 
recommended it. It has extraordinary ef- ! 
facts on some people, especially women, but , 
should not be resorted to unless there is ab- 
60 lute weakness of the system,” 
Oil a visit of the inquirer to a slaughter j 
house in Tenth av., near Forty-second at., he 
found a delicate-looking woman with a sickly * 
boy holding a glass to the blood which ran 
from an ox with its throat cut. Both drank 
two oi” three glasses In turn, and departed 
with an appearance of added vigor. One of 
the butchers was asked if bo ever drank ‘ 
blood, and is reported to have replied to the 1 
following effect: 
“ Shore an’ 1 do, now ; why not, now ? 
faith, an’ ye couldn’t tell the differ betwixt 
it an’ milk. ’Tis just as swate, shure, an’ in 1 
the winther 'tis warrutn an’ foine. Bedad, 1 
hut ’tis striugthenjn’ shure 1 Hould an an’ 
I’ll get ye a dhrap. ’Tis best warrum—mu¬ 
rin' right from the baste. ’ ’ 
The proprietor said “ AH last winter we 
had men, women and children every morn¬ 
ing to drink blood. They always imbibe 
beasts’ blood ; never the blood of sheep. 
Some of them wince a hit at first; but when 
you close your eyes, blood warm from the 
boast’s neck has just the same taste as warm 
milk from the cow. We don’t charge for 
the blood, excepting when we sell it to sugar 
refiners.” 
The blood of beeves is said to be more effi¬ 
cacious for weak lungs than cod liver oil.— 
The Laboratory. 
-- 
SCALDS AND BURNS. 
Hall’s Journal of health gives the fol¬ 
lowing advice on the treatment of scalds and 
burns: 
“On the instant of the accident, plunge 
the part under cold water. This relieves the 
pain in a second, and allows all hands to be¬ 
come composed. If the part cannot be kept 
under water, cover over with dry flour, an 
inch deep or more. In many instance noth¬ 
ing more is needed after the flour ; simply 
let it remain until it falls off, when a new 
skin will be found under. In severer cases, 
while the part injured is under water, sim¬ 
mer a leek or two in an earthen vessel, with 
half their bulk of hog’s lard, until the leeks 
are soft, then strain through a mus’iu rag. 
This makes a greenish colored oiutment, 
which, when cool, spread thickly on a linen 
cloth and apply it to the injured part. 
If there are blisters let out the water. When 
the part becomes feverish and uncomfort¬ 
able, renew the ointment, and a rapid, pain¬ 
less cure will be the result, if the patient in 
the meanwhile, live3 exclusively on -fruits, 
coarse bread and other light, loosening diet.” 
-» ♦ » ■■ - — 
HYGIENIC NOTES. 
Perspiration. —The unpleasant odor pro¬ 
duced by perspiration is frequently the 
source of vexation to persons who are sub 
jeet to it. Nothing is simpler than to re¬ 
move this odor much more effectually than 
by the application of such costly ungents and 
perfumes as are iu use. It is only necessary 
to procure some of the compound spirits of 
ammonia, put about two tablespoonfuls in a 
basin of water. Washing the face, hands 
and arms with this leaves the skin as clean, 
sweet and fresh as one could wish. The 
wash is perfectly harmless, and very cheap. 
It is recommended on the authority of an ex¬ 
perienced physician. 
Charcoal has been discovered, to be a cure 
for burns. By laying a piece, of cold char¬ 
coal upon a burn, the pain subsides immedi¬ 
ately. By leaving the charcoal on one hour, 
the wound is healed, as has been demonstra¬ 
ted on several occasions. The remedy is 
cheap and simple, and deserves a trial. 
©It? dmulett. 
THE CULTURE OF CUCUMBERS. 
The common method among farmers in 
planting cucumber, melon and squash seeds, 
is to dig a deep hole, partially fill with barn¬ 
yard manure, pile the dirt on this, forming 
a hill four to six inches above the surface 
and plant on that. All this is misdirected 
and worse than useless labor. Cucumbers 
and melons enjoy rich soil, but they do not 
want the richness buried so deeply in the 
ground that their roots eanuot reach it until 
after midsummer. They do not do so well 
on au elevated seedbed as on level ground, 
and if good drainage were afforded we should 
prefer to plant the seeds rather below than 
above the level of the surrounding surface, 
that rains might run towards the plant 
rather than from It. The large amount of 
healing manure beneath the hill makes the 
surface dry all the more rapidly, and this is 
especially true when it is rounded up several 
inches higher than the adjoining ground. 
Seeds thus planted may do well very early 
in the spring but will wither and dry out by 
midsummer. Ottr own experience has been 
that manure should bo well composted, thor¬ 
oughly mixed with the soil to the depth of 
four or five inches and the seed-bed kept as 
near the level of the ground as possible. For 
late cucumbers and melons we have often 
planted without using any manure, relying 
on applications of liquid manure after the 
plants came up. Solid manure even in con¬ 
tact with the roots cannot help tha plant 
unless there is water enough to make some 
parts soluble, and sometimes we shall have 
two or three weeks in midsummer without 
any rain. In such cases vines quickly dry 
up and become an easy prey to insect ene¬ 
mies. The best way to manure melons or 
other vines is by manure water, made strong 
and placed in direct contact with the roots. 
We have never known it to be strong enough 
to injure the plants and it always gave a lux¬ 
uriance of growth that would do any one good 
to behold. It can be thrown directly over 
the vines, drenching Ihetn aud soaking down 
to the roots; but a much better way is to 
carefully remove the surface soil from around 
the roots, pour in the manure water, and 
after it has soaked in tha ground replace the 
surface 3oil which thus acts as a mulch. This 
plan secures the benefit of hoeing andmanur- 
ing at the same time. Or, deep holes can be 
punched into the soil with a hoc handle and 
manure water turned into these until they 
are filled. The water and manure will spread 
in every direction, and the roots will speedily 
reach their food. This ia an excellent plan 
where unrotted stable manure has been bur¬ 
ied under a hill early in the season and is 
now probably Buffering from lack of moist¬ 
ure. The manure water will set the mass to 
heating and at the same time furnish suffi¬ 
cient moisture for the roots, causing a most 
vigorous growth. In all cases water for 
plants should be as warm as the air at the 
time and considerably warmer would be still 
better. On no account should tender plants 
be drenched at any time with water newly 
drawn from deep wells or cold cisterns and 
springs. If you use such water let it stand 
in the sun at least one day to become warm 
as possible before applying. Many people 
drench their melon viues with cold water 
from the well; the ground is packed hard by 
the water poured on it, the plants are chilled, 
turn sickly and die, and then the wonder is 
that they do not do well. Better let your 
vines go with no watering than give them 
such treatment as this. 
-- 
GARDENERS’ NOTES. 
Growing Celery.— Walter Elder of Phil¬ 
adelphia, Pa., writes, in Iho Practical Farmer, 
advising inland growers of celery to plant in 
trenches, and he gives some very good rea¬ 
sons for the advioe. Flat planting will do 
near the sea coast, but will not answer in the 
hotter, dryer atmosphere inland. Celery de¬ 
lights in moisture, and wherever possible 
young plants should be shaded during the 
heat of Hie sun. Making trenches or furrows 
east and west, and not too deep, the banks 
of the trenches will afford some shade. An¬ 
other care should be taken :—Celery needs 
very rich soil, but it is better to enrich it 
. with well composted manure rather than 
that undergoing decomposition, as the latter 
. only heats and dries the roots when they 
need to be kept cool and moist. By follow¬ 
ing these suggestions, Inland growers of cel¬ 
ery may greatly increase the value of thefr 
. crop. We have repeatedly tried surface- 
i I cultivation of celery, and never more than 
half succeeded. 
