THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Domtstir (groitomi). 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE 
SIFTINGS FEOM THE KITCHEN FIRE. 
ANNIE L. .TACK. 
The March sun comes streaming in strong and 
cheery. It shines upon the kitchen fire, and the 
wood seems to burn dull and black—too oarly — 
wo must put in a pine stick and coax a blaze. 
'Next month I should not wonder if in the hurry 
of gardening, I have to announce that the fire is 
out, between meals. Ah! now it is getting 
bright and warm, sondiug out its pleasant glow, 
till the kettle begins to “ hum ” as pleasantly 
and full of suggestions as Mrs. Peerybinolk’s, 
and promises a cup of good tea. And here comes 
“Tilly” to infuse It, as the old housekeepers 
Bay. Rinse the teapot with hot water, child ; 
now a teaspoonful for each person and one for 
the pot. Just a little water, and set the teapot 
which is best of brown earthenware, upon the 
tea-kettle, in place of the lid. Then the stoam 
from the boiling water will bubble under it, and 
draw out all the strength. It must be covered 
with a “ cosey” when you sot it on the table to 
keep in the boat aud aroma of the ohoice leaves 
you have infused. Don’t know what a “ cosey" 
is ? Do you see that gay, Bcarlet cloth cap on 
the side-board ? It doss look Li Ice a Turk’s cap a 
little, but made to lit our teapot. Very gay ? 
YeB it was a gay frieud of mine who made it and 
embroidered it with gold thread. It is thickly 
wadded aud lined with scarlet flannel, wilh a 
stout cord of gold and soarlot drawn around the 
bottom. When it is in use, it is quite orna¬ 
mental and will keep the tea hot for an hour, or 
more as I have noted by experience, when by any 
chance a member of the family has been de- 
taiued from the table. 
Arotbe children to have tea? No, “Tilly.” 
Not a child of mine takes any such beverage. Of 
course, if milk were scarce I might give them 
something else, but we keop a good supply of 
milk lor the family to use, aud that is their 
best drink. When I was a little girl, a certain 
enterprising grocer of the town where I lived, 
caused to bo inserted in the daily paper this 
rhyme: 
11 When you start in the mominerto travel by rail, 
Or by steiun take a trip to the sea, 
No perfume e’er wafted from Araby’s sale 
Smells then liko a cup of good tea." 
I thought thun that Cowpke’s cup that 
“cheers" was a treat I should enjoy when I 
grew older,but have since, with wider knowledge, 
learned that my robust-childhood and freedom 
from what are known aH “ children’s diseases,” 
are largely due to the pure sweet milk that was 
my daily beverage. Put in a log “ Tilly we do 
not need the kitchen lire any more just now, and 
these thoughts have taken me back to other 
days that seem now but a dream. 
— ♦ ♦ * - 
COOKING AN ART. 
Whosoever would beooino a good cook must 
give the mind to it aud in order to excel in this 
branch of domestic economy, ono must have, or 
cultivate, a taste for it. Seasoning is the most 
difficult part of cooking. Ouo may know how 
to stew, roast or broil, but to know well what 
seasonings or spices to add which will improve 
the flavor, requires patience, practice, aud I may 
add ideality. 
Again, badly cooked food is sheer waste of 
material, strength and nerve. What mother can 
juHtlv expect to rear rosy, happy children upon 
sour bread, indigestible meats and rich pastry! 
No woman should take upon herself the duties 
of wife or mother, without a thorough knowl¬ 
edge of this art, and no woman’s education is 
complete, however brilliant, if this V ranch be 
neglected. If mothers taught their daughters 
from the first that it was as much of an accom- 
phshmeut to manufacture light, wholesome 
bread, Bnowy biscuits or to bo enabled to broil a 
steak to a nicety as to master a difficult piece of 
music, or one of the languages, there would be 
fewer divorce cases, fewer complaining husbands 
and miserable unhappy wives. 
Mrs. Mary Olin. 
-♦«» »- 
UTILIZE THE CANS. 
Old tin fruit and vegetable cans, have been 
thrown into the back yard and alley long enough. 
Instead of disposing of them in this way, they 
can be used for ilower-pots, and may bo made 
very ornamental too. Here is an opportunity 
for a display of the “Decorative Art," at 
present, so popular. The plants will thrive if a 
hole is made in the bottom of the can, quite as 
well, I find, as in porous pots. The rust from 
the tin is more of a benefit to the plants than 
otherwise. They may be painted any color (I 
like brown and black), with pretty pictures 
pasted on. I am reminded of a window I 
passed, which was filled with blooming plants, 
in tin cans. I knew that they were Pelargonium 
Rodes, Petunias and Pinks but the labels said 
they were Canned Pumpkin, Lima Beans, 
Lobster, Corn, Oysters and Mackerel. Better 
the bare cans than the labels aud pictures repre¬ 
senting the original contents. m. g. r. 
CHEESE FROM SOUR MILK. 
Not having seen any directions for making 
cheese from sour milk in the department de¬ 
voted to Domestic Economy, I venture to give 
my way for doing the same. I know from ex¬ 
perience how the tired and overburdened farm¬ 
er's wife often racks her brain for something to 
fill out her meager bill of fare, whon time is 
precious and every step counts. I have been so 
benefited myself by a recipe or suggestion from 
some one more experienced, that I add my mite 
hoping it will be tried by those who are in the 
habit of making cheese from sour milk. Take a 
pan of thick milk after it has been skimmed, 
place it over a kettle of boiling water, after 
cutting it in squares with a knife. Let it stand 
until thoroughly heated, then set aside until 
cool and pour iuto a colander or sieve to drain. 
When (he whey has drained oil turn into a pan, 
pour on plenty of cold water and let it soak two 
or three hours. Drain again and then with a 
fork mash fine, season with salt to taste and 
stir in a few spoonfuls of thick, sweet cream. 
Beat well with tlio fork and turn into a dish for 
the table, putting it on ice or in a very cool 
place before serving. Mrs. S. G. H. 
CornlDg. 
- ++-* - 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Cocoa-nut Cake. 
Tuuee-foukths of a cup of butter; two cups 
of sugar; five well-beaten eggs; one and one- 
half cups desiccated cocoa-nut; one-half cup of 
sweet milk; three teaspoonfule of baking pow¬ 
der in three cups of Hour. 
i Cheap Raisin Cake. 
One egg ; ouo cup of sugar ; oue-half cup of 
butter; one teaspoonful of soda in one cup of 
bultermilk; two cups of flour; one cup of 
raisius ; one teaspoonful each of cloves, allspice 
and cinnamon. 
To Boil Parsnips. 
Scrape or pare the parsnips and cut cross-wise 
in slices one-fourth iueh thick; put them iuto a 
kettle with as much slightly salted water as will 
be cooked away when they are dono—great care 
must be taken that they do not burn ; when very 
tender dish up and put butter, pepper and sw- -t 
cream on them. Mrs. S. G. 
Savannah, N. Y. 
-»■» 4 - 
QUERIES ANSWERED. 
Can you give me the recipe for Javelle water ? 
Dansville, N. Y. Mrs. E. J. G. 
Ans.—P ut two pounds of sal-soda into a kettle; 
pour on two quarts of boiling water, and boil 
fifteen minutes ; add one-half pound of chloride 
of lime; when cold put into a jug and cork 
tightly. 
How shall I clean children's white kid shoes ? 
Akron, Ohio, Mrs. Mart Brown. 
Ans.—E mpty a small quantity of hartshorn 
into a saucer ; wet a piece of white flannel in it 
and then rub on a pioce of white soap ; rub the 
shoos with this, and as the flannel becomes soiled 
take a fresh piece. 
What will remove soiled spots from bed tick¬ 
ing ? City. 
Ans.— Iiub starch in thick with a wet cloth, 
aud put the ticking in the sun. When dry, rub 
well with the hands. It may he necessary to re¬ 
peat the process. 
TALKS UPON THE PRAIRIES. 
Cood Advice to Emigrants. 
FRONTIER. 
Few count the cost of a free homestead on the 
frontier. The Government gives each head of 
a family or a single person twenty-one years old, 
one hundred aud sixty acres of land, for only 
about the cost of survey, upon the condition that 
the recipient of Government bounty occupy that 
land for five consecutive years. This is a gift 
really of about $186—a liberal provision, on 
the part of tho Government. But it is well 
enough for a shrewd man to take even a “gift 
horse,” a little oue side and quietly look him in 
tho mouth, provided there is a long winter be¬ 
fore him. While the Government makes a free 
gift in good faith, the homesteader really pays a 
high price for all that he gets. 
On the cost side wo shall find a large number 
of items like tho following: First, serious ex¬ 
posure of families to all the vicissitudes of k 
changeable climate, with inadequate provision 
for protection. Second, living for years in small 
and uncomfortable cabins or “ dug-outs," roofed 
with sods, involving a series of discomforts, to 
be understood only by those who have endured 
them. Third, coarse and short rations may be 
counted among the usnal conditions of frontier 
life. Fourth, while the perils from prowling 
Indians can now he scarcely counted, there are, 
even yet, localities—where frontier families 
must keep their powder dry. But these are un¬ 
worthy of mention by tho side of another item 
—that is, the loss of the privileges of civilized 
society. This loss is felt most by the ohildren; 
for they must form their habits and tastes with 
the rudest surroundings. In most oases, they 
will have small opportunities for oulture. You 
would understand this better if you should see 
as the writer has seen, young men of eighteen or 
twenty reading in the same classes with children 
of seven or eight years. No after-training can 
obliterate the effects of these wasted early years. 
In too many cases tho child receives a harmful 
bias, that must shape all after life. 
We have a class of men w ho have always lived 
on the frontier, as their fathers did before them. 
They will move on as often as they can sell out 
their claims, until there aro no more claims to 
take or “jump" on this side of the Pacific 
Ocean. They realize no great loss in frontier 
life, but to a man of oulture, everything about 
him tells of loss. Few of us would liko to have 
our children trainedio ench a life, Aud parents 
who prize the privileges of society in their quiet 
Eastern homoB, as they thiuk of the future of 
their little ones, will pause long before they will 
lead their families to a frontier home at such a 
cost. There is, however, one redeeming rack— 
that all do not suffer alike by rough surround¬ 
ings. Culture and refinement within the family 
circle is potent for good on the frontier as well 
as elsewhere. 
While I w'ould not discourage any energetic 
man with or without a family in regard to com¬ 
ing West, let me say to all our Eastern friends, 
remember that there is 
A BETTER WAY TO “ 00 WEST,” 
than to rush at onco to a homestead upon the 
distant frontier. It should be remembered, in 
all cases, that a man without money cannot sup¬ 
port a family easier here than in the East. 
Hence, a man with a family proposing to come 
West should have at his command a few hundred 
dollars,--enough to provide himself with a team 
aud support his family for a year, at least, free 
of debt. If you have so much or more, and are 
disposed to come West, let me whisper in your 
ear, not to bind yourself up to some plausible 
emigration scheme. Some oily-tongued Mr. 
Winksharp may tell you a great deal about a 
company which he is forming to settle a delight¬ 
ful region about a thriving city, which the 
thankful settlers have insisted, as a very inade¬ 
quate token of their respect, shall be called 
“ Winkfastfield," aud now if you will only go 
rigktthere, you will find the people all ready with 
open arms to receive you. Aud as he has be¬ 
come specially interested in you,aud “knows that 
you will make with your excellent wife and beau¬ 
tiful children, a valuable accession to tho very 
refined society of Winkfastfield,” he is willing to 
have reserved, for a very reasonable considera¬ 
tion, until you can exumiuo it, oue of the best 
quarter sections in all that region, only five 
miles from the city. This may all be very kind 
on the part of “ Mr. Winkfaatbut don’t in¬ 
vest. These emigration projects may look very 
plausible at the East, but they are bubbles, that 
have all an unfortunate way of bursting here. 
Stand clear of both the schemes and the men 
who push them. 
Unless you have friends to whom yon can 
bring your family, it is far better to como in ad¬ 
vance and select a temporary home for them. It 
is quite essential that you seek only a temporary 
home at first. There are several advantages in 
this. It may be your purpose to ultimately se¬ 
cure a good farm. By selecting a temporary 
home in some thriviug town for a few months 
or even a year,you will have ample time to make 
your selection. You will know better after a few 
months what you want, and at the same timo 
learn more fully what you can do, thereby 
escaping the otherwise almost inevitable impo¬ 
sition. By this course you will be able to throw 
yourself more out of the friendly (and disinter¬ 
ested ?) grasp of land agents. You will find in 
this class many honorable men, but it will be 
well for every immigrant to romember that it is 
the business of these men to sell laud, and if in 
their power, they will sell you a farm whether 
you really want it or not. Avoid all hasty conclu¬ 
sions with these men. Know beforehand just 
what you want, and take things cooly with land 
agents. If the immigrant does this, he will 
thank ‘ ‘ Frontier” sometime for his advice. 
If yon have little money, do not lay it all out in 
land, but get a good team, a few farm tools, a 
few good cows, and rent a farm convenient to 
market, for a few years, or even work some land 
near town for a year, uutit you can rent a good 
farm. Depend upon it, this is a better and a 
safer oourso for a few years, than to bo burden¬ 
ed by exorbitant interest and heavy taxes. 
NOTES FROM KANSAS. 
A large number of people, many of whom are 
subscribers to the Rural New Yorker, have 
written to me from the East, making inquiries 
about lands iu Southern Kansas, and thinking 
the columns of that valuable paper would be the 
beat medium through which I could reach all, 
I will, in a rough farmer’s style, state some of 
tho advantages of this, the most fertile valley in 
the West. 
Die winter has been very mild, as they gen¬ 
erally are; indeed, wheat has grown all the time. 
It looks as green now as in April or May; the 
ground is entirely matted. In riding over this 
country, Rural readers would be surprised to 
see the immense fields of growing wheat. They 
cannot realize the beauty and fertility of this 
Great Arkansas Valley, iuiIosb they were here to 
see it for themselves. This county (Sumner,) 
the garden of this Valley, has about 100,000 acres 
of growing winter wheat, and if nothing befalls 
it. before harvest, wo shall have a large yield. 
Our average crop is from twenty to twenty-five 
bushels per acre. 
This county was settled in the fall of 1870. In 
September 1871. it was organized with a popula¬ 
tion of 250; to-day it has 12,000 inhabitants. It 
lies in tho southern tier of counties and is about 
130 miles from the east, and 230 miles from the 
west line of the State. 
It contains an area of 1188 miles. Much of it 
yet belongs to the U. S. Government. Of this 
any ono who is 21 years of age, can secure 160 
acres at $1.25 per aero by living on the same six 
months. Or they can purchase farms with some 
improvements at sums varying from $800 to 
$2500. In speaking of a farm what is meant is 
a quarter-section. There are many in the East 
with a small capital who could do well here, and 
there is no field so inviting as this Valley. Iu 
three years these lauds cannot bo purchased for 
anything like the above figures, and no more 
lands can be secured from tho Government. 
The Soil is a rich black loam mixed with suf¬ 
ficient sand to prevent baking. This loam is 
from two to six feet deep ; under this is a sub¬ 
soil of clay, gravel, loam, aud sand. 
Streams and Water. —ThiB county is well 
watered having about 250 miles of streams which 
are equally distributed through the county. The 
rivers are the Arkansas,. Nenescah and Chi- 
caskie; the creeks *re»tbc Slate, Shoo Fly, Bluff 
and Fall, and their tributaries springs, aro 
numerous. Water can be fouud in wells, on 
every quarter-section, at a depth of from ten to 
forty feet. 
Timber and Fuel.— Tho larger Btreams aro 
skirted with timber belts, reaching back from a 
quarter of a mile to a mile. They consist of 
Black Walnut, Mulberry, Elm, Ash, Hickory, 
Cotton-Wood and Syeamore. Wood can be se¬ 
cured at $3.50 to $4 per cord; posts can be had 
at ten to fifteen cents. Fences are not required, 
as wo have tire Hurd Law iu force. Thus, far • 
mers cau commence operations at ouoe, after 
seeming the land aud the team. 
Fruit.— Kansas has secured a reputation for 
fruit, second to none. As yet this county is too 
new to contain many orchards of bearing apple 
trees ; but those that have borne are of au ex¬ 
cellent quality. Cherries, Grapes, Strawberries, 
Blackberries and Raspberries have been tried : 
the fruit is luscious aud the crop is abuudant. 
Our peaches cannot bo surpassed for flavor. 
They aro equal to tho peaches of Georgia. It is 
astonishing how rapidly trees grow: oue can have 
a grove iu three years. 
Cereals, &c.— Wheat is the staple product, 
yielding from twenty to forty bushels per acre, 
and this on sod ground when broken in May, 
Juno, and July, and sown in the fall. Coni yields 
from twenty-five to eighty bushels per acre ; the 
bottoms along the streams prove the best soil for 
corn. Oats seldom fail to yield from twenty-five 
to sixty bushels per acre. Rye always does well, 
aud affords a splendid pasture for stock during 
tho winter. Sweet potatoes do well, yielding 
largely; they reach the highest state of perfec¬ 
tion and are equal in size and flavor to the Caro¬ 
lina potatoes. Early Irish potatoes do well and 
yield largely ; Peach Blows and late varieties do 
well on the bottoms near the streams. Peanuts 
yield from 100 to 150 bushels to the acre; vege¬ 
tables do well. • 
Stock-Raising and Grabseb.— Timothy, Blue- 
grass, Alfalfa, Rod aud White Clover all do well. 
The nutritious grasses that grow spontaneously 
over these broad prairies have never been util¬ 
ized. Tbis county ia favorably situated for stock- 
raising : lying adjacent to the Indian Territory, 
cattle cau be k^pt there the year round at a cost 
of $3 per head. 
Climate and Health.— We have a climate 
which suits all, aud hoalthfulness is a feature 
not to be ignored by tho sufferers from miasma 
iu low marshy districts. Our peoplo had a few 
chills when tlie country firBt commenced settling 
up, but these have been scarcely known since the 
lands have been broken and cultivated. 
