830 
over. Have two quarts more of flour sifted, 
and putting in a lijtle at a time, mix well, 
adding flour until it is stiff enough to mold. 
This molding must be done thoroughly as on 
it depends the quality of the bread. Knead 
it until the mass is light and spongy and it will 
not stick to the hands. Cover and set in a 
warm place; it will be ready to mold 
into loaves in about half an hour. This will 
be known by the dough cracking on the sur¬ 
face and also it should get to be twice its origi¬ 
nal size. In molding the dough into loaves, 
add only flour sufficient to handle it and man¬ 
ipulate it as lightly as possible. Bet the pans 
in a warm place and when the dough has risen 
put the pans in a very hot oven which must 
get gradually cooler towards the last. When 
taken from the oven place the bread between 
several folds of a towel; steam will cause 
the crust to soften. It has been decided by 
experts that it is all wrong to cover the bread 
tightly, as the gases arising from hot bread 
are unhealthy,so we must perforce leave room 
at the ends of the towel for the escape of this 
deleterious vapor. For the inexperienced I 
would add that patient perseverance will do 
more to perfect a person in the art of bread¬ 
making than any amount of detail. The time¬ 
worn adage, “Practice makes perfect,” will 
surely tell in this particular, aunt addie. 
I have of late been using a grade of flour 
quite new to me, called the “ roller process,” 
and have naturally adopted the directions for 
making bread found upon a printed circular 
inside the bag, and as I have never failed to 
produce most excellent bread, I do not hesi¬ 
tate to place these directions before the read¬ 
ers of the Rural: “To one quart of luke¬ 
warm water add two-thirds of a teacupful of 
yeast; add flour to the thickness of batter, 
and let it rise over-night; then add flour 
enough to knead softly twenty minutes, or 
until it will not cling to the board. Let it 
rise in the pan, then make into small loaves, 
and let it rise again. Bake in a moderate 
oven. Be sure not to let it stand in the oven 
after it is done.” 
Although many people make nice bread 
from “compressed yeast” and other kinds of 
purchased yeast, for some reason I never 
have as good luck as when I make the yeast 
myself: Take a small handful of hops, tie them 
in a clean cloth, put in a granite kettle stirred 
with three quarts of water and boil till the 
desired strength is obtained. Grate six me¬ 
dium-sized potatoes ; into the grated potato 
put one cup of sugar and one-half cup of salt. 
Turn on this mixture the boiling hop water; 
stir till it thickens. Bet away to cool until 
just warm, then stir in one cup of yeast. Bet 
it to rise; when done foaming, put i6 in glass 
jars. Keep it in a cool place. 
MRS. SUSIE E. KENNEDY. 
My method of making bread is simple, but 
the bread itself is always excellent, so the 
consumers say. I use the compressed yeast, one 
cake being sufficient for four good-sized 
loaves. Allow one pint of warm water, and 
a tabl spoonful of salt for each loaf. 
Crumble up the yeast into a cup of water 
to dissolve. Lift into the bread-pan as much 
flour as will make the batch (about five 
pounds for four loaves), and have some more 
sifted in another pan, to be used if necessary. 
Make a hollow in that in the bread-pan, put 
in the salt, yeast, and water and stir in 
enough of the flour to make a stiff batter; 
then cover with flour, and then with your 
cake-board or something which will cover it 
entirely. Put it in a warm place to rise 
This should be done at bed-time. In the 
morning, see if it is light enough and knead 
it down as soon as it is, making the dough as 
soft as you can without having it sticky; put 
it into the baking pans, having the loaves 
only large enough to half-fill the pans. Put 
them in a warm place to rise again, and when 
risen to the top of the pan bake in a steady 
oven about an hour, or until they cleave from 
the sides and bottom of the pans. 
When I take it out of the oven, I put it up¬ 
side down on a slightly damp cloth, and cover 
it tightly with another, so the crust is never 
hard. 
GRAHAM BREAD. 
For this I make a batter at night 
of two cups of warm water, two scant 
cups of white flour, one tablespoonful 
each of salt and molasses, using about the 
same proportion of yeast as for white bread. 
In the morning I stir in as much Graham 
flour as possible, and roll rather than knead 
it into loaves. Put them into the baking 
pans, and bake when well risen. 
EMMA d. w. 
Soften one yeast cake with one pint of 
luke-warm water; use water also (or use a cup 
of potato yeast); stir in one cup of sugar 
(brown is best) and one of flour, let this rise. 
Have ready by the time this is risen one 
dozen medium-sized potatoes, boiled and put 
through a colander; add these with a quart of 
hot, and a quart of cold water and a little 
salt to the first yeast made. Let it rise again, 
and when risen put in a cool place; it will be 
ready for use the next day. 
To make the bread, rub the usual quantity 
of lard in the flour, add salt, stir the yeast 
well and make the bread with the yeast, us 
ing no water or milk, knead very thoroughly, 
put in the tins, keep in a warm place to rise, 
and bake when risen. If the flour is very good 
the bread ougnt to be baked and out of the 
way in three, or certainly four hours from 
the time it is made. 
I have baked the nicest rolls I ever saw in 
one hour and a half from the time I took the 
flour from the barrel. I have used this yeast 
for four years and have never had bad bread 
once. It facilitates the rising to warm the 
flour. I set the bread pan on the stove while 
I am rubbing the lard in the flour. 
MRS. J. E.,MORRIS. 
To make good bread, two very essential 
things are good yeast , and well dried and 
warmed flour. 
My own particular method of bread-mak¬ 
ing is this: Two hours before I want to “set 
the sponge” at night, I put one coffee-cupful 
of home-made yeastin a quart bowl, stir it stiff 
with flour, and set in a warm place till 
wanted. Later I boil six potatoes-more, 
since the advent of the potato Flea-beetle— 
drain, (saving the water) mash thoroughly, 
add the potato water again, and stir quite 
stiff while hot; when cooled sufficiently, I add 
the prepared yeast, cover closely, and keep in 
a uniform temperature over-night—a closet or 
small room is better than a large one on ac¬ 
count of draughts. In the morning I add a 
tablespoonful of salt, warm water, and flour 
enough for six loaves, knead well, and put 
again in a warm place to rise. When light 
enough, I mold into loaves,let “rise” again,and 
bake from 40 to 50 minutes. If “a card of 
raised biscuits” is wanted, I take the dough 
left for the last loaf,and one-half cup of butter, 
and one teaspoonful of sugar,knead and mold 
into biscuits; when baked glaze with white of 
egg while hot. These make delicious sandwich¬ 
es for picnics, church suppers, and the like. 
j. A. M. B. 
One cake of any good dry yeast soaked in 
tepid water. Peel and boil enough potatoes 
to make a pint when mashed, one tablespoon¬ 
ful of sugar and one of salt. Stir all together. 
Let it rise from six to ten hours. Reserve 
one-third of the mixture to use the next time 
instead of a cake of dry yeast; use the rest 
for immediate baking Take three pints of 
water, flour enough for a stiff sponge and'the 
yeast mixture. Stir all together and when it 
is light again knead into loaves. This will 
make four good-sized loaves. A little salt and 
sugar should be added when the bread is 
molded. 
The bread is light, white and sweet when 
well made after these directions. 
MRS. W. F. BROWN. 
Why is the “Rural New-Yorker” like 
bread? Because we need (kneaa) it. 
I find I can always make good bread if I 
have good y*astand flour. In cold weather 
I set my yeast over-night. I put one cake of 
yeast or, if it is crumbled, two tablespoonfuls 
in half a pint of cold water until it dissolves, 
then 1 put in one pint of warm water, make 
it all as warm as new milk, beat flour in until 
it is very stiff and set it where it will not 
freeze. As soon as I have a fire for breakfast 
next morning, I set it in a warm place. It is 
ready to make as soon as we are through 
breakfast. I then warm a pan full of flour, 
make a hole in the middle, pour in the yeast, 
add three pints of warm water and knead it 
thoroughly until it has taken up all the flour. 
Set it in a warm place to rise, when light 
knead again, mold out into greased pans, 
grease the top and set to rise. It should be 
ready to bake in an hour. Put m a moderate 
oven and bake one hour. This will make 
four large loaves. mrs. r. w. williams. 
For my method of bread making I use one 
and a half yeast cake in the summer and two 
in the winter for 10 to 12 small loaves. Dis¬ 
solve the cakes in one pint of weak hop or 
peach leaf tea. When it foams add one pint 
of warm water and stir in raw flour,beating it 
up well, adding two or three well mashed 
potatoes. Set in a warm place. I do this 
early in the evening just before going to bed. 
I take one gallon whey of buttermilk that has 
been boiled, stir in flour as stiff as can be 
stirred with a large spoon; then add the 
sponge, mixing thoroughly. Set in a warm 
place till morning, then take one quart of 
boiling water, adding salt and a little soda, 
stir into the dough, knead it up quickly just 
stiff enough to handle. Form into small 
loaves, working them over immediately, 
working the outside of the loaf in, when put¬ 
ting into pans. By the time the oven is hot 
the bread is light. Bake 30 minutes. 
This is how I keep bread warm while'in the 
pans. I have a board cut Dot so wide as the 
dough tray, but so it will rest on the flare at 
eacti end midway down. I can set four pans 
in the bottom of the dough tray, then have the 
board or shelf well warmed, lay it in as 
before mentioned, (set'six pans on it, put on 
the lid, set a small lamp with the light quite 
low under the tray, moving it back and forth 
so it does not get too hot in one place—once in 
ten minutes will be often enougn to move it. 
The bread rises nicely without a dry crust on 
top. This may help some one who has no 
good way to keep bread warm. E. T. L. 
Make a sponge at night as follows: Boil 
and mash tine four medium-sized potatoes, 
add three pints of warm water, one table- 
spooDful of salt, one cake of yeast softened 
in a little warm water, enough sifted flour to 
make a rather stiff batter ; beat and stir 
briskly; cover and set in a warm place for 
the night; in the morning it should be very 
light; mix at once; add flour so the dough 
does not stick. Knead thoroughly; let it rise 
to twice its size, then push the dough down; 
when again light mold in lour loaves ; when 
eacn loaf has risen to twice its size bake in a 
rather hot oven. I generally add about one- 
half cupful of melted lard to the sponge in 
the morning. m. 
yeast. 
Take eight good-sized potatoes, boil them 
until done, take one teacupful of sugar, one 
of salt, not too full, one teaspoonful of ginger, 
one large heaping spoonful of wheat flour. 
Mix all together, put in the potato hot and 
mash fine in the«water they were boiled in. 
Do not have it thicker than batter. When 
cool put in^two yeast cakes, soaked in warm 
water, then let it get thoroughly light, put in 
a stone jar and put in a cool place. It will 
keep over a month. 
For the bread: Take one quart of warm 
water, stir in flour to make a rather thick bat¬ 
ter and put in one large teacupful of the yeast. 
When light mix and let rise again, then mold 
and put in the bread tins. When light bake. 
This is enough for three large loaves. 
MRS. JNO. C. GAGE. 
I MAKE’bread in different ways. For hop- 
yeast bread I take two quarts of flour, cne 
teaspoonful of salt, one large tablespoonful of 
lard and yeast Stir in luke-warm water 
enough to make a stiff dough. Set in a warm 
place to rise over-night, or until it is light; 
then knead over and put in pans. Let rise 
again. 
For sour or butter-milk bread: Take two 
cups of milk, one teaspoonful of saleratus, a 
little salt, fljur enough to make a soft dough. 
Cream-of-tartar bread I make by taking 
one quart of flour, two teaspoonfuls of cream- 
ot-tartar, one of soda, a little salt, one table¬ 
spoonful of butter rubbed into the flour. Use 
milk or water to make a stiff dough. 
MRS. E. D. T. 
HOW JOHN BECAME A MARKET 
GARDENER. 
OLIVER HOWARD. 
NO. V. 
One afternoon John was working in his 
garden when a voice said : “ Can t you give 
me a job, mister ? I need a job right bad. 
I’ll work for nothing but my board for a while.’) 
All this was spoken hastily and almost plead¬ 
ingly as if the foot-sore youth would shut off 
a negative. John looked at the young man, 
who was singularly intellectual and rather 
handsome, but seedy and bearing some marks 
of dissipation. 
“ You are from the South, are you not ?” 
“Yes, sir; I’m a Georgian.” The young 
man worked for John several months at $25 
per month and board, and proved an excep¬ 
tionally intelligent, respectful and industrious 
hand. He was better for technical garden 
work than Henry, the professional, because 
he claimed to know nothing, had no set way 
of his own, and obeyed orders admirably. 
Under John's directions he irrigated with 
great success. W hen he had obtained a good 
idea of the gardening business, from the 
heavy fertilizing to the selling and shipping 
of two or more loads of truck each day, he 
said to his employer : 
“ I’ll just tell you what I reckon I’ll do 
when I leave here. I’m goiDg back to old 
Georgia, close up to some good-sized town, 
and there I’ll go into a business similar to 
yours Those Georgia towns are not half 
supplied with garden truck and I know it. I 
just wondered how you made out to live when 
1 came here; but I’ve ketcbed on now. Why, 
you have no idea what splendid gardens can 
be made in Georgia; and you can get all the 
women and children to work in the garden 
that you want, and for almost nothing, too. 
I could sell 20 loads a day. A man could 
make a fortune in five years ” 
J ohn remarked that the business of market 
gardening was capable of development in 
nearly every part of the country, and that no 
matter how much developed, in 10 years the 
demand for fine fruits and vegetables will be 
much greater than now. The youug man 
went to his native State planning to rent a 
few acres on time, and pay his help out of the 
first season’s sales. His plans were all good 
with the exception that his capital was far too 
small for so large an undertaking. 
For several years John has had potatoes in 
market earlier, by at least two weeks, than 
the farmers in the vicinity. He has the fac¬ 
ulty of taking advantage of a number of small 
circumstances. If he can raise enough pota¬ 
toes to supply his trade two weeks he can then 
purchase from others fully as cheaply as he 
can raise them himself. 
On the 26th of April, after enriching, plow¬ 
ing, harrowing and smoothing his land 
designed for this crop, John plowed neat 
furrows three feet and a half apart, and 
dropped whole potatoes about 15 inches apart 
in each furrow. If cut potatoes were use! 
and the ground was very dry, the moisture 
of the tuber would be extracted from it by 
the soil until it would lose its vitality. Not 
far from a quarter of an acre of land was 
devoted to this purpose. The covering was 
done with a cultivator and horse, as in the 
case of the peas. The Early Ohio was the 
variety used, which, although it gives few to 
the hill and is liable to scab, is a little earlier 
than any other yet tried. The young of the 
potato-beetle had to be attended to about 
June 1. A spoonful of Paris-green was stirred 
in a four-gallon water-pot, and a man rapidly 
sprinkled the rows. One treatment generally 
does the business. The cultivator was often 
run between the rows, followed by a shovel- 
plow, a valuable implement little used in the 
East. It throws the loose earth very evenly 
about the plants. Some call it a “ horse-hoe.” 
On June 27 John commenced selling his pota¬ 
toes at the rate of 3% cents per pound and 
later at two cents, surprising the natives. If 
other men had potatoes fit for market they 
did not bring them forward. One of the 
evils of monstrous farms is that the farmer 
rarely takes the time to market his early 
crops while the price is at the best. He says : 
“ O, I had potatoes as early as anybody, but I 
hadn’t time to dig them.” That is a good ex¬ 
cuse for those who are satisfied with it; but 
John sold out his little patch for $119, besides 
supplying his family for a while. 
In November he bought his winter’s supply, 
on the market, at one-half a cent per pound, 
or one-seventh of the price he obtained for his 
first digging. The onion patch cost a great 
deal of time and trouble in the preparation of 
the ground, and much wheel-hoeing, thinniDg 
and hand-weeding. But $134 40 paid for it 
all. The beet bed was a good deal of trouble 
first and last; but some people would have no 
kind of greens but beet greens, and this escu¬ 
lent yielded $85.42. Cabbages were rather 
cheap in 1884 But $105.71 came in handy 
enough. The fowls delighted in an occasional 
cabbage head in the fall and winter, and the 
cows seemed to derive a good deal of pleasure 
from a small daily ration of the refuse cab¬ 
bage piled in a great heap near the haystack. 
In December it was sometimes fed in a smok¬ 
ing, odoriferous state. John called it his cow- 
krout. 
Colorado is thus far a splendid country for 
vines. Their natural enemies have not immi¬ 
grated there yet. Cucumbers, squashes, water¬ 
melons and musk-melons all did well The 
greatest strength was laid out on the last 
named, they being in greatest demand for 
shipping. The sales amounted to $128 72. It 
was found profitable in connection with the 
garden to have a cow or two, as well as some 
pigs and fowls. The sales of veal calves, but¬ 
ter, fowls and eggs netted over $100. Good 
care and feed make any kind of barn-yard 
fowls profitable, and bad management makes 
the finest varieties worthless. The tomato 
patch should not be forgotten. It yielded 
$129.46. 
In summing up it may be said the receipts 
for 1884 were about $1,600 from gardens and 
barn, and those of 1885 about $1,327, the latter 
season being unfavorable. The vegetables 
and fruits used in the family would have cost 
a very large sum if they had been bought— 
probably not less than $300. They served to 
