9 
OCT. 20 
254 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Domestic (Ecoiiomjt. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE 
A SPICY CORRECTION, 
To the Editors Bubal New-Yorker :—An 
amusing exemplification of the fact that “Tall 
oaks from little acorns grow,” was given in this 
column in the issue of Oct. 6th. 
In Mrs. S. C.’s recipe for Coffee Cake, sbo was 
made to say “ one teaspoonful of cinnamon and 
one of clover," instead of “ one of cloves." 
Mrs. 8. 0. writes:—“ We find it necessary to 
he economical these hard times, but I am happy 
to say that w e havo not yet been obliged to use 
clover in cake, though I am not sure it would be 
a saving, if the clover crop is as poor every where 
as it is tn this section." 
The moat amusing part is that one of the 
Rural exchanges appropriated the recipe with¬ 
out credit, and eontidingly accepted the clover 
for the cloven. 
It has been said before, I think, that “ Mis¬ 
takes will occur in the best, regulated families.” 
Besides, I reproach you the less, Messrs. Editors, 
knowing, as I do, that your proof-reader-in-chief 
is a popular writer on daily topics, and is there¬ 
fore far more likely to see clover than cloves. 
PITHS. 
Be thorough. 
Never pick the teeth at table. 
Eat from the side of a spoon. 
Souls need food as well as bodies. 
Clean kid gloves with milk and white soap. 
Don't, use table cloths and napkins as dish- 
wipers. 
It is not well-bred to lean the arm or rest the 
elbow upon the table while eating. 
The pain from the sting of a wasp or bee is 
relieved by applying lean, raw moat. 
Use lemon juice instead of vinegar upon raw 
cabbage. 
Cleanlincss hi bedding is indispensable to 
health and comfort. 
Blow out a caudle with an upward instead of a 
downward current of air to avoid its smolder¬ 
ing. 
To make home-made camphor-ice melt half 
a teacupful of mutton tallow with a piece of 
camphor gum, the size of a large hickory-nut— 
pour into a little cup or mold. 
•--— » 
HOME-MADE RUGS. 
Last winter while visiting a friend, I noticed 
her lit tle live-year-old daughter busily raveling 
out pieces of Brussels carpeting. To my ques¬ 
tion, “what aro you doing that lor, Nellie?" 
She replied, “ helping Mamma make mats.” 
My friend explained that she utilized all worth¬ 
less pieces and little bits of Brussels carpeting 
by raveling and sowing the crimped worsted 
on to sacking for door mats or rugs. 
The idea seemed not a had one, and aB wo 
always insisted upon our carpet dealer giving us 
the pieces wasted in matching, 1 had accumu¬ 
lated quite a number of odds and ends. Here 
was a chance of turning them to an aooount, so, 
little by little, Flossy raveled them out, and I 
finished yesterday my first attempt at a “ home¬ 
made rug.” As to its beauty, il is a success—as 
to its durability 1 luiow- not. 
The worsteds were cut so that when doubled 
and not straightened, they were five inches 
long. These were tacked to a piece of worn, 
though perfectly clean carpet, one yard long 
and not quite one-half yard wide, with the 
edges overcast that it might not ravel. 8ew r on 
the worsteds at the doubled end, one inch from 
the edge of the carpet, in a thick lengthwise 
row. The next row au inch and a half from the 
first, thus overlapping it, and so on until the 
carpet is covered. The last row, if you please, 
may bo sowed with the euds the .opposite way, 
although when the rug lies upon the fioor the 
euds fall every which-way and the edges are not 
seen. 
With a little taste in arranging the colors, 
these rugs can be made very bright and pretty, 
and from my own experience, I should say that 
most of the work could bo done by little hands. 
HOW TO MAKE BUCKWHEAT CAKES. 
The Beason for buckwheat cakes will soon 
arrive, and our experience is that the finest, 
tenderost cakes can be made by adding a little 
unbolted wheat (or Graham) Hour to the buck¬ 
wheat. Less than a quarter will do. Mix with, 
cold sour milk, or l’resh (not sweet) buttermilk 
which is best. Tho soda (emptyings aro dis¬ 
pensed with), when put iu cold water, will not 
act satisfactorily. Baku at once. The heat will 
start tho effervescence, and as the paste rises it 
will Lake, thus preventing it from falling. 
Hence the culminating point of lightness is 
attained. The batter rises snowy and beautiful, 
and the pancake will swell to almost undue 
dimensions, absolutely the lightest and tenderest 
that can he baked, w ith not a touch of acid. 
More salt, however, must be added than usual, 
to counteract the too fresh taste, when soda 
alone is used. Thus the bother of emptyings 
is all dispensed w ith. Pancakes in this way can 
be baked at any time, and on the shortest 
notice. We keep our Hour mixed, the Graham 
with the buckwheat, ready for use. 
■-♦♦♦- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
An Experiment. 
Never have we tasted finer, sweeter beets than 
those for to-day’s dinner. Everyone at table 
remarked it. We have cooked the same heetH— 
Vilmorin’s Improved Sugar—time and again, and 
although always very palatable, they never be¬ 
fore received the extravagant praise they did 
to-day. “ How did you cook them ? " was asked 
by one and all. We preferred, for reasons of 
our own, not to answ er then and there, but to 
the Rural sisters we will say that they were 
cooked with sweet potatoes! The beets were 
boiling, and as the range was crowded, wo won¬ 
dered if any harm would come to either—as 
both were to he peeled and the beets white—if 
we cooked the sweet potatoes with them. The 
potatoes were uninjured, tho beets cooked with 
the above result. Wo shall try the experiment 
again. 
Cabbage and Celery Salad. 
Chop lino equal quantities of cabbage and 
celery ; to every quart allow the yelks of two 
hard-boiled eggs, one tablcspoouful of salt, one 
of white sugar—if not liked, omit—one of 
ground mustard and a teaspoonful of black 
pepper ; rub to a paste with a scant ball-teaeup- 
f ill Of slightly melted butter: mix thoroughly 
with the cabbage and celery and add a hall’-tca- 
cupful Of vinegar. Sorve with the whites of 
the eggs sliced and placed on tho salad. 
Grandmerna's way of cooking Cabbage. 
Chop or slice fine onc-hnif head of cabbage, 
put into a stew-pan with boiling water sullicient 
to cover, and boil twenty mi miles ; drain off the 
water and place on top of the stove to dry; then 
season with salt, pepper, and three tablespoou- 
fuls of butter; cook or try again, stirring fre¬ 
quently that it may not burn, until browned; 
pour over it half a teacupful of vinegar and 
servo hot. 
Miss Carrie C., East Rockaway, gives tho fol¬ 
lowing : 
Sponge 1 Cake. 
Ten eggs; one pound of sugar; onp-half 
pound of Hour ; one-half leaspooul'ul of soda, 
and one of eream-of-tartur, Beat the sugar and 
yelks until very light and the whites half an 
hour; flavor to taste. 
Ijjjgicnic Information, 
HYGIENIC NOTES. 
The construction of the Panama Railroad 
cost 81,000 human lives, destroyed by malaria; 
this death-rate is equal to oue man per yard of 
the track. __ 
"A Substitute fob Quinine is found in the 
liquid solution of strychnine, w hich doctors are 
now using in Europe owing to the high price of 
the former drug. The substitute is nearly as 
efficacious and much cheaper. 
Tue Human Brain is one-twenty-eigbth of tho 
body, and al ter you have talked half au hour 
with tho man who grins while he gabbles, you 
are disposed to think that he is eleven inches 
high and weighs only three or four pounds at 
most. 
A Simple Cure tor Rheumatism is to take a 
pint of spirits of turpentine, add half an once 
of camphor, let the mixture stand until the 
camphor is dissolved: then rub it on the part af¬ 
fected, and it is sure to remove or greatly re¬ 
lieve the complaint. 
A characteristic effect of snake poison is 
rapid decomposition of muscular tissue. From 
Dr. Weir Mitchell s experiments it appears that 
after a few hours, the wouuded muscle becomes 
almost dillluent, and assumes a dark color and 
somewhat jelly-like appearance; under the 
microscope it has the appearance of a mass of 
minute granules. 
After the death of Boerhaave, the most cele¬ 
brated physiciau of the eighteenth century, 
there was found among Lis Looks a volume 
sumptuously bound, in which were written 
down, he used to say, all the secrets of physic. 
All the pages were blank, except the frontis- 
pieco, on which he had written in his best hand 
this sentence; “Keep the head cool, the feet 
warm, and the bowels open.” 
To Cube E>ipthebia put a spoonful of flour of 
brimstone into a wine-glassful of water; stir it 
with the finger iustead of a spoon, as tfie Bulph- 
ur does not readily amalgamate with the water; 
and w hen well mixed, use as a gargle. In 
extreme cases w here gargling is impossible, the 
sulphate may be blow n through a quill into the 
throat; or sprinkle a spoonful or two of the 
flour of brimstone on a live coal placed on a 
shovel, and let the sufferer hold his head over it 
and inhale the fumes. Tills remedy was always 
used by the celebrated English physician, Dr. 
Field, und was invariably efficacious. 
Bow-leos and Knock-knees aro generally 
thought to arise from tlio afflicted one having 
been made to stand too early in babyhood; but 
an English physician, who lias thoroughly stud¬ 
ied the subject, asserts that the former is the 
result of a habit children have of robbing the 
sole of one foot against that of the other, and 
often going to sleep with the two in contact. 
This never happens when the feet are socked or 
slippered, so the preventive of this lifelong de¬ 
formity is to keep the baby's soles covered. 
Kuock-knees are ascribed by him to a childish 
habit of sleeping on one side, with one kuee 
lacked under the hollow behind the other. To 
remedy this, therefore, pad the inside of the 
knees so aB to keep them apart. 
I wish to warn dyspeptics against trying Dio 
Lewis's prescription—to go w ithout a supper— 
for a cure. I tried it for a short time but long 
enough to prove to me that if I hadn't changed 
my course at onco, I shouldn't he here now to 
tell this story. For the first few nights I 
dreamed the most horrible dreams that ever 
visited the tortured bruiu of one in the last 
stages of starvation. But tho road of the dys¬ 
peptic is a hard road to travel, and 1 wouldn’t 
give in yet. The last, night of my trial I was 
awakened out of convulsions so strong that it 
was a long timo before I could realize (hat I was 
ready to go back to my old custom of eating a 
light and early supper, which the following day 
I did, and have felt better ever since.— m. yr. 
Groaning and Crying have found a philosophic 
advocate iu a French physician who maintains 
they aro highly beneficial, especially in surgical 
operations, lie contends that these aro means 
by which naturo allays anguish, and that pa¬ 
tients who indulge iu them recover from acci¬ 
dents and operations more readily than those 
who disdain to give way to their feelings in this 
fashion. If people nro at all unhappy, there¬ 
fore, let them seek comfort by retiring to a se¬ 
cluded spot, and there indulging in a consolatory 
boo-hoo. The crying of children, if systemati¬ 
cally repressed, may remit in St. Vitus’ dance, 
epileptic fits, or some other disease of the nervous 
system, and should, therefore, not he too much 
discouraged. "What is natural is nearly always 
beneficial, especially in care of the little ones. 
Hulks i on the Prevention of Scarlet Fever 
have lately been issued by the Michigan Board 
of Health, and as this is ono of the most con¬ 
tagions of diseases, it might he well to bear 
them in mind; 
The first precaution is the isolation of the sick 
from tho well, and the prevention of contact 
with the patient. The room should ho cleared 
from all unnecessary clothing, carpets, or other 
substances iu which the poison may Jink and 
bo theuco transferred elsewhere. Tho patient 
should use rags in place of handkerchiefs, so 
that they may be burned. Body and bed linen 
should be placed in vessels of water containing 
chloride of lime or similar substance. Dis¬ 
charges should bo received in a solution of sul¬ 
phate of iron or copper, and be afterward bur¬ 
ied. Persons recovering from t his disease should 
be considered dangerous as long as there is any 
sealing of tho skin, soreness of the eyes, etc. 
Many other precautions are inculcated, all of 
which are considered more or less important. 
Scientific ani) Useful 
SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL NOTES. 
The woods heavier than water, are Dutch box, 
Ebony, Lignuin-vito?, Mahogany, heart of Oak, 
Pomegranate, and Vine. 
Oiled sawdust exposed to the rays of the sun 
will soon burst into flame- Do not leave it 
carelessly about therefore, lest your buildings 
should he burnt down. 
To compute the number of tons an ice-house 
will contain, calculate the number of cubic feet 
in tho house, and divide the number by 35; 
this gives tho number of tons if closely packed. 
Cut flowers may be kept fresli for a fort¬ 
night, it is said, by dissolving sal-ammoniac 
or cblorcliy drato. of ammonia with the water 
in which the stems are put, in the proportion 
of about 75 grains to one quart of water. The 
experiment is one which can be easily made. 
Analysis of asparagus-shoots, by A. Yoegel, 
shows that the extremities contain no sugar, 
though the stem, three or four inches below, 
contains 1.7 to 2 per cent. Tho explanation is 
that the sugar is used up in the formation of cells 
which goes on actively in the shoots. The same 
is the case with potato-shoots. 
To take rust out of steel. —Place the article 
in a bowl containing kerosene oil, or wrap tho 
i steel up in a soft cloth well saturated with 
kerosene; let it remain twcnty-foiir hours or 
longer, then scour the rusty spots with brick- 
dust. If badly rusted, use salt with hot vine¬ 
gar : after scouring rins-e every particle of 
brick dust or salt off with boiling hot water; 
dry thoroughly, tiien polish off with a clean 
flannel cloth and a little sweet oil. 
About the year 1300 coal was first discovered 
in England on the banks of the Tyne, and was 
introduced as fuel into London about the year 
1350. Its use, however, was in 1373 forbiddeu 
by proclamation, in consequence of its effluvia 
being considered injurious to health, by corrupt¬ 
ing the atmosphere, and for many years it re¬ 
mained unused. At the close of the century, 
however, the value of coal became recognized, 
and its application and consumption extended. 
Cotton seed yields, per ton, about 700 pounds 
of cake or meal, 35 gallons of oil, a few pounds 
of lint cotton, some ashes and other refuse. 
The meal is worth £18 per ton, tho cake from 
£24 to £23 and the etude oil 38 cents per gal¬ 
lon. Tho oil is valuable in paints and chemicals, 
and when refined makes an excellent table oil. 
The cake is shipped to Europe for stock feed, tho 
refuse is used in the manufacture of soap and tho 
meal is in constantly increasing demand as a 
sugar-cane fertilizer. 
Phosphates, it has justly been said, are neces¬ 
sary not only to tho growth of plants but also to 
that of mankind. When they fail at the roots of 
plants, grain fails at the mill; and win n from 
waste at the mill, phosphates fail in the broad, 
the bones and tooth fail in growing bodies. 
The improvidence that leaves tho phosphates 
in sewage to be washed aw’ay to the sea, pre¬ 
pares an inheritance of poverty for future gen¬ 
erations, while the ruthiossnoss that permits 
the phosphates iu bran to be sifted from tho 
food of men, does its part to eufeohlo the pre 
sent generation. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Randolph, Vt., Sept. 27. 
Such a glorious September! No frosts yet to 
be felt. The foliage has ripened, and the trees 
are perfectly gorgeous iu their autumnal 
glory. Farm work has progressed very rapidly ; 
the crops aro nearly all secured. Corn is u u- 
commonly good this year. Potatoes are a dis¬ 
appointed hope. Tho potato bug did not do 
much harm, but the ruBt and rot did the mis¬ 
chief first; then tho market lias done the rest. 
Only 30 cents per bushel for Snowflakes, or 
Eaily Rose. No wonder farmers cannot sleep 
nights; and butter nuly 20 to 25 cents per 
pound. Oats aro nice, Lut speculators try to 
make believe that 30 cents per bushel is all tln v 
will bring. Indian corn is tolerably fair. Wheat 
is good, only a good deal of it got wet after it 
was iu the sheaf and sprouted some. Bain is 
needed very much, us the streams and springs 
are very low. The equinoctial storm has not 
come; but has provided two short apologies, 
just enough to lay tho dust. Tho genuine 
Down-easter is expected daily. R. 
--- 
London, F.ng. 
Rye Grass, Perennial (Lolium i erenne.)— 
From all districts we have complaints as to the 
yield of seed turning out much inferior to what 
was expected, both in quantity and quality; 
tho crop of hay was heavy, but tho long con¬ 
tinuation of cold, ungeuial weather, and subse¬ 
quent heavy rams combined to prevent the 
seed from ripeuiug us usual, also to deteriorate 
the color and weight. Seed will weigh from 18 
to 24 pounds per bushel, the great bulk, how¬ 
ever, being from 20 to 22 pounds. 
Glovers.— Scarcely any quantity, worth nam¬ 
ing, of new Trefoil has been offering, with the 
quality much inferior to the seed of last year, 
on account of bad harvesting weather and the 
small breadths left for seeding. Wo must, we 
are afraid, look elsewhere for Red, Alsike and 
White. Good parcels of yearling are being 
eagerly*secured for shaping orders and country 
trade. Lavyson Nursery Co. 
-- 
LyndonvillE, vt., Oct, 9th. 
The present season has been one of tho 
farmer’s best. The drought of mid-summer 
lessened the hay crop to some extent, but the 
autumn Lai-vests have come in bountifully, 
and have been secured in fine condition. The 
season has been long, tho weather favorable, 
and such vegetables as our farms and fairs ex- 
h bit are seen only once in a series of years. The 
first frost to damage materially, occurred Oct. 
