36 ? 
©ES. « MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Homestiq <£i(onomg. 
SOME GOOD ENGLISH RECIPES. 
An “Englishwoman” contributes to the 
Germantown Telegraph some excellent re¬ 
cipes which we copy below : 
Fish Broth. —The broth or jelly of fish, 
which is usually thrown away, will be found 
one of the most nourishing animal jellies 
that can be obtained. Supposing a poor 
family to buy a dinner of plaice—which is a 
oheap fish—the pluice would be boiled, and 
the meat of the fish eaten, and the liquor and 
bones of the fish thrown away. If the re¬ 
mains of the fish be put Into the liquor and 
boiled for a couple of hours, the thrifty 
housewife will find that she has something 
in her pot which, when strained off, will be 
as good to her as much of that which is sold 
in the shops as gelatine. This she may use 
as a simple broth, or she may thicken it with 
rice and fiavor it. with onions and pepper,and 
have a nourishing and satisfying meal ; or, 
should she have an invalid in her family, one- 
thtrd of milk added and warmed with it 
would be nourishing and restoring. 
Pea .Soup.—S oak a pint of split peas in 
water for twelve hours, drain off the water, 
put !he peas into a saucepan with three pints 
Of cold water, u piece of bacon (about lb.), 
two sprigs of dried mint, a bay leaf, some 
parsley, an onion stuck with two or three 
cloves, some whole pepper, and salt to taste. 
Let the whole boil three hours, then pass the 
puree through a hair sieve, make It hot again, 
and serve with dice of bread fried In butter. 
Stewed Fruit.for Breakfast.— Stewed fruits 
arc excellent for breakfast, not only for chil¬ 
dren, but also for grown up men and women; 
and yet how few families ever think of 
placing them upon their tables, Normandy 
pi pi ns, prunes, apples, pears—all are availa¬ 
ble for the purpose, and all cheap, and pre¬ 
pared with very little trouble. 
ORIGINAL RECIPE8. 
How io Make Good Bread. —For four small 
loaves, boil four large potatoes. When done 
pour off the water, and when the potato wa¬ 
ter cools add to it your yeast cake. Mash 
your potatoes very line, then put through a 
fine sieve ; next pour boiling milk onto u» 
much flour as you will need. Let stand un¬ 
til cool, then add your potato and yeast 
cake, u handful of salt, one tablespoonful of 
sugar. Stir very stiff, adding flour as is 
needed. Let stand in a warm place until 
light; then dissolve one teaspoonful soda in a 
little hot water, mix well through with the 
hands, mold Into loaves; let rise again. 
When sufficiently raised place them in a 
moderately hot oven, keeping a steady heat, 
and you will havo bread that wifi suit the 
most fastidious epicure.— Brownie, Cats- 
kill, N. Y. 
New Brooms.— Put a string through the 
handle the moment it is brought home, and 
keep it hung up when not in use. 
Old Brooms. —Take oat the wire and wind 
it on a spool for future need. Break the 
handle in three pieces and put all iu the fire. 
An old broom gone to ruin in a door yard is 
one of the most distressing back door views. 
—Mary. 
-♦♦♦- 
TO MAKE KNITTED MOSS. 
Cast ou about fifty stitches of light green 
Berlin wool ; slip a stitch on your needle 
without knitting, and knit the next row. 
Continue the same till you have finished two 
skeins of wool, taking care never to knit the 
first row of each line. Then knit on it, in the 
same manner, two skeins of the next shade 
of color, and continue this nntil you have 
knitted up five shades : join on a rich brown 
and a faded moss-colored wool, and then 
cast off. Soak your pieca of knitting In wa¬ 
ter, and have it baked in the oven till it is 
quite dry; or cover it with a paper to pre¬ 
serve the colors aud press it with a hot iron. 
Let it remain for a few hours untouched. 
Then unfasten the last stitch, and pull it out. 
It will unravel easily, aud you will have a 
good Imitation of moss for baskets or mat 
borders. 
---«*•-♦-♦- 
WASHING WOOLENS. 
Prof. Artus, who has devoted himself to 
the discovery of the reason why woolen 
olothing when washed with soap and water 
will insist upon slirinking and becoming 
thick, and acquiring that peculiar odor and 
feeling which so annoys housekeepers, says 
these evil effects are due to the decomposi¬ 
tion of soap by the acids present iu the per¬ 
spiration and other waste of the skin which 
the clothing absorbs. The fat of the soap is 
then precipitated upon the wool. These ef¬ 
fects may be prevented by steeping the ar¬ 
ticles in a warm solution of washing soda for 
several hours, then adding some warm water 
and a few drops of ammonia. The woolens 
are then to be washed out and rinsed iu 
lukewarm water. 
LADY’S FANCY BAG-PURSE. 
An English periodical gives the accom¬ 
panying engraving of a Lady’s Fancy Bag- 
Purse, which is thus described :—The lower 
part of the purse - bag is formed of black 
silk, In spider’s-web lace, lined with crimson 
silk, as also the upper part of the bag. Cords 
of crimson silk draw the purse together near 
the top, and tassels are placed at each division 
and one at the bottom. 
ISflW cMonratictt. 
DYSPEPSIA FROM HOT BREAD. 
Gen. Cungman, writing to the N. C. Agri¬ 
cultural Journal, tells some truths and offers 
suggestions about the causes and results of 
dyspepsia und indigestion—with especial ref¬ 
erence to hot, doughy bread—which will 
apply to all parts of the country. Head, di¬ 
gest and heed : 
It has been said that the frying-pan is the 
great enemy to our people. There can be no 
doubt but that It has slain its thousands ; 
but bad bread is the slayer of tons of thous¬ 
ands. While traveling In Europe for eight 
months, I saw nothing but cold bread, nor 
did I, while there, see or hear anything that 
tended to induce me to believe that any¬ 
body In Europe had ever oaten a pieca of 
hot bread. 1 invariably, however, found the 
bread good, and tho people I saw appeared 
healthy und robust. Some, as the English 
and Germans, were especially so. 
With respect to the United States, the 
condition of things may be more strikingly 
and pointedly presented by references to in¬ 
dividual cases. Many years since, I stopped 
at the house of an acquaintance, aud on 
seeing him, I said : “ You are not looking as 
well as usual.” “No,” no he replied, “I 
have the dyspepsia powerfully bud.” When 
dinner was ready, there was an abundant 
supply of meats and well-baked corn bread. 
There was also, however, something called 
biscuit, which was in fact rather warm 
dough, with much grease iu it. 1 saw that 
my host ate this freely with his meats. I 
remarked that I did not wonder that lie had 
dyspepsia, for that I could not live a mouth 
in that way. I suggested that if he would 
eat well-baked corn bread, or better still, 
light bread, he would not suffer as he was 
doing. He answered vehemently, “ that he 
would rather die than eat light bread.” I 
replied, “Tills is a free country and you have 
a right to die in this mode if you choose, 
and I have no doubt but that you will soon 
die.” I then referred to cases in which 1 
had knowu people to die from such prac¬ 
tices. My cool mode of discussing the ques¬ 
tion evidently made an impression on his 
wife. Next summer, on meeting him, I said, 
“ You are looking much better.” “ Yes,” 
he replied, bursting into a hearty laugh ; “ I 
followed your advice, and took to eating 
light bread, and I am as well as I ever was 
in my life.” 
I am inclined to think that within ten 
years, as many persons have died prema¬ 
turely iu this State from bad cookery as 
were slain in the war. Dyspepsia is robbed 
of much of the credit of its operat ions. A 
certain individual, more remarkable fur the 
length of his horns and tail than for his 
friendship for humanity, is said always to 
catch the hindmost, lli* agents act on this 
principle. Diseases are cowardly things and 
avoid attacking robust, or vigorous constitu¬ 
tions, but when they find a poor devil en¬ 
feebled by dyspepsia, acting on the principle 
that when a man is down, then is the time 
to gouge him, they pounce upon the. disabled 
creature and soon finish him. It thus hap¬ 
pens cholera, consumption or their co-labor- 
carry off the credit that is due to indi¬ 
gestion. 
-- 
AVOID TAINTED ATMOSPHERES. 
While wc know, thus far, comparatively 
little of the exact causes of disease, our 
knowledge at least points to certain perfectly 
well-established truths. One of these is that, 
man can not live in au atmosphere that is 
tainted by exhalations from putrefying or¬ 
ganic matter, without danger of being made 
sick—sick unto death. It is true that not 
all of those who live in such an atmosphere 
either fall sick or die from its effects ; but it 
is also true that not all who go into battle 
are shot down. In both cases they expose 
themselves to dangers from which their es¬ 
cape is a matter of good fortune. Fewer 
would be shot if none went into battle, and 
fewer would die of disease if none were ex¬ 
posed to poisoned air. Our adaptability is 
great, and we accustom ourselves to with¬ 
stand the attacks of an infected atmosphere 
wonderfully well; but for all that, we are 
constantly in the presence of the danger, 
and though iusensibly resisting, are too 
often iusensibly yielding to it. Home, with 
less power to resist, or exposed to a stronger 
poison, or finally weakened by long exposure, 
full sick with typhoid fever or some similar 
disease, that springs directly from putrid in 
fection. Of these, a portion die; the com¬ 
munity loses their services, and it sympa¬ 
thizes with their friends iu mourning that, 
“ in the wisdom of a kind but inscrutable 
Providence, it has been found necessary to 
remove, them from our midst.” 
In this way we blandly Impose upon Di¬ 
vine Providence the responsibility of our 
own shortcomings. The victims of typhoid 
fever die, uot by tho act of God, but by the 
act of man ; they arc poisoned to death by 
infections that are due to man’s ignorance or 
neglect.— Atlantic. 
- »»»- —— 
HYGIENIC NOTES. 
SaJ'ety of Anesthetics. —If the force of 
statistics be of any value, ether appears, be¬ 
yond question, to be the safest anaesthetic. 
By combining American and British data 
relating to this question, the result shows 
conclusively that, chloroform is eight times 
as dangerous as ether, twice as dangerous us 
a mixture of chloroform and ether, and, us 
far as experience goes, it is more dangerous 
than bichloride of methylene. 
$wepril. 
GRAPES IN 1876. 
The Lebanon (Pa.) Valley Standard, in 
reviewing its grape crop for the present 
year, speaks of the different varieties as they 
have turned out with the writer. While he 
hardly gives due credit to one or two of the 
established sorts, he gives to others more 
than we could have expected they would 
anywhere have deserved. Still we make no 
question that, lie represents truly the product 
upon his own premises, and that is all any 
one can desire. He g’.vea a strong word for 
the good old Concord, but we think under¬ 
values the Telegraph, which never has failed 
of a full crop with us, and always pronounced 
by visitors to be superior in quality to the 
Concord ; in which opinion, however, wo do 
not concur. The Martha and Taylor's Bullet 
with us ore worthless. The Delaware is 
getting smaller aud Bmaller and fewer and 
fewer. Tlie Hartford Prolific is always a 
full crop, a little earlier than any other, and 
good enough in quality. AU the numbers of 
Rogers Hybrids we grow have done well— 
the Salem the best of aU and ahead of every 
other outdoor grape on our premises. We 
have only Nos. 4, 15 and 21. having tried No. 
1 aud some othoi’s and threw them out. 
One thing must always be home in mind, 
that the same grape will vary considerably 
on different premises in the same neighbor¬ 
hood. As to time of planting there seems to 
be little to be preferred in spring or fall ; 
and as to the soil it should be light and fria¬ 
ble and of course dry. The planting should 
be shallow and the ground around the vine 
a little raised. 
Jfeunmce (geprttnettt. 
INSURANCE NOTES AND NEWS. 
Mutual Fire insurance. —There, is, es¬ 
pecially in the country, a popular prejudice 
that fire insurance corporations are little 
better than gigantic engines for the oppres¬ 
sion of the people—-that they charge exorbi¬ 
tant prices for their wares and make im¬ 
mense profits. A very natural desire to dis¬ 
pense with their services, and so escape their 
dutches, induces many persons to patronise 
what are called Mutual Fire Insurance, Com¬ 
panies. These institutions have usually no 
capital whatever, and do business by collect¬ 
ing a small amount in money to begin with, 
the remainder of the premium being ostensi¬ 
bly represented by a note which may bo 
assessed to pay losses and expenses. The 
holder of the policy issued for this considera¬ 
tion thinks that he has obtained his insur¬ 
ance very cheaply indeed, because he has 
paid but little money for it, and also that his 
relation to the Company is the same as if he 
had purchased the insurance outright from 
a stock insurance company. The first idea 
may bo realized. There are a few, very few 
Indeed, such associations tliut are managed 
with tolerable fikill anrl care and afford in¬ 
surance, of a more or less reliable character, 
about ns cheaply as the average of companies 
having capital. These are, however, excep¬ 
tions to the rule. The history of mutual 
companies Is that of carelessness, incompe¬ 
tence, fraud, disgrace and disappointment. 
The West, has been especially victimized by 
sharpers in this lino of business. The second 
error is worse than the first, for the policy 
holder is not so much insured as lie Is an in¬ 
surer, a partner and stockholder in a busi¬ 
ness he knows nothing about, and is uot per¬ 
mitted to manage or interfere with, His 
capital invested iu it is an indefinite amount. 
Not merely tho face of tho note, which he 
thinks iB little more than a memorandum, 
but 111 most States and companies the lia¬ 
bility assumed by giving a note aud accept¬ 
ing the policy, is held to be limited only by 
the amount of property he owns He may 
be compelled to pay the note many times 
over if the managers, think it. expedient to 
raise money ; no may bo assessed again and 
again until lie is haartily weary of the exoe- 
nbn, to pay losses that occurred before he 
became a shareholder. Such has not only 
been dohe frequently, but it has been de¬ 
cided by the Courts that such a proceeding is 
legal. In fact the persons who insure with 
these companies to obtain cheap insurance 
become pai tnera amt lay themselves liable 
to pay trie losses and expenses as long as 
they nave any tiling to pay with. Huefi a 
complication had best bo avoided. There is 
an old-fashioned maxim that is worth 
hearkening to, viz., 
“He that hy the plow would thrive, 
llomtlj iuu.lL either hold or drive 
ami as these companies permit the note 
makers neither to hold nor drive, but only 
to be holdeu and driven, it is probably best 
to buy insurance, as most other things, for 
cash down, and avoid farther liability m the 
matter. 
The. Life insurance Premiums of 1875.— 
We are informed by those who are in a 
position to kuow all about u, that the results 
of the life insurance business for this year 
are even more unsatisfactory than were those 
of 1874. Fewer policies have been issued, 
but as a sort of offset to itils lower have 
beeu discontinued. Several com panics have 
scarcely attempted to do auy new business 
whatever, ana several must, as a conse¬ 
quence of the hard times which tins interest 
was tho first to suffer by, abandon business 
entirely. There are rumors that several of 
what are called large companies are seeking 
to re-iusure, und some of tliom that cannot 
do this will fail outright. Tins is a gloomy 
picture, but it is, wc arc assured, not over¬ 
drawn. Thousands of honest aud needy 
people will suffer the loss of years of thrift 
aud saving, We wish that we could safely 
point out the companies that are in trouble, 
and so prevent our patrons and friends from 
sharing their misfortunes, but until the mid¬ 
dle of January next nothing can be known, 
even semiofficially, with sufficient Certainty 
to justify us in giving names. Of one thing 
we can be certain, that no companies, ex¬ 
cept those above suspicion, will bo com¬ 
mended in these columns. 
insuring the Prince cf H'ule*’ Life.—In 
this and most other Htates, the law prescribes 
that no person shall be permitted to insure 
the life of another for his own benefit unless 
he is a loser by tho death of the insured. 
The laws are not so strict in England, where, 
we are surprised to learn, quite a number of 
people have insured the hie of the Prince of 
Wales for their benefit. Perhaps wo should 
havo board nothing ot all this but for his trip 
to India, winch, being regarded by the com¬ 
panies as a hazardous undertaking and one 
Which imperils the prince’s life and their 
money, they demand an extra premium. To 
this the policy holders object, but the com¬ 
panies hold them to It. it appears to be a 
custom there to lease laud fur au Indefinite 
period, measured by the duration of “three 
fives,'’ aud these people, having selected the 
Prince as a notable person whose death could 
not but be known, fear to lose their leases 
by his death aud insure his life, so that, iu 
case he dies aud their leases fan, they can be 
indemnified. Truly, an odd arrangement. 
