Stir up a few times to prevent settling in a 
mass at bottom. Cook three hours and do not 
stir. 
Oat-meal Cracknels: Use the best quality 
of oat-meal and stir io enough barley water 
to wet it through. Let stand 20 minutes to 
swell, salt, then roll out a quarter of an inch 
thick, cut with a biscuit cutter and bake in a 
moderately hot oven. Or, mix with sweet 
milk and let stand an hour, pour into bake 
pans—they should be one fourth inch thick 
when done—and bake 20 miuutes. These 
cakes will burn quickly and require care in 
baking. 
Cocoanut Cracknels: To a pint of the finest 
oat meal add two large tablesjioonfuL of 
grated cocoanut or three of the dessicated 
cocoanut, two spoonfuls of sugar and boiling 
water sufficient to roll into thin cakes. Bake 
in a slow r oven and watch carefully, lest they 
brown two deep. When making cracknels the 
board and rolling-pin should be wc j ll floured 
with wheal flour. We append a recipe pub¬ 
lished in the Rural Cyclopedia of Edinburg, 
Scotland, for making the genuine Scotch Oat¬ 
meal calces : As much meal aB will make a 
sheet 24 or 30 inches in diameter and one- 
eighth of an inch in thickness, is put into a 
wooden basin, with a sufficiency of w ater for 
working the meal into a light paste. The meal 
and water are mixed with the fingers of the 
right hand, while the basin is turned constantly 
round by the left hand till the paste is made; 
the paste is then turned out on a clean board, 
or table, and alternately kneaded with the 
knuckles of both hands, sprinkled with meal, 
gathered up, kneaded and sprinkled, and 
kneaded again and again, till it becomes a 
well kneaded and homogeneous dough; the 
dough is then flattened out with the knuckles 
into a circular cake of half an inch, or less, in 
thickness, and immediately afterward dis¬ 
tended with a roller into a sheet of about one- 
eighth ot' an inch in thickness; and the sheet 
is then pared rouud the edges and cut into 
three or four parts from the center with a 
knife. The parts of the cut sheet of dough 
are fired, or half baked, first on the one side 
and then on the other, upon a thin circular 
plate of iron, called a griddle or girdle; and 
then they are toasted, or whole baked, by 
being placed on their edge on a touster close 
before the fire, with first the one side and then 
the other exposed to the heat. Some butter 
is sometimes mixed with the paste, to render 
the cakes ‘fresh’ and highly relishable, and 
occasionally a few caraway seeds also are 
added, but in the estimation of racy, unso¬ 
phisticated cake-eaters,all such admixtures are 
an abomination. 
have had a great deal of cold north wind, 
which dries the sandy soil without warming 
it. Our Dan O’Rourke peas are about six 
inches high. Early Snowflake and Early 
Vermont, just out of the ground. All the 
garden vegetables are doing nicely. There is 
a good prospect for all kinds of fruit on all 
the farms wit bin our colony. The peach trees 
are glowing with their pink blossoms; the 
pear and cherry trees white with theirs. The 
way sides and bits of shady spots are full of 
wild strawberry blossoms, and, as you will 
imagine, crocuses, heliotropes, jonquils and 
myrtle are in all their glory. The wheat crops 
do not seem so thrifty as the rye, but oats are 
up nicely and look promising. K. d. t. 
Nebraska. 
Blakely, Madison Co., April 24.—My W. 
Elephant Potato had 13 eyes, and made 13 
hills; yield about 3(1 pounds of fine potatoes, 
which I would not sell for the price asked for 
the Rural for one year. The pinks are mag¬ 
nificent, and have stood the Winter all right. 
The asparagus has stood the Whiter well, and 
about all the seed grew. The sorghum did not 
get ripe, as it was too late when I received the 
seed. Thiuk it the best for fodder, d. n. c. 
Syracuse, Otoe Co., April 22. Fruit all 
right to date with promise of heavy yield of 
all sorts, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries 
and apples. Most pear trees killed by blight. 
The very short crops last year stimulate work 
this Spring and corn planting is now well 
under way—some ten days ahead of the usual 
time. But little corn on hand; farmers pay 
65 cents per bushel. Prime hogs, $6 per ewt 
gross. Fall wheat looks well. Cattle are out 
on grass. Droves are pushing for the Western 
snmmerings. Ten times as much barbed wire 
fencing a? ever before. h. t. v. 
New York. 
South Hartford, Wash. Co., April 24.— 
Our county is one of the most productive in 
the Empire State. Potatoes are the chief pro¬ 
duct with many; yet with the better class of 
farmers wool growing and the dairy are 
skillfully and profitably managed, g. mcd. 
Oregon. 
Shedd’s, Linn Co., April 22.—We had a 
long, rainy and disagreeable Winter. Fall- 
sown wheat looks well, but not more than half 
the usual amount was sown last Fall, owing to 
the early soaking rains that then prevailed. 
Wheat is worth 80c.; oats, 45c.; potatoes, 60c. 
The White Elephant Potato is a success. The 
R. B. Sorghum is a failure in this climate. 
The asparagus did finely. The pinks are beau¬ 
tiful. The W. Oats all went to smut. Mold’s 
Ennobled oats are the kind for this climate, 
and weigh 51 pounds to the bushel, it, p. w. 
Texas, 
Austin, Travis Co., April 22.—Our pro¬ 
spects for this year were never better; wheat, 
rye, oats and barley promise to make 
splendid crops. All kinds of fruits that grow 
here, will be abundant. The market is now 
flooded with all sorts of early vegetables, G. h. 
Waco, McLennan Co., April 23.—In spite 
of the many excellent reports that have 
appeared in the Rural concerning the R. B. 
Sorghum, I can say positively that my success 
with it has not been exceeded by any one else. 
A row of 16 hills produced eight pounds of 
fine, well matured seed. I don’t think that 
any forage plant can be introduced better 
adapted for the South than this- sort of 
sorghum. My horses, cattle and hogs prefer 
it to corn. The seeds make the best of hominy 
and pop-corn. My success with the other 
seeds planted was about an average. Farmers 
hereabouts have pretty hard times. Coin is 
selling at $1.15 to $1.20 per bushel for cash, 
and $1 4fi to $1 60 on credit. Pork sells at 13 
to 14 cents per pound for cash, and 16 to 18 
cents on credit. Such high prices for farm 
products elsewhere would generally bring joy 
to the farmer, but here they bring sorrow, for 
instead of receiving these figures, we have to 
pay them. e. w. w. 
Virginia. 
Abingdon, Washington Co., April 26.—We 
have had rather disagreeable weather for a 
week or more. On April 16, IT aud 18, the 
thermometer was down to freezing point. I 
do not think the fruit is injured much—peaches 
bursting their caps; apples in full bloom. A 
promise of a good fruit crop, if not damaged 
hereafter. Wheat looking well. Grass grow¬ 
ing slowly for the last few days. Stock being 
turned to pasture. Oats all sown. People be¬ 
ginning to plant corn. Farmers hopeful; busi¬ 
ness good. Prices for tobacco have been high, 
and there will be an average crop planted if 
the season admits. The factories are at work 
manufacturing. Prospects of one or two more 
factories being built this season. w. b. k. 
Wisconsin. 
Reedsburg, Sauk Co., April 25.—Winter 
wheat all right. Farmers did well the past 
season and are putting forth all energies in 
the dairy business; two creameries have started 
this Spring in this immediate section. A large 
acreage of com will be planted. G. p. 
For the Preserrstiop of all 
kinds Of Fi-oit and Yege ta¬ 
bles. During the 10 years it 
hns proved the only practical 
E rapora t< ir constructed, and 
operated on st. 
sophioal principl 
cheapest, maeni 
It is the 
__jine sold for 
quantity and quality produc¬ 
ed, anil is the only one that 
will do as much or more than 
IsftUftranteeii. It will er apor- 
h t>* i/oiiMc the amount of any 
Other machine, with one half 
the help, and no more fuel, 
besides the qualify of the 
work Is far superior, as all 
can lea ruby inquiring of first- 
class dealers in New York or 
Boston. D i* practically fire 
proof. Send for our circu¬ 
lar* and investigate liefore 
buying. Manufactured by 
Lancaster, 
Penna, 
JETS. WflltH 
Sixteen (16) Grades 
All Quick-Train Railroad Watches, 
Ihemist. now 
An Knylish Veterinary suiy-Hju and Chemist, now 
traveling Ui this country, says that most of the Horse 
and Cattle povedm MU hive arc worthless tiash lie 
says at ffhertdau's OiDlIltlOD Powders are absolutely 
pure and taimenseiy valuable NotMng cu earth will 
make hem lay like Sheridan's Coni 1 ttion Powders Dose, 
oneteaspoonrul to one pint food Sold everywhere, or sent 
UiiIon Undergarments 
l-’.’a/ls anil l>ra,v'i'ra in One 
j Made In nil welghtsof Me 
I rino and ('tishnvre.Clienvl 
lloites, PrincfBS Skirts, 
Emancipation, Dress Re¬ 
form A- Comfort Waists. 
Coy ili-rl Waists a special 1 1 /. 
Now Illustrated Pamph¬ 
let Free. 
MRS. A. FLETCHER, 
6R.mb sr.. v v. CUy. 
PROF. H. C. SPENCER, the 
leaili ng- Ctiirug raphlu Author 
f - ■ ’ j '-J-csl-cCv/ uZ- ;,n<l instructor will begin a 
- 1 -)course of Practical Writing 
Lessons in the May No. of the Penman's art Journal. 
Send .1 three vent stamps for specimen copy, or S'.00 for 
one year, with ail elegant premium. 
D. T. AMES, Piuit.isiiKU, 205 BROADWAY, New York. 
VICTOR 
YELKS FOR FROSTING. 
Will M. K. Hopkins please tell me if yelks 
instead of whites of eggs are used in the 
recipe she gives for frosting on page 226. 
Well Wisher. 
MODERN 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS, 
Dakota. 
Swan Lake, Turner Co., April 24.—Very 
little old grain in farmers’hands. Crops here¬ 
abouts only averaged about half yields all 
round last year; but farmers have been jubi¬ 
lant at the high prices. h. l. 
Illinois. 
Yates City, Knox County, April 20.— 
Our season bade fair to be a forward one, 
but the 10th of April blizzard upset vegetation 
somewhat. Peach Irees, then just coming in 
bloom, were frozeu stiff aud remained in 
statu quo for eight days, when nature recov¬ 
ered herself and the trees completed iheir 
bloom. It remains to be seen whether we have 
any peaches or not. Produce is high: corn, 
65 cts. aud oats 50 cts. for the Louisville and 
Nashville markets. H. p. c. 
(Kansas. 
Edgerton, Johnston Co., April 23.—Corn 
planting is well advanced here though the 
weather has been cool and disagreeable since 
April 10. On April 8, the thermometer 
reached 02 deg, in the shade and 87 on the 0th; 
then on the 12tb it sleeted all day and at night 
it froze ice an eighth of an inch in thickness. 
Fruit is not so badly damaged as was ex- 
-pected; there will be a fair crop of peaches, 
cherries and apples. j. c. B. 
Maryland. 
Klej Grange, Worcester Co., Ap’l 22.—Far¬ 
mers are now planting corn. Less sorghum 
will be cultivated this year than last owing to 
the general failure of the cane, and the high 
price of corn, which sold at 00 cts. per bushel 
yesterday at an executor’s sale of farm im¬ 
plements, produce and stock. Shoats brought 
$3.00 apiece; a cow and calf $17, and a mule, 
well-broken and three years old, $121. The 
Spring so far has been very variable. We 
The m ost a ttra ctive and 
the most complete 
yet produced. In Me¬ 
ehan ical construction 
and fin ish we believe the 
No. Jj-to be unequaled. 
Its ornamentation is of 
the finest order, and 
twenty pails are richly 
plated , 
It has all the qualities 
demanded of a 
FIRST-CLASS 
MACHINE, 
in the present advanced 
state of the art. 
ILLUSTRATED CIRCU- 
LARS sent on application 
VICTOR SEWING MACHINE COMPANY 
