THE BUBAL NEW>YORKER. 
flomcsttr (Etonomij. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
TOMATOES. 
An old English publication saysAnd yet 
it is a fact that wo Britiuhtm arc fast learning to 
eat tomatoes and that our A merican cousins oat 
thorn an greedily raw, an hungry boys might oat 
j)earH or apples off a street-stall.” 
That in not quito true hut it is true that the 
taste for thia wholesome fruit is not only spread¬ 
ing all over the world, but also that the tomato 
is most valued whore most used, and this is sin¬ 
gular when wo consider t hat there is scarcely one 
who will toll you ho liked it, when first tasted. 
If with the present demand for tomatoes the 
whole year round, they were not of the easiest 
cultivation, the prices which wo should be obliged 
to pay for them would show the high estimation 
in which they were held. We give tho best 
recipes of which wo have any knowledge : 
stewed Tomatoes, —To stew tomatoes properly 
they should be cooked at least two hours ; pour 
boiling water over them and remove the skin ; 
then shoe them into a stowpan— porcelain is tho 
host, although new tin will answer; allow them 
to boil briskly for twenty minutes, thou remove 
to the back of tho range to simmer slowly until 
required; season liberally with butter, salt and 
pepper. They will then be cooked to a thick 
creamy consistency with few lumps and a high 
iine flavor, and will not, therefore, need flour 
or cracker-crumbs, which to our taste aro no 
improvement. 
Baked Tomatoes. —Select large ones, remove 
part of the inside but do not skin ; make a stuff¬ 
ing of any kind of cold, cooked meat chopped 
flue, broad crumbs, green corn, miDcod onion or 
parsley, a well beaten egg, butter, salt and pep¬ 
per ; fill the tomatoes with this dressing, put a 
piece of butter on the top of each, and bake in 
not a very quick oven three-quarters of an hour. 
Baked Tomatoes and Corn.— Line 11 deep dish 
with slices of tomatoes, then cover with green 
corn cut from the cob; season with butter, 
salt and popper : then another layer of tomatoes’ 
corn and seasonings until tho dish is fall ; add 
one pint of good meat broth ; sprinkle the top 
with bread-crumbs and bake one hour. 
Wk have to thank Mrs. S. C. for the following 
original and selected recipes: 
Sponge Cake .—Three eggs; one cup of sugar; 
throe-fourths of a teaspoonfut of soda in three 
teaspminfula of cold water; one and one-half 
ot a tenspoonful of cream.of-tartar in one cupof 
I sifted flour. Beat the yelks and sugar together 
and tho whites to a frotli adding this last. 
ALw. M 's (Julie. One cup of butter worked 
to a cream ; yelks of five eggs, and the whites of 
three beaten to a frotli; one cup scant full of 
sweet milk; three and oue-half toaspoonfula of 
baking powder in three and one-half cups of 
flout. Spread this in five or six tins according 
to size, and bake in a moderately quick oven. 
When done spread the cakes with any thing you 
like and pnt together; or if one wishes, two 
kinds of cake may be made of it, by spreading 
lialt with jolly and half witli chocolate or cream. 
Tomato Figs.— Remove tho skins aud allow 
one pound of white sugar for every pound of 
fruit; place them in a stone jar for twenty-four 
hours; then pour off tho syrup aud boil, skim¬ 
ming until clear ; return the syrup to the fruit 
letting it remain another twenty-four hours ; 
again boil aud skim pouring over as before. 
After the third time they are fit to dry ; place on 
earthen platcB and set in tho sun. When well 
dried pack them in small wooden boxes, with lino 
white sugar between each layer. 
ftreated Tomatoes, —Cut small tomatoes in 
halves and place upon a wire gr idiron, cut surface 
down ; when tho surface is somewhat cooked 
turn them with the skins towards the fire and 
finish cooking ; serve hot with butter, salt and 
pepper upon each half. These make a nice gar¬ 
nish for broiled eteak. 
Fried Tomatoes .■ Dip thin slices of ripe toma¬ 
toes into flour ; salt, and pepper, and fry in boil¬ 
ing butter or lard until nicely browned. 
Spiced Tomatoes. —To six pounds of fruit 
allow four pounds of white sugar; one quart of 
eider vinegar—not too strong ; half of an ounce 
each of ground cinnamon, cloves and allspice • 
cook in a porcelain kettle one hour ; then put in 
jars and cover tightly. 
Tomato Catsup. —One btlshel of tomatoes; 
three large teaenpfuU of salt; two tablespoon¬ 
fuls of cayenne peppor ; four ounces of light 
black pepper ; two ounces of whole allspice; two 
ounces of whole cloves ; four ounces of grated 
nutmeg. Wash the tomatoes, put them into a 
kettle and mash as tine as possible ; add the salt 
and spices and boil two hours; thon strain 
through a stive, carefully rubbing through the 
pulp ; put back and boil; at the end of four 
hours remove ; when cold bott le aud seal ; keep 
in a cool dry place. When boiling it should be 
stirred almost, constantly so that it may not burn. 
We also find it udvisablo to wire the corks. 
Cocoa Ant (Jalce .—Two tablespoonfuls of 
butter (white if you have it) worked to u cream ; 
one cup of sugar ; one-half cup of sweet milk : 
whites of throe eggs beaten to a froth ; two aud 
one-hall teaspoonlids baking powder in two cups 
rounding full of sifted flour ; bake lu three pie 
tins lined with greased white paper. Mix some 
prepared coooanut in soft frosting and spread 
between the layers; frost the top, then sprinkle 
coooanut over it. 
Melted Butter. —A cup of butter melted until 
tho salt settles to the bottom, is nice to have on 
hand to grease cake and bread tins with. Butter 
is too salt and lard sometimes gives things an 
unpleasant taste. 
A !’feasant Country Brink .—To two quarts 
of water allow one cupof boiled cider; sweeten 
to suit, the taste aud flavor with uutmeg or lemon. 
Ice or course improves it. More or less boiled 
cider may bo required according to its strength. 
7‘ot-Pie.— As it has been some time since we 
have bad a pot-pie recipe “ served up ” in the 
Kukal, I venture to send mine, not thinking 
however, that it ia better than tho “old- 
fashioned ’’ kind when made by one who under¬ 
stands the business, but like Mrs. II. F. B., 1 do 
not, and so prefer a way that is less liable to 
prove a failure. Cook chicken, or any kind of 
meat suitable, in the usual way; about ten 
minutes before you wish to servo it, take out the 
meat and thicken the gravy; have ready some 
nice cream biscuits just baked; break them 
open and put into the kettle; let them boll 
slowly two or throe miuutea and take out. It is 
plain that this must be good if the meat is 
properly cooked and seasoned, and the biscuits 
ure light arid nice. If the cream is minus I pre¬ 
sume any good biscuits would do. By the way 
it will oblige me very much if some of too 
Rural sisters will kindly send a recipe for mak¬ 
ing baking powder biscuits. 
trmc 
TREATMENT OF NEAR-SIGHTEDNESS. 
The following we find in the London Garden : 
“ A Delicate Tomato Salad.— Many who like to¬ 
matoes prefer them most of all in a raw state, 
as salad, served with various combinations of 
vinegar, oil and mustard—some using only a 
little vinegar, others using no vinegar, but a 
comhitialion of oil and mustard. A great im¬ 
provement on any of these is made by using the 
juice of a lemon only; in this way good toma¬ 
toes, skinned by putting them In scalding water 
for a minute allowed to cool, cut into slices and 
a good lenmn squeezed over them, form one of 
tho most grateful and wholesome dishes obtain¬ 
able in summer.” For salads we prefer skinning 
witli a sharp knife without first immersing in 
hot water. 
An eminent surgeon of London, in lecturing 
upon afflictions of the eyes, says of this common 
infirmity in this country that the object to be 
kept in view in treatment is to so open out pen¬ 
cils of parallel rays of light that they fall diver¬ 
gent upon the cornea, and so appear to come 
from a near object. Slight degrees of myopia 
do not give rise to much inconvenience, the pa¬ 
tient being able to road or work at a fair distance; 
it is only when looking at a distant object that 
the defect of vision is noted, and no treatment is 
necessary. 
if much inconvenience is experienced from the 
limitation of distant vision, a pair of glasses may 
be ordered, and these should he the weakest con¬ 
cave looses with which the greatest acuteness of 
vision can bo maintained; they need only be 
used when looking at a distance. Higher do- 
greos of myopia, where the farthest point of 
distinct vision is situated only at a tow inches I 
from the eye, always require attention from the 
tendency of the myopia to increase, and with it 
the choroidal changes mentioned above. The 
treatment consists in the selection of suitable 
spectacles, and the avoidance of all conditions 
likely to cause congestion of the eyeballs. 
In the selection of glasses we must be guided 
by the circumstances of the case and the ago of 
the patient. In young persons with good ac¬ 
commodation, aud myopia not exceedingly >g, 
the degree of myopia should be carefully aso.r 
taiiicd by trial with lenses, as already described, 
and glasses which accurately neutralize the am> 
maiyof refraction ordered to he used for all 
purposes. Occasionally it will be found that the 
glasses make tho eyes ache when used for a 
considerable time for near woik ; but this is only 
caused by the unaccustomed exercise of accom¬ 
modation, aud will usually pass off, if the use of 
the glasses be persevered in, and near work only 
done for a short time at once, until the eyes be¬ 
come used to the extra strain. Khould tho 
symptoms, however, continue, or increase after 
g a fair trial, the glasses must be replaced by 
weaker ones, which should bo worn for some 
; weeks, after which those which fully correct the 
o myopia may be again tried, 
f lu myopia above K, or in persons with lees 
f degrees who have reached a considerable age 
r without wearing glasses, an absolute correction 
caunot be borne, and can only do harm if tried. 
1 In these cases, having first carefully ascertained 
f the degree of myopia, we must order glasses 
f which neutralize about two-t hirds of the anomaly 
f of refraction. These should be used for all pnr- 
r poses for some weeks, at the end of which time 
■r stronger ones may bo given; the strength being 
’ gradually increased until the whole, or nearly 
j the whole, of the myopia has been corrected, 
j In many cases it will be found useful to order 
. 11 pair of spectacles which enable the patient to 
’ do near work at a fair distance; and to give a 
double eye-glass, with lenses which accurately 
neutralize the myopia, to be used for looking at 
: distant objects only. 
In many cases of myopia the degree will be 
found to bo greater in oue eye than in the other. 
1 If there bo no considerable difference a different 
> glass may be ordered for each ; but if the defect 
iu one eye be considerably in excess of that in 
the other, no good will result from different 
glasios, and we should give for both eyes those 
louses which suit, the Jess myopic one. their se¬ 
lection being governed by the rules already laid 
down. 
The conditions which cause congestion of the 
eyeballs are -continuance of a stooping posture, 
and Jong employment on near work, with its 
accompanying strain of convergence and com¬ 
pression or (.he globes l>y the action of the in¬ 
ternal recti muscles. 
I ho former can be avoided by* directing t he 
patient to raise the book or paper, if reading or 
writing, to a suitable bight, and by tho use of 
properly selected glasses. The latter also, by 
the use of glasses which enable t he patient to 
sec at a distance up to which convergence of the 
visual lines can bo maintained without effort. 
Not unfrequcutly in tho course of myopia 
there arise what are known as symptoms of 
irritation: these consist in the occurrence of 
flashes of light, fiery sparks and circles, photo¬ 
phobia, a hcii so of fulness and sometimes pain in 
the eyeballs. 
Whenever Kyruptoms of irritation occur, they 
must lie looked upon as of considerable import, 
and requiring careful management; their occur- 
I once usually means increase of the myopia. 
If glasses aro being worn, their use must be 
discontinued ; all work should be abstained from ; 
the patient, when indoors, should bo kept in a 
subdued light; and when in the open air blue 
protectors should be worn. In extreme oases an i 
entirely dark room must bo prescribed, all ex- 1 
citemont must, be avoided, and alcoholic and hot 
drinks abstained from. Gold douches should he \ 
used to tho eyes and forehead; ami in many « 
cases great benefit will be derived from the ah- 1 
fib-action of blood from the temples, cither by 
the application of natural leeches or of tho arti- c 
licial leech the latter, however, being prefer- i 
able. The treatment must bo persevered in un- t 
til the symptoms have entirely subsided, and s 
great care must be subsequently taken to avoid r 
a recurrence. ^ 
The existence of “rnusctn volitantes,” unless g 
there be opacity of the media visible by the <■ 
ophthalmoscope, need give rise to no uneasi- 
ADS. IB 
over it a wet cloth, and the intense pain was ban¬ 
ished as if by magic. On the next day after this 
severe test, the sea Id, with tho exception of the 
part, purposely made most severe, was practically 
healed, only a slight discoloration of tho skin 
showing where the scalding water had flowed— 
this, too, without, a second application of the 
soda. The flesh on the underside of the wrist 
had been cooked down to tlie sweat-glands, and 
the scald waB one which ordinarily would have 
caused an open and painful wound of long dura¬ 
tion. Tho only treatment of this, however, after 
the first application of the soda, was to keep the 
part moist with a wet cloth, and no pain was ex¬ 
perienced, nod it was but a few days before this 
severe wound was seen to bo rapidly healing. 
^firntific aub isrfnl. 
THE COMING SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND 
MEASURES. 
BY FRANK LARCH. 
NEW REMEDY FOR BURNS AND SCALDS. 
Of all the accidents that happen in a family, 
those from scalding and burniug aro probably 
the most frequent, and certainly the most pain¬ 
ful. Every old woman has some pet nostrum to 
assuage the paiu of such mishaps, but judging 
from our own juvenile experience on several oc¬ 
casions, the mollifying effect* of these arc both 
slow amt weak. A now remedy for burns and 
scalds, nod ouft easily accessible in every house- 
bold, Inis lately been discovered by Dr. G. Wat- 
euk of Boston, and consists morely in the appli¬ 
cation of bicarbonate of soda ; better known as 
tlie common cooking soda, used in nearly every 
family throughout the land. Having followed 
the Doctor s example by personally experiment¬ 
ing with this, wo can vouch for its excellent 
ell cots, and would readily, despite our accumu¬ 
lations of wisdom during the intermediate years, 
consent to revert, once more to childhood's days, 
if for no other reason than to have the benefit of 
this remedy for the painful results of several 
juvenile accidents. 
The doctor anticipating our action in the mat¬ 
ter, tested its effects before a meeting of the 
Massachusetts Dental Society. He dipped u 
sponge into boiling hot water and squeezed it 
over his right wrist, the water flowing almost 
completely around the arm, and nearly encircling 
it with a severe scald two inches in width. Not 
content with this, lm dipped the sponge a soooud 
time and pressed it closely on the underside of 
his wrist for thirty seconds. He then applied bi¬ 
carbonate of soda to the scalded surface, and laid 
in To those who have interested themselves in 
nt the education of our youth and make a study of 
so the subject, tho metric system or weights and 
;o- measures lias commended itsolf to a degree 
id Which almost amounts to enthusiasm. While 
the country at largo and the local presH have 
ae dismissed tho subject with a passing notice, the 
c, moro advanced minds, even in this country, bavo 
ts inaugurated means for disseminating greater 
u- knowledge of tho system and its advantages. In 
u- the commercial circles of our large Beaport 
cities, an acquaintance with it has become almost 
10 a necessity, as the quantities of imports from 
.ir many foreign countries are adjusted by it. Tho 
)f Governments of France, Switzerland, Sweden, 
>y Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal, Hol- 
o land, Denmark. Belgium, Greece, Mexico and 
ie Brazil bavo adopted tho system, and, in most 
instances have made its use compulsory. Tho 
a British Government lias highly commended it, 
,r a<»l "ill eventually adopt it, while the United 
T States passed tho following law in 1806. 
Sec. ). Hr it enacted bu the Senate anil House uf 
11 lieiirtstntaltve.s at the Unit'd States in Congress as¬ 
sembled, That from and utter tlie passage of this act 
y it shall be lawful throughout the United Slates of 
America to employ tho weights and incuaures of the 
metric system, and no contract or dealing, or pleud- 
' in« in any court, shall be deemed Invalid or llalAe to 
Object,Ion because the weights or measures expressed 
3 or referred to therein lire weight* or measures of 
i b o metric system, 
t Sec. 2 . And be It further enacted. The tables in the 
schedule hereto annexed shall be recognized in the 
! construction of contracts, Mini in all local proeecd- 
i Ings, hr establishing, in terms ..f the weight* ami 
. measures now in use In the I nlted States, the equiva¬ 
lents of the weight*and measures expressed therein 
in terms of tlie metric system ; and said tables may 
1 be lawfully used for computing, determining, and 
expressing in customary weight* and measures the 
weights and measures of tun metric system. 
A casual observation of the practical working 
of the system in Germany, where it was intro¬ 
duced into tho schools for some time before its 
use became compulsory, will at once show that 
8HCh a radical change does not work so great a 
revolution as many would be led to suppose. 
Nearly all scientific works now use tbe Metric 
System as well as numerous magazines which 
contain scientific or commercial articles. 
Eventually it will be tbe groat International 
system by which all commerce between nations 
will bo carried on. Even if it were not (as it is) 
wonderful us a labor saving device, the fact of 
its uniformity among the civilized nations of the 
globe would render it invaluable to us. It 
should be taught in all our schools uow. 
The following is tbe table iu brief: 
MONEY. 
10 mills...make a cent. 
10 cents...make a dime. 
10 dimes.make a dollar. 
10 dollars.make an eagle. 
Lengtu. 
10 milU-iueters...make a centimeter. 
10 centi-meters.make a decimeter. 
10 dcci-meters.make a meter. • 
10 meters.............make a dekameter. 
10 deka-meters.make a hectometer. 
10 heoto-meters. make it kilometer. 
10 kilo-meters... .make a myriameter. 
* Weights. 
10 inilli-grams.rnnko a centigram. 
10 centl-grnms.make a decigram. 
10 deci-grams.make a gram. 
10 grams. i .make a dekagram. 
10 deka-grams.make a hectogram. 
10 hecto-grams.make a kilogram. 
10 kilo-grams.make a myriagram . 
Capacity. 
10 milll-llters.make a centiliter. 
10 centi-llters.make u deciliter. 
10 deci-lttors.make a liter. 
10 liters.tnnko a dekaliter. 
10 deka-liters....make a hectoliter. 
Tub SytJARE and Cubic Measures 
aro nothing more than the Bquares aud cubes of 
tho measures of length. The are aud store aro 
other names for tho square deca-meter aud the 
cubic meter. 
The following are the iquivaleuts iu the sys- 
