OCT. 5 
6*0 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
iorafsfir (Econo my. 
OONDtTOTED BY EMILY MAPLE 
SOME DINING TABLE TALK. 
MARY WAGER- FISHER. 
* Smothering ” Chicken. 
There are ways and ways of cooking chicken, 
but for simplicity and deiicioasness, I know of 
no method so good as the * * smothering ” mode. 
ThiB, of course, for a tender fowl not over five 
or six months old. 
First, catch your chicken. This should be 
done the night before ; put it in a coop or bar¬ 
rel, and the morning will find it with an empty 
orop. The more fastidious way of cooping the 
fowl several days for oleansiog purposes, is not 
always expedient; while to catch, kill, pluck, 
and have a ohioken in the pot within an hour’s 
time, is a haste that is both unseemly and dis¬ 
gusting. After the ohicken is picked, singed 
and the entrails removed through an opening 
only large enough for so doing, wash clean, and 
place in a cool room until within one hour and a 
half to two hours prior to the dinner hour, as it 
requires that length of time to cook it. The 
exact time depends upon the size of the fowl 
and the heat of the oven. Lay out, on a board 
or dish, a tablespoonful of salt, with which rub 
the outside and inside of the chicken; add a 
little pepper. Butter two large soda crackers, 
put butter Bides together, and place them inside 
the chicken; joint the legs and wings by cutting 
the joints on the top ; press tho chicken snugly 
together, lay on oue side, put tho gizzard, heart 
and liver with It in the dish (which should be a 
bake-pan or basin, having a dose-fitting cover), 
add some hot water—half a coffee-cupful say— 
put in the oven tightly oovered, and bake for 
half an hour ; then remove the cover, return to 
the oven until one side of the chicken is nicely 
browned, then turn it over and brown the other 
side likewise ; add more hot water, replace the 
cover, and leave it in the oven until done. 
Then place the fowl on a platter and thicken the 
gravy in the bake-pan with a little flour and 
cream; season to taste. 
A poor substitute for the soda crackers, are 
water crackers, or bread. For a hasty luncheon, 
a small and tender ohioken may be so prepared 
in an hour’s time—if the oveu iB hot enough— 
and be so delioious, that the happy devourer of 
it will think it the most palatable dish in the 
world, and return thanks at the close of the 
meal, which would appear to be the most fitting 
time at all times for grace-saying. 
Breakfast Dishes. 
Oat-meal we are very fond of at “our 
house," and latterly have been using the Ohio 
oat-meal, with complete satisfaction. It costs 
but five centB a pound, in five-pound packages, 
and a package will last a long time. It is clean, 
very aweet, and when cooked, is free from the 
“ stringiness” that frequently affects Irish oat¬ 
meal, especially if it is undercooked. It is easily 
prepared for breakfast, is so nutritious and 
healthful—all ohildreu ought to have it—that I 
urge its us© upon all country housewives who 
arc yet strangers to it. It is made precisely 
like any “mush," is better hot than cold, and 
may be eaten with a little sugar and milk, if one 
prefers the addition. Irish cookB, who have 
learned how to prepare it in Ireland, have always 
oooked it for me very nicely. I find that while 
these simple breakfast dishes are, and have 
been for years, constant dishes on the tables of 
city homes, very many farmers do not use them, 
but depend, as of yore, upon fried meat, fried 
potatoes, and griddle cakes. To such let me 
say, “ try oat-meal! A little careful practice in 
cooking it, will readily lead to perfection, and 
you will soon wonder how you ever breakfasted 
so long without it.” 
Boiled Cracked Wheat is an unsurpassed 
breakfast dish, if rightly cooked.^ Every thing 
depends upon that. It is more economical for 
farmerines to use their own wheat, than to buy 
the prepared article. After the wheat is cleaned 
and dried, it may be coarsely ground in a coffee- 
mill. ThiB also iB made like a “iunsh," but 
should be oooked fully as long as corn mush— 
from two to four hours. It requires frequent 
stirring to be kept from burning. When done, 
fill a dozen—or less—tea-cups rather more than 
half fall of the “ mashlet stand nntil cold ; 
tarn out of the molds, carefully, into dessert 
plates, or arrange ail on a platter, which may be 
placed on the table, and served from that as de¬ 
sired. Eat with a sauce of sugar and cream, 
Delicious! Of course, all muBhes require a sea¬ 
soning of salt, while being oooked. Wheat, bo 
prepared, forms also a nice dessert for dinner. 
A slice of jelly, served with it, adds to its deli- 
oacy, for some palates. 
The Importance of Breakfast is so great 
that of all the meals or the day I think it should 
receive special attention. It iB, in a way, the 
key of the day. If it is fresh, wholesome, 
nicely oooked and served, it gives one a “ push- 
off " for the day, that is full of vigor and good 
cheer. If it is dowdy, mussy and indigestible, it 
spoils the day, and ope goes about work much 
as if a weight were tied to his heels. If one has 
fruit, it should always be on the breakfast table. 
Tou know the old Spanish proverb i 
“ Fruit is gold in the morning, Bilver at noon 
and lead at night.” 
A plate of fine apples always exhales a fresh 
and wholesome atmosphere, and baked, stewed 
or uncooked, they are capital to begin a break¬ 
fast on. 
4 4 ♦- 
CHOICE TOMATOES AND FANCY BEETS. 
We never had such fine and smooth tomatoes 
as this season affords from seed received last 
spring from the editor of the “ Rural.” 
The Golden Trophy and Little Gem are greatly 
valued, while the Acme is indeed as near perfec¬ 
tion as it is possible for a tomato to be. No 
matter how they are cooked, the usual remark 
among our friends at table is, “ What a fine 
flavor your tomatoes have !” 
I copy my recipe for catsup, which has been a 
success in the family for 16 years, and which, if 
faithfully followed, cannot possibly fail: For 
one gallon peeled tomatoes, one quart of vine¬ 
gar, three tablespoonfuls of salt, three of ground 
pepper, half an ounce of ground allspice, three 
tablospoonfuls ground mustard, four red pepper- 
pods. Simmer slowly three or four hours, being 
careful not to scorch it; stir constantly ; strain 
through a wire sieve. Put into common bottles ; 
cork and seal. 
Beets. 
Onr fancy beets are very much admired, and 
for them we have to thank the Rural. They are 
quite an addition to a “ foliage " bed, and we 
often smile as visitors pause and, after admir¬ 
ing the beautiful veined stems, say,—“ They 
look a little like beets." The tender stems, strip¬ 
ped to the mid-rib and oooked like asparagus, 
are quite palatable. But we value them most 
for being a new sort of ornamental plant that is 
as yet rarely seen. Annie L. Jack. 
■-- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
To Make French Bolls. 
After the dough has risen it may be made 
into mauy ways. By taking off a part and beat¬ 
ing up an egg, and working it in with a little 
butter, you may have nice French rollB; just 
use flour enough to handle them well, dip your 
hand in the flour, and flour round the sides to 
make them break apart nicely; make off quickly, 
put dose together and allow no room for them, 
or any other rolls, to ran and get out of shape. 
When nearly done, wipe the tops over with 
milk without taking them from the stove. 
Another Way : Take a piece of dough tho 
size of a loaf, beat two eggs light, half cup of 
milk, small spoonful of butter, and with the 
hand work altogether in a stiff batter ; grease a 
pan (a round one is beBt), ponr in an inch and 
a half thick, and bake in moderate oven till 
well done; split and butter; send to table hot. 
It should rise twice its original thickness. By 
adding a little more of the above ingredients, 
with a cup of sugar, and giving it a second 
rise before baking, you have a very good plain 
cake, especially for children. 
Very Nioe Fritters 
may be made by simply rolling tho plain dough 
(after it has risen, of course) aud cutting and 
frying as doughnuts, to be eaten with sirup or 
Bauce. By patting a lump of risen dough into a 
pudding-tag, tying, leaving room to swell, put¬ 
ting into a pot of boiling water, aud boiling an 
hour or more, according to size, you have an ex¬ 
cellent plain pudding, but it should be eaten 
with rich sauce. 
fttos of fjjx ®lwk. 
Monday, Sept. 30, 1878. 
POLITICAL. 
Indications all over the country show that there 
Is a powerful disintegrating rorce at work break¬ 
ing up the old political parties. It is widely felt 
that the Issues on which they were rounded arc 
things of the past, and that they must cither take 
vigorously in hand the live qnestlousof the day 
or give place to other organizations specially 
formed tc decide upon these Issues. Of those, by 
far the most urgent and Important Is the financial 
question. This will not brook delay. The great 
strength the newgreenback-labor parly has unex¬ 
pectedly displayed forces the old parties to take a 
decided stand In the matter. This Is by no means 
an easy task, for prominent members of each of 
these old parlies are directly at variance on the 
question. This difference of opinion Is far more 
marked In the democratic camp than among the 
republicans, and, however pertinaciously the 
former may desire to cling to their time-honored 
name, it Is hard to see how It can Include men so 
diametrically opposed on this all-important mat- 
ter as are such leaders as Tllden, Hewitt, liayard 
and Lamar on on one side, and Thurman, Ewing, 
Yoorhees and Bland on the other. These are so 
broadly at variance that it seems Impossible they 
should work together. On secondary questions, 
of course, a compromise might be effected, but 
this Is scarcely possible In the present Instance. 
Hence the necessity for a distinctive greenback 
party to carry out a greenback platform and 
draw from each of the old parties those who favor 
“soft” money. Of these, most .'corne from the 
democrats, while dally It is becoming more evident 
that to preserve Its very existence the republi¬ 
can party must take the other tide of the ques¬ 
tion and become the “hard ’’-money party. 
On Wednesday last the Democratic Convention 
of this State met at Syracuse. The two chief fac¬ 
tions were the Tilden-Robinscm-unU-Tammany 
and the Tammany. The fight between them was 
bitter, and at one time the former withdrew 
from the nail, and there was a prospect of a 
“ bolt.” John Kelly, the successor of Tweed as 
Tammany “boss,” had secured the preliminary 
organization of the meeting In his own Interests, 
and accordingly through the rulings of Lanlng, 
temporary chairman, Tammany won a solid tri¬ 
umph. Gov. Robinson was Indorsed, a “ hard ” 
money platform adopted, and the republican 
party vigorously arraigned. Much discontent was 
expressed at the wholly partisan nature of many 
of the rulings made by Lanlng. 
On Thursday the New York State Republican 
Convention met at Saratoga. The Conkltngltes 
were so vastly In the majority that their oppo¬ 
nents thought It prudent to venture no opposition. 
Conkllng made a vigorous hard-money speech, re¬ 
capitulating In a forcible manner the arguments 
which have already been often urged In support 
of such views. The platform strongly supported 
“ hard ” money, a speedy return to a specie basis, 
and free elections—South as well ae North. The 
democrats were, »f course, bitterly arraigned; 
and while the action of the Electoral Commission 
was endorsed, not a word for or against the 
present administration was said. G. W. Curtis, 
while stoutly proclaiming hlmsely an adherent of 
President Hayes, strongly approved of the plat¬ 
form, and made a very eloquent speech In favor 
of that aud of the harmony Conkllng had already 
advocated, on the whole, the meeting was a dig¬ 
nified, courteous, and harmonious gathering. Geo. 
F. Danforth, of Monroe, was nominated for Judge 
of the Court of Appeals, the chief office for which 
elections are to be held this year. 
The anti-Butler democrats of Massachusetts 
met on Wednesday at Faneull Hall, Boston, as 
per agreement. The assembly did not consist 
merely of the 500 bolters from Worcester, but of 
between 1,200 and 1,300 delegates, most of whom 
had been elected to supply the places of the sup¬ 
porters of Butler at Worcester, who, of course, 
did not put In an appearance at Boston. Judge 
Abbott was nominated for Governor by acclama¬ 
tion, and the whole ticket Is strong and highly 
respectable. There is no prospect—no possibility 
Indeed—of the election of the ticket, but It Is 
hoped that the democratic organization In the 
State may thus be kept up, and that this action 
may help materially to defeat Butler. The latter, 
meanwhile, expresses himself confident, and Is 
working like a Trojan to secure success. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
President Hayes got back to Washington last 
Wednesday from his western tour. He was well 
received pretty nearly everywhere on the road. 
The new democratic Senator rrorn Oregon. James 
H. Slater, is a native of Illinois, 62 years old, a 
lawyer, of course, and an ex-Congressman. Heavy 
frosts are reported from Eastern Massachusetts, 
Western and Southern Vermont, and portlous 
of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and New 
York. Vegetation has suffered but little. That 
permanent exhibition at Philadelphia has. within 
the year, reduced its debt from $2T3,r,oo to $43,900, 
with Improving prospects for the future. Addi¬ 
son H. Lailln, Congressman In the 39th, 40th and 
41st Congress, and Naval Officer at this port under 
Gen. Grant, committed suicide at Pittsfield, Mass., 
on Tuesday last; poor health aud a morbid fear 
of poverty arc assigned aB motives for the deed. 
The Treasury authorities expect that a million 
and a half silver dollars will be placed in circula¬ 
tion monthly by the present syaten of transmit¬ 
ting them free of charge to points where there Is 
a demand for them. Once more we are assured 
from all sides that business Is recovering and 
prospects brightening—but the story Is becoming 
a trifle stale and perhaps untrustworthy. 
The’ Allen, a greenback-labor leader of this 
city, a notorious gambler, member of a family 
every one of whom Is a Jall-blrd, last week shot 
and killed an associate named Malloy. No one 
was present at tho event except the principals. 
AUen surrendered himself, claimed that It was 
an accident and expressed much sorrow. A cor¬ 
oner’s Jury believed hls statement and all except 
one brought In a verdict of accidental death. 
Allen was put under $1000 ball, furnished by the 
notorious Harry Hill, On Thui sday the Nationals 
of this district held a meeting to vindicate the 
gambler, and received him back Joyfully as their 
leader. 
The Mexican government Is sending 5,000 regu¬ 
lar troops to the Rio Grande frontier to put an end 
to the raiding of “greasers” Into Texas. There 
was a report that the movement was designed to 
check the pursuit, by U. S. troops, of cattle 
thieves who might cross into Mexico; but Diaz 
emphatically contradicts this rumor. Although 
recent attempts to upset the present Mexican 
government have all failed, it is said there Is 
much discontent across the border, as money la 
so very scarce that the troops have not been paid 
for months, and discontent among the troops 
in Mexico means a revolution, on Monday 
evening last, while testimony was being taken at 
Marquette Michigan In the Income tax suit of 
the United States against Mr. Tllden, a number 
of books relating to the accounts of mines In that 
neighborhood la which the delendant was inter¬ 
ested, were taken from the court-room. Mr. Har¬ 
lan, one of Tllden’s lawyers placed the books on 
a chair near the door, when suddenly a man en¬ 
tered picked up the books, rushed out with them, 
Jumped Into a vehicle a confederate had ready, 
and disappeared. It Is said the books showed 
that, the Great Reformer’s Income from the mines 
was much heavier than was thought possible, 
and despite the theft of the inculpating books, 
the goverment officers say they expect a verdict 
On last Thursday Harlan, Tilden’a lawyer, was 
arrested at Detroit on the charge of being an ac¬ 
complice tn the robbery, but was released on $ 10 ,- 
koo ball. Ill-natured people—and perhaps a few 
others—hint that Uncle Samuel knows more 
about the rascality than It would be wise to tell— 
but then you know how people wftltalk, espec¬ 
ially as the crime tends to benefit the statesman 
of Gramarcy Park—not a little. 
The boat race between Courtney and Hanlan 
for the championship of America and a purse of 
$6,000 raised In Toronto, comes off next Wednes¬ 
day. Both men are reported In excellent con¬ 
dition, confident of success, but discontented 
with the race course at Lachlne, near Montreal, 
on account, of its eddies, in hls farewell speech, 
Lord Dufferln has very forcibly urged upon the 
Canadians the helcouaness of religious faction 
fights and the absolute necessity for tho future 
prosperity of the country, that Old-Country ani¬ 
mosities should be burled in the Atlantic by 
those crossing over to this continent. The advice 
Is timely and excellent—but the fanatics who In 
the name of religion violate tho commands of the 
Saviour, are not very likely to bo Influenced by 
the words even of so popular a governor-general 
as Lord Dufferln. During the week there have 
been serious labor troubles at Washington. A 
Jewish demagogue named Cohen, at the head of 
a riotous rabble visited various places where men 
were at work In the city; forced those getting 
less than $1.60 a day to strike, and threatened to 
attack the government buildings. The police, 
however, vigorously attacked the mob and dis¬ 
persed It. The government, nevertheless, as a pre- 
cautlon has armed the treasury clerks with re¬ 
volvers of the heaviest caliber, to be kept at hand 
In their desks, so as to bo prepared to aid In de¬ 
fending the building In case of emergency. 
The ravages of yellow fever still continue In 
the South, the number of deaths being nearly as 
heavy as at any time during the continuance of 
the pestilence. In New Orleans there were yes¬ 
terday 468 new cases against 410 on Saturday. 
The number of deaths was 62, a decrease of three 
from the previous day. In Memphis 32 deaths 
were officially reported for yesterday; nine In 
Vlcksburgh, and a large number of others in 
smaller towns. 
Condon and Meledy, two Fenians, ror the last 
eleven years held as prisoners In England, and 
recently released at the request of Mr. Welsh, our 
Minister to Great Britain, arrived in this city 
yesterday morning, and were enthusiastically 
greeted by a multitude of their compatriots. 
They are both, but especially the younger man, 
Meledy, prematurely aged by the hardships they 
have undergone, herded together along with the 
vilest criminals, though their offense was cer¬ 
tainly of a political nature. 
FOREIGN. 
San Domingo has Just had another revolution. 
President Gonzalez has capitulated and left for 
the island of Curacoa; the triumphant revolu¬ 
tionists have entered the city of San Domingo 
and organized a provisional government, with 
Jacinto de Castro for temporary president. They 
have yeUow fever raging over there also. Crops 
are said to bo fair in Russia and Italy, good In 
Holland, England and Spain, and very fine tn 
parts or Turkey. Dr. Petcnnann, the celebrated 
German geographer, died on Friday of apoplexy. 
The result of the late elections In Canada show a 
complete victory tor the “outa." The govern¬ 
ment had a majority of sixty In the last Parlia¬ 
ment, the opposition will have more than that 
number in the present. Besides the cry tor pro¬ 
tection of home manufactures, a great deal of 
effect was also produced by the general commer¬ 
cial depression, which everywhere seems to beget 
a desire for a change. 
It is not at all unlikely that England will soon 
have on her hands a war with Afghanistan. 
Some time ago Lord Lytton, Governor-general of 
British ludla, wrote to Sher All, Ameer of Ca- 
bul, a couple of friendly letters which that poten¬ 
tate contemptuously neglected to answer. Later 
still Sir Neville Chamberlain was appointed en¬ 
voy to the court Of C'ftbul, but the Ameer refused 
him permission to advance, and sent a heavy 
force to block up the Sujah Pass, the route by 
which the embassy would have to travel. This Is 
an Insult which neither the home government of 
Great, Britain nor that of India can put up with. 
Accordingly, unless the Ameer soon apologizes 
war will be declared by the Indian government. 
Already 10,000 water-proof sheets and 5,ooo blank¬ 
ets have boon sent towards tho frontier, and 
troops aro moving from all sides in the same di¬ 
rection. The Ameer was some time ago greatly 
encouraged in hls present course by Russia, which 
has an ambassador at hls court, and was anxious 
to embroil lilm with England In view of the war 
which waB then Imminent between the Lion and 
the Bear. The Czar, however, disclaims any 
agency in the present complications. 
Afghanistan Is probably the most powerful Ma- 
hommedan Power tn Asia, next to Asiatic Turkey. 
It has an area of about 216,000 square miles, and 
a popuiatl&n estimated at Trom 6 , 000,000 to 
9 , 000 , 000 , Herman. 
VARIOUS. 
Grasshoppers In some parts of Nebraska de¬ 
stroyed the vegetables. 
Nearly all the British East Indian troops have 
been sent home from Cyprus. 
An unusually large amount of apple brandy 
will be made In Indiana this year. 
Cattle dealers along the line of the Kansas 
Pacific are not anxious to ship their cattle at 
present prices. 
Turkish refugees In the Rhodope Mountains 
live principally on soup made of refuse bones and 
watermelon rind. 
A Nebraska farmer reports 600 pounds of bright 
sugar and 153 gallons of nice syrup from two 
acres of early sorghum. 
A new phase of the hog cholera has broken 
out In portions of Sangamon county, 111. The 
afflicted animals first become blind without 
any premonitory symptons. 
