Honustit (Etoiunnn, 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE 
SIFTINGS FROM THE KITCHEN FIRE. 
MRS. ANNIE B. JACK. 
It is one of the problems of domestic economy 
in hearth and home consultation, “ How can wo 
save time?” and yet wo go on, wasting the pre¬ 
cious hours over things of little moment, and 
neglect more important duties or pleasures. 1 
often hear ladies say iu the short days of winter, 
“ It seems as if wo do nothing but cook, the days 
are so short!” and yet they make no effort to 
change tho order of things. My own household 
is regulated by tho fact that live hours of tho 
day are spent iu the schoolroom, where I am 
teacher to the merry group ; and in tho inter¬ 
mission at noon, wo take lunch—as the children 
would do if they attended the district-school. 
This, if practiced iu many houses where the 
children come home at four iu the afternoon, 
would leave a whole day for the duties of tho 
household, and the united family could enjoy a 
hvo o’clock dinner to tho gratification of the 
children, whose plate “ kept over” is often a 
burnt and tasteless reminder of the dinner they 
have missed. 
In the matter of cooking, too, I am often 
Biruck with the fact that women, in their house- 
wife’s pride, spend too much energy on their 
preparations for a company tea, in rural places. 
How many of us have hardly found time to sip 
our tea, between eating our bread and butter, 
for the added duty of passing cake to our neigh¬ 
bors 1 Not long ago, taking tea at the house of 
a very near and dear friend, I was called upon to 
sympathize with her for the misfortune of bav 
iug “ no time to read." The secret was revealed 
to mo when I found myself afterwards passing 
around to those whoso plates were already laden 
with good things—nine kinds of cake, all home¬ 
made. What skill, what energy, what time such 
a work required 1 How toothsome each delicate 
morsel! what an amount of labor expended! 
Reader, I like cake, but I should fed it the dry- 
est of sawdust if it robbed me of my time for 
mental improvement. With all the other condi¬ 
ments, no sensible person needs such a choice 
of cake, aud I feel as if I wero considered a gour¬ 
mand when I find it displayed before me. " Tho 
simple elegance of a tea-table is not iu over¬ 
loading, but in the bright, cheery, well-kept fur¬ 
nishings, with a full supply of whatever dainty 
dish is set before us. 
Speaking of domestic economy in regard to 
time, I am often called upon to notice the preju¬ 
dice against labor-saving machines for women, 
that prevails among farmers who procure (and 
rightly, too,) everything to aid farm work. How 
many of you can claim as your kitchen aids, a 
washer and wringer, a clothes sprinkler and 
mangle, apple parer and corer, potato peeler 
aud slicer, syllabub churn and raisin stonur, a 
first-class egg beater and carpet sweeper ? And 
yet all these things would not cost as much as 
the threshing machino so necessary to a farmer 
who does not like to he considered behind the 
times. We too often work on in the primitive 
way, using our old implements, as tho farmer 
might his old flail. But is it economy when time 
is so precious ? 
Just as I think of changing tho subject of my 
“ siftings,” one of the crowd cornea in with half 
a dozen new-laid eggs, which he is eager for mo 
to count. I make a rule, as eggs get f^arco in 
winter, to give tho children “ an apple for an 
egg,” and it is surprising how faithfully they 
are gathered aud kept iu count. As an article 
of diet we value them highly, and even fancy 
they taste better at this season of the year, 
when four times the juice of the same article in 
summer. One of Marion Habland’s house¬ 
keepers is made to say “ Give tno a half a 
dozen eggs, a few spoonfuls of gravy and as 
much cream, a spoonful of butter and a handful 
of bread crumbs, and I can get up a good break¬ 
fast or luncheon.” One of her tried dishes for 
these meals is so simple yet so palatable for a 
hurried time, that 1 cannot help quoting at 
closiug: 
Eggs Sur le Flat. 
Six eggs ; one tablespoonful of butter. Melt 
the butter in a shallow baking dish. Break the 
eggs carefully into it, dust with pepper and salt, 
and put in a moderate oven until the whites 
“set.” Servo in the dish iu which they are 
baked. 
•--—- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Coffee. 
I always wash coffee before roasting it and 
those housewives who do not, would find it a 
great improvement to do so. Take as much 
coffee as can be conveniently browned in a kettle 
and pour boiling water over it. Drain the cof¬ 
fee in a colander, put into the kettle and set on 
tho back of the stove to dry, stirring occasion¬ 
ally. 
hen dry, set over a brisk fire and stir con¬ 
stantly. It browns evener to add a tablespoon¬ 
ful of butter just as it begins to color. Care 
and skill are required to keep it from burning. 
When quite brown try a little iu the mill and if 
it grinds easily and is of a beautiful brown, it is 
done. Remove from the fire and when cool stir 
in a fresh egg and let the dish remain where 
there is a gentle heat and the coffee is dry. 
This, 1 think, settles coffee ns well as to use an 
L ‘SS —or part of one—every day and is less 
trouble. When 1 make coffee I grind a small 
tcaonpful and. jiour over it, perhaps, one pint 
of hot water. Set tho coffee-pot where it will 
steep, hut not boil, for twenty minutes, then fill 
up with as much boiling water as is needed and 
let it stand a few moments to settle before pour¬ 
ing out. <* Farmer’s Wife." 
Orange Marmalade. 
Allow equal weights of oranges and white 
sugar ; jieel aud quarter tho oranges—careful to 
remove the inner thick skin from the yellow 
peel. Boil the peel in clear water changing the 
water once, about fifteen minutes after it first 
boils, to remove the hitter taste. When tender, 
I boil it slowly for three or four hours, drain in a 
colander and cut into delicate shreds with a very 
sharp knife, To prepare tho pulji, remove the 
seeds and white stringy outside part; squeeze 
out the juice and thiu pulp into a howl and jiour 
over Uiosngar; coyer the pulp with water and 
boil until tender; then pound the pulp in a 
mortar, or cut into small hits, and with the 
water iu which they wero boiled add, with the 
shredod yellow peel, to tho sugar and juice. 
Put the whole into a pnroulain kettle and boil. 
When it begins to thicken it must be tried occa¬ 
sionally l>y lotting a litthftool in a spoon upon 
ice. Groat care must be taken that it does not 
burn. When as thick as desired, turn into cujjs 
or tumblers, cover with paper wet in brandy and 
tie down tightly. 
Orange Fritters. 
Take the peel and white skin from three or 
four oranges; cut them across into slices ; pick 
out the seeds aud dip each slice of orange into a 
thick batter. Fry until nicely browned and servo 
upon a napkin with powdered sugar sifted over 
each slice. 
Orange Tart lot ts. 
Remove the pulp from two or three orauges ; 
boil the peels until very tender; boat them to a 
paste with twice their weight of sugar; add the 
thin pulp and juice of the oranges with a table¬ 
spoonful of butter and beat these ingredients to¬ 
gether. Line some little pans with puff-paste; 
fill with the orange mixture and bake. g. w. 
Carrot Ointment. 
It is convenient, if not absolutely necessary, 
to have on hand u sure remedy for burns, flesh- 
wounds, chapped hands etc. This demand is 
supplied in many families by patent remedies, 
iu ours by Carrot Oiutmont made as follows: To 
one medium sized carrot, well washed and thinly 
sliced, allow one-fourth pound of freshly 
churned, unsalted butter. Place them together 
in a spider or other iron vessel, simmer slowly 
until the carrot is crisp and brown—taking earo 
not to burn it, then strain through a thin cloth 
aud keep iu a tin box or wide-mouthed hottlo. 
Ah a healer it has few' equals. A few applica¬ 
tions will cure tho worst eases of chapped or 
cracked hands, provided the hands aro well 
washed with Castile soap and soft water, and 
well dried, just previous to its application. Af¬ 
ter applying the ointment rub the hands, warm¬ 
ing and rubbing until all is absorbed. It will 
speedily heal burns after the fire is extracted. 
Indeed, wo use it iu all eases where a healing 
agent is needed. 
Molasses Cookies. 
One cup of molasses ; one cup of sugar; one 
cup of lard, or butter—if butter is used .the 
cup must bo heaped; one cup of Juke-warm 
water iu which one largo teaspoouful of salaratus 
is dissolved; one teaspoouful of cloves and one 
small nutmeg. Cream tho sugar aud shorten- 
ing; add the molasses, aud spices; then one 
oup of flour, stirring it well in; then add the 
water, a little at a time, with Horn* to make it 
stiff as you can stir it. Roll one-fourth of an 
inch in thickness and bake iu a quick oven to a 
light brown. These are nice and moist. 
n. l. j. 
iljgunit Information. 
SIMPLE CURES. 
S. B. PECK. 
An advertisement in a New York paper lately 
brought to my mind many cases that had been 
related to me of remarkable cures by very sim¬ 
ple remedies, some of which were taken stealth¬ 
ily without the knowledge, or against the pro¬ 
test of the attendant or nurse, but always grati¬ 
fying to the palate of the patient. The first I 
shall relate occurred long ago when cold water 
was not allowed in fevers. Tho patient had a 
person “to watch with him, ’ who was directed 
to put hot stones to his feet to promote perspira¬ 
tion, but was uot to allow him water to drink, 
“ for that would counteract the good effect of 
the heating process.” These stones were heated 
in the fire aud partially cooled in a pail of water 
kept under tho bed. The watcher went to sleep, 
aud the willful patient, regardless of conse¬ 
quences, managed to crawl out of bed and with¬ 
out goblet or cup, drank slyly his Jill from the 
pail, got hack to bed and quietly slept himself 
into a, profuse sweat, after which he rapidly re¬ 
covered. A man sick unto death aud nearly 
given up by his physician, was called on by the 
latter in tho morning, who expressed himself 
highly pleased with tho good effect of the medi- 
eiuo ho had left, and congratulated him on his 
appearing muoh Letter. “Yob” said tho pa¬ 
tient “ I have been much better since I drank 
that stuff iu the cupboard." The stuff be 
had covertly drauk turned out to bo vinegar 
from a pickle jar! A Utile girl whoso disease 
baffled the skill of tho family pbyeioian, and who 
grew worse iu spite of all his skill was called on 
by him as the family were sitting down to 
breakfast, and as the mother was coming to the 
table with a plate of pickled cucumbers, the 
child, lying in a orib near by, uttered a shtiek 
which called the mother to her side with the 
piste of pickles iu her hand, from which the child 
snatched a pickle aud ate it before the mother 
could take it from her—sequel, tho child recov¬ 
ered rapidly. 
Now I do not think much of cucumbers any 
way. and never eat them either as medicine, 
food or condiment, but I do believe iu acids 
when the appetite craves thorn. I ought not to 
slander this vegetable, for I used to cat them aud 
they never hurt me, but set gratefully on my 
stomaeb. They were fresh from the garden. 
Now I prefer as a matter of taste the more 
luscious fruits. 
I will relate but ono more case of singular 
cure, though there aro others on my mind. This 
was related to me by Dr. Strong, an old physi¬ 
cian of Hartford, Conn., some fifty years ago, 
as an occurrence in liis practice. A little girl 
was jiining, moaning and shrinking away in 
flesh, without any other symptoms of disease, 
when ho was sent for. The case perplexed him 
and ho asked the mother if the child had been 
denied auy food or other tiling that she seemed 
to long for. She reluctantly admitted that the 
ehild had asked for tobacco. A small quantity 
was given her which she ate greedily, from 
which date her recovery was rapid. For the 
rationale of Uio case 1 can only surmise that 
she had tasted the weed before, and if it then 
produoed nausea and now satisfied her craving, 
it was uot the first case of the kind. Physicians 
owe much to accidental discoveries, aud it is 
wise and humane in them to note these peculiar 
cases, not presuming that in all, or even a major¬ 
ity of subjoctH, tho same treatment of apparently 
similar ailments will jnoduce similar effects. 
Tho stomach and all the viscera being beyond 
our sight, and much of them affected by all 
that is introduced to them, the causes of many 
internal ailments, and (lie effect of food aud 
medicine upon them, will doubtless ever remain 
mysterious. 
NOTES FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 
Warren Co., N. C., Dec. 31. 
We are just now feeding sowed corn fodder 
and it cornea out so sweet and bright aud tho 
stock eat it with such a relish that our plan of 
curiDg it had as well be told now. 
Having tried nearly, or quite,, all the ways re¬ 
commended, I have settled in my own mind that 
the most important item is, plant early; the ob¬ 
ject being that tho cutting may bo douo early 
while we have plenty of suushine. Twenty years 
ago tho sowing of corn for fodder was delayed 
until corn planting, road mending, sheep shear¬ 
ing, Ac., were done, under the plea that it was 
just as well late »s early, as nothing hut stalks 
was expected. The results were either a lot of 
half cured, moldy, aud half rotten fodder iu the 
mow or stack, or else badly weather beaten in 
stooks to he hauled as necessity required, only 
to be eaten under jirotest by hungry animals. 
As to varieties, I have been able to see but little 
difference, but prefer to use such as are adapted 
to the climate; small, early for the short sea¬ 
sons of tho north, larger aud later as we go 
south. Haring the laud plowed aud harrowed 
with a light, oue-horaa plow, run off the rows 
two aud one half feet apart, drop the seed about 
fifteen to each foot, cover by harrowing cross¬ 
wise or with a cultivator lengthwise, taking out 
the front tooth, twice in u row with cultivator 
aud again with the plow when 18 inches high, 
turning the furrows to the corn is all the culti¬ 
vation necessary; cut when in bloom, leaving it 
thinly on the ground for two or throe days of 
good weather, then bind in small bundles, not 
more than five inches in diameter, put up in 
round stooks of eight or ten bundles, or long 
shocks after. 
I see by your correspondence from “Every¬ 
where ” that this has been an autumn and win¬ 
ter so far, remarkable for the mildness of tho 
weather. Down hero iu Carolina wo have had a 
delightfully warm, dry and pleasant last half of 
December until ycsterdiy, when wo wero visited 
by a heavy rain, and now the soil is thoroughly 
saturated, roads soft, wind strong from tho 
north, and we are expecting a cold snap. Busi¬ 
ness has bccu brisk, as is usual while cotton is 
on the market aud our merchants aro rapidly 
selling large stocks of goods. When this is over 
then will come a lull until May and Juno when 
tobacco comes into market. 
A larger area of wheat was sown this year thau 
for many years before; tho open weather has 
given it a fine start. For money we depend 
mainly on cotton and tobacco, which is all wrong. 
The farmer, either North or South, should so 
manage his business that something of his pro¬ 
duction is ready for market every week in the 
year. Things look more hopeful iu this respect 
as, year by year, more grain, clover, roots, 
fruit, cattle, sheep, swine and poultry are grown, 
and when the present order is reversed and wo 
rear more pigs than puppies, aud more lambs 
than either, we will feel that wo aro better pre¬ 
pared to compare notes with our brother farmers 
of the frozen North. M. B. Prince. 
--- 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Savannah, N. Y„ Dec. 21, 1877. 
We have had but little freezing weather yet, 
and if we did not consult the almanac frequent¬ 
ly, we should believe it to be October now. The 
people who wont in debt for farms before the 
jirice of landfelJ, are reefing rather blue now, 
as it is hard paying for them with produce at 
tho present low prices. Ir the price of farm 
labor was reduced in proportion to other things, 
the trouble would be considerably less; but tho 
majority of laborers are trying hard to keep 
very near the war prices, not considering that 
one dollar will go as far towards supporting 
them now as throe would then. Tho clover seed 
and apple crops wero almost a failure iu this 
section. By waging a continual warfare with 
the beetles, a fair crop of potatoes was secured 
price, 35c. per bushel; barley mostly sold for 
GOo. per bushel. Oats a good crop, but no pay- 
iug market for them yet. Tho host price for 
wheat has been cl,40; pork, £5 per 100. c. s. 
St. Charles Co., Mo., Dec. 30,1S77. 
Tiie extremes iu temperature for the month 
of December up to date, at G.30 A. M., have 
been from 17 3 to 55°. The first half of tho month 
was very jileasaut, giving tho farmers an oppor¬ 
tunity to finish husking and plowing; during 
the last half, there has been but very little fair 
weather; I tbink but two days; rainy or drizzly 
all the time, with this exception. The roads are 
almost impassable, on account of mud. Cows 
are uot doing well for two reasons—bad weather 
aud irregularity of feeding. A Vo could not get 
the grain.to mill to grind for them. This County 
being almost exclusively used for dairying, tho 
condition of the roads has uotbing to do with 
exporting grain, there being more shipped in 
than out. This evening the mercury has just 
touched freezing point, and we aro now likely to 
have a change for the better, aB it is clear over- 
Lieacl. j. b. t. w. 
Muskegon, Mich., Dec. 24 . 
“ Twas the night before Christmas” still rain¬ 
ing ! This is tho 10th or 11th day of this cloudy, 
fof g y, warm weather with scarcely a frost and 
no ice or snow. I think there have been, at 
least, 20 days of successive fall or summer 
weather, Swamjis are full aud running over, 
lumbermen and loggers look blue. How much 
more of this? Has the clerk of tho weather 
made a mistake ? Hope be won’t give us sleigh¬ 
ing next July. Mercury at 50 at 9 P. M. Dec. 
25, Mercury at 48 at 7 P. M., hope rises as mer¬ 
cury sinks. g. b. p. 
SNODOMisn City, W. T., Dec. 24, 1873. 
We are having lots of rain, but it is warm in 
the garden. It is nothing uncommon to see 
roses in full bloom. JIty is low'—wofth $9(6/10, 
and not much sale at that price ; potatoes, 50c.; 
wheat, .$1.25; oats, G5c.; barley, 70e.; boof by 
the quarter, 4>^@5)^c.; work oxeu, £125(6 175. 
Times are hard at present, but will ho better 
soon. Logs are selling now at $5@550 per M. 
Harper. 
Westmoreland Co., Fa., Jan. 1 , 1878 . 
We have up to this date had 110 winter hero, 
but very warm wuather. The winter wheat 
looks extra nice, aud a large amount of acres, 
have been sown; it was somewhat injured iu the 
fall by the fly. Last yeai’a crop was only a mod- 
