828 
Ilonustir (foitomg. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
“HOW TO MAKE GOOD COFFEE." 
MARY WAGER-FISH HR. 
I am often amused at the various recipes I 
see for making coffee. At, our table we never 
have poor coffee, because the making of it is so 
simple that no skill is required in its prepara¬ 
tion. In the first place, I buy the coffee grebu 
—unburnt Java and Rio, which I mix before 
burning—a third of the latter to two-thirds of 
the former. Mocha I use pure. Once a week 
I have coffee burnt, 60 that is always com¬ 
paratively fresh. 
My coffee-pot is a filterer—commonly called 
the “ French Ooffee-pot.” It is a very nice- 
looking machine, will hold coffee for a dozen 
persons, and it cost $1.10. When breakfast is 
ready to be served, the coffee is ground, put in 
the filterer, and boiling water 6lowlv poured in 
from the tea-kettle. Then the cover is put on 
the pot—the cover being already on the spout 
—and the coffee is made, with scarcely a 
breath of the aroma lost. When the coffee is 
poured out it is as clear as amber and as de¬ 
licious as—coffee! Then we drink it without 
milk, because milk destroys the flavor, and 
renders the coffee indigestible. If your cook, 
or coffee-maker, pours into the filter water 
which i#?wf boiling, you will know it at once 
—the coffee will have a dead taste. A very 
little practice will enable one to tell when she 
has poured enough waier into the filter, by the 
weight of the coffee-pot, for she can’t well 
look inside to see the amount. Of course, the 
nicest and daintiest way to make both coffee 
and tea, is at the table. But, for this one 
requires a nicely polished tea-kettle with a 
burner under it, and this pretty arrange¬ 
ment costs from 10 to 15 dollars; but it is a 
machine that will last for generations, with 
good care. 
But to go back to my coffee making. After 
breakfast the coffee liquid and coffee grounds 
are poured into a coffee-pot of the ordinary 
kind. This, when boiled, makes quite as good 
a drink as the ordinary mode of making coffee, 
and eirves for such members of the family as 
prefer their coffee boiled. But even if no tur- 
ther use is made of the “ grouuds” I Ihink the 
French method is more economical than the 
American or English way of preparing coffee. 
The grains should be ground fine, as the hot 
water more readily extracts the flavor. Any¬ 
body who has the French Coffee-pot for sale will 
tell you how to use it if you need to be told. 
It is hardly necessary to add that the coffee¬ 
pot after use should be rinsed iu hot water and 
well dried. With proper care, it will last for 
several years. Iu conclusion, I may say that 
I am convinced beyond all doubt that there is 
no way so good to make coffee as the one I 
have described, and none so simple and ex¬ 
peditious. 
Bryn Mawr, Pa. 
--- 
A MEETING OF THE KITCHEN CLUB. 
MRS. ANNIE L. JACK. 
The Kitchen Club held its first meeting for 
the season at our house, and it w'as one of 
great interest to ns all. As many of the ladies 
live at some distance, we always have an early 
tea, and there is a by-law that provides only 
one kind of cake shall be allowed on the table, 
the recipe for which is to be handed to the 
Secretary, and is open to be copied by any 
of the ladies present. It being near the time 
for Christmas baking, mine had been a fruit¬ 
cake that would keep, and which I transcribe 
for the benefit of readers: 1 lb. powdered su¬ 
gar, 1 lb. butter, 1 lb. flour, 10 large or 12 
small eggs, which are about equal to a pound ; 
1 lb. currants, washed, dried and dredged; 1 
lb. raisins, seeded with a raisin-stoner ; half a 
pound of caudied peel, a little nutmeg, cloves 
and cinnamon. I cream the butter and sugar 
and add the yelks of eggs ; beat well aud then 
add half the Hour ; then the whites, after being 
whipped to a froth, and the rest of the flour. 
A wiueglassful of brandy helps to keep the 
cake moist and fresh; Out, if objected to ou 
temperance principles, I have found icing as 
soon as cool quite satisfactory. And a cake 
thus treated remains good after three months’ 
keeping, if kept locked up. 
One lady of the club did not see the point in 
regard to “ locking;’’ but I remembered, when 
explaining wherein the necessity of it lay, 
that there were no children in her household. 
The subject under discussion was boiling, 
aud a lady present read a valuable article from 
Scribner’s ou the subject. My own opinion 
was given chiefly in regard to vegetables. On 
thi6 point I mentioned, from practical expe¬ 
rience, the fact that all vegetables were more 
easily boiled and retained color and flavor 
better when put into soft boiling water, than 
when boiled iu bard water, regardless of the 
e when put in. Miss Corson gives the fol- 
owing table for vegetables, when neither too 
THE BUBAL NEW-YOBKEB. 
DEC. 20 
old nor too new:—“ Spinach, 10 to 15 minutes; 
peas, cauliflower and asparagus, 15 to 20 min¬ 
utes ; potatoes, cabbage, c®rn and string beans, 
20 to 30 minutes ; turnips, onions and squash, 
20 to 40 minutes ; beets, carrots and parsDips, 
one hour.’’ My own experience would place 
turnips among the last-named on the list. One 
hint given by the same lady I have found use¬ 
ful in regard to turnips: "A lump of sugar 
boiled with them neutralizes their bitterness.” 
Potatoes of all kinds, but especially sweet, are 
often spoiled by injudicious selection, and the 
small ouee found quite watery while awaiting 
the cooking of the larger ones. 
Iu regard to meat, it was conceded that boil¬ 
ing was the most economical method of cook¬ 
ing; for, if properly done, it preserves all the 
nourishing juices. The meat should always 
be put into boiling water and boiled live min¬ 
utes. Tliis, according to Liebig, coagulates 
the albumeu. so as to crust the surface and 
keep in the juices; after this, cold water is 
added, the temperature reduced to 165° Fahr., 
aud this gentle heat kept up through the pro¬ 
cess of cooking, w'hich is till the meat is ten¬ 
der. 
With many added bits of wisdom, our meet¬ 
ing closed, one little lady, a novice as yet, re¬ 
marking regarding the Jast-mentioned item, 
“ Who would think of lookiug for a thermom¬ 
eter iu the dinner-pot!” 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
House Plants, Chicken Pot-Pie. 
Plants should now be washed thoroughly 
every week with strong soap-suds (any kind 
of soap will do). The large plants as Abu- 
tilons, Oleauders, etc., I take into the kitchen, 
6et them in au empty tub ou the floor, stand ou 
a stool aud pouf suds over them. After such 
treatment there will be no more ‘‘brown scales” 
found ou them, such as Mrs. B- iu the Ru¬ 
ral for Nov. 8, complained of. Liquid manure 
should be applied freely, iu December I dis¬ 
solve a haudlul of glue in a pail of warm water 
and pour aiouud the roots a few times. I 
think it starts the blossoms sooner. 
I have had chicken pot-pie three days in 
succession for dinner, aud it has been, good, 
better, best. After the chicken is cooked suffi¬ 
ciently, I take it out into the dish that I send 
it to the table id ; theu season the soup, or the 
liquor the chicken was boiled in, highly, with 
butter, pepper aud salt, taking care there shall 
be enough soup to cover the pastry while boil¬ 
ing .To make the pastry :—onejpint of rich but¬ 
termilk, a teaspoonful of soda, a piece of butter 
the size of a hen’s egg; mix with flour very 
hard, cut in slices half au meh thick aud about 
three inches square, drop iu while boiling, and 
keep boiling till done—covered light; after a 
few minutes, 1 set it ou top of stove to keep 
from burning. When done, pour over the 
chicken iu the dish. Mbs. C. F. Retnolds. 
Isauaage Meat. 
Two ounces of pepper, oue-half pound of 
salt aud two teacupeful of pulverized sage to 
twenty pounds of meat. Miss Ckonk. 
CbriBtmag Pluiu Pudding. 
One quart of Ado bread crumbs, eight eggs 
bea'en separately, pint of sugar, quart of seeded 
raisins, pint of currants, quart of chopped ap¬ 
ples, piut of chopped suet, grated nutmeg, 
teaspoonful each of salt and cinnamon, and a 
teacupful of milk. Into a large bowl, put the 
beaten yelks, sugar, spice and milk, stir in 
the floured fruit aud apple, with bread crumbs 
aud suet, adding whites and enough flour—a 
quart will be sufficient for fruit and all—to 
make the ingredients stick together. Dip a 
jiudding cloth into hot water, dredge on inside 
a thick coating of flour, put in the pudding, tie 
tightly, allowing room to swell aud steam three 
hours and a half. 
Send to table with a sprig of evergreen stuck 
in the top. Eat with hard aud liquid sauce. 
Mary B. 
-- 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Orange Jelly. 
Please give directions for the above. 
Mrs. E. L. B. 
Anb.—S oak one box of Cox’s gelatine in a 
pint of cold water for au hour, then add a pint 
of boiling water, a pint of orange juice and a 
pound of white sugar; bring to the boiliug 
point, strain through a jelly-bag and pour into 
molds. 
Corn Starch Cake. 
Please give directions for the above. 
Miss. E. 
Ans.—O ne cup of granulated sugar, half a 
cup of butter, whites of four eggs beaten to a 
stiff froth, half a cup of sweet milk, one cup 
of sifted flour, half a cup of corn Btarch (Gil¬ 
bert’s), two even teaspoonsful of baking pow¬ 
der. Flavor with almond. Cream the butter 
and sugar, add the milk, then the corn starch, 
beat well, whip in the whites, then the flour 
with the yeast powder. Bake in a very mod¬ 
erate oven. The success w the cake depends 
upon the baking. 
ftetos of f|c ©Iffli 
paper, having a damaging effect on the Dominion 
export trade. As an instance, a dealer at Belle¬ 
ville, Ont., who recently received an English order 
for 2,000 prime head of cattle for the Christmas 
AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
The total number of bushels of grain received at 
this port during the past four years through the 
canals, from the opening to the closing of naviga¬ 
tion and until the present time this year, Is as fol¬ 
lows: 
1376.27,563,082 
1S77.4S,438,209 
1878 .68,438,801 
1879 (solar).53,889,040 
There are about 20,000 bushels afloat for this 
port, which may or may not get through before 
the tee closes the canals. . . Napa Valley, Cal., 
produced 1,700,000 gallons of wine this fall. . . 
Stealing a $lu horse lately cost a Colorado man his 
life though he had been tried and acquitted live 
different times for murder. . . 80 depressed Is 
the value of land in Ireland, that of seven estates 
offered for sale on Nov. 7, four only were sold at 
low figures, while for two there was no bid. . . 
T. L. Miller, of Beecher, Ill., writes us that the 
Hereford Herd Book, for cattle of that flue breed 
tn this country, will be In the printer’s hands by 
January 1 st, isso. . . The Conn. State Board of 
Agriculture will hold Its winter’s Farmers’ Con¬ 
vention at Willlmantle, Dec. 17, is, 19. Among tho 
chief speakers will be Richard Goodman, T, 8 . 
Gold, Hon. K. 11. Hyde, Dr. E. L. stuitevaut. Profs. 
Cressy and Brewer. . . The College of Agricul¬ 
ture of the Illinois Industrial Univotully will hold 
Its annual course of lectures and discussions on 
agricultural topics during tho last week of Jan., 
commencing .Jan. 27. All farmers with their wives 
are cordially invited to attend gratis. Re¬ 
duced rates on railroads, and cheap board and 
lodging are held out as additional attractlous. . , 
On Tuesday last Mr. Gillette, of Iowa, introduced 
a resolution into the House sympathizing with the 
people of Ireland lu thetr present alarming condi¬ 
tion from threatened famine and In their efforts to 
obtain relief from the oppressive landlord system, 
and hoping that arrangements maybe speedily 
made by which the Irish peasants may become 
the owners of the soil they cultivate. . . . Flo¬ 
rida, is planting flg trees. . . . Many English 
tenant, farmers, with a capital of from * 1,000 to 
$5,000, are writing to this country as to the desira¬ 
bility of settling in Oregon. . . . The Denver 
News says that the portion ot the Union west of a 
line drawn north and south through Denver Is 
good for mining and grazing, but not for agricul¬ 
ture—surely California and Oregon are not In¬ 
cluded. . . . Some time ago Lord Beaconsfleld 
called Manitoba the Parmer’s Paradise; now a 
special correspo ndent sent out by the London 
limes to Investigate the place, says there Is an 
enormous amount of good land there, but that pm- 
dctu emigrants And fault with the lack or cheap 
and convenient, transportation. . . The weather 
prophets are coming out strong once more. Many 
of our farmers along the Hudson River who foretell 
the weather by watching tho action of animals 
during the fall, predict a mild winter. Vernon, 
the Canadian prophet, and Blake, the Illinois 
weather-wise muu Inclines to tho same opinion. . . 
There are In Ireland r. 26,628 tenants at will—that 
is, who can be ruthlessly evicted at once when¬ 
ever their landlords may wish to turn them out. 
Taking the average of each household at five, 
this would give 2,100,512 persons who are de¬ 
pendent on sufferance for a home. . . Nearly 
all the rivers and brooks tn Transylvania nave 
overflowed their banks, laying under water vast 
tracts of country and destroying bridges and 
houses. Interrupting communication and sweep¬ 
ing away farming utensils, cattle and grain. In 
some cases the Inhabitants were for days on trees 
aud roofs or houses awaiting rescue. The over¬ 
flowing of the rivers Coros and Maros has caused 
fearful destruction. The city of Arad, on the 
Maros, and several other towns have been ruined 
and their inhabitants driven away. Fully ten 
thousands persons have been rendered homeless. 
The News’ l'esth despatch says six villages have 
been ruined by the flood near Arad. Many entire 
families who had found reluge In neighboring 
woods were frozen to death. Several hundred 
persons are missing. . . As a preparation for 
Christmas 20,000 turkeys are expected In Liver¬ 
pool from this country. Ireland lias hitherto been 
the chief source of extraneous supply. . . At 
the annual meeting of the Russian Society of 
Political Economy a report, was read, which, In 
Its conclusions, might, very well be taken for an 
essay on the state of Ireland, If only the names 
were altered. The member who prepared It said 
that It would be well to think of replacing the 
nobility by another class as owners of the soil; 
that the peasants should be placed In a position to 
purchase the land at a price which would render 
It possible for them to cultivate It with profit. 
Another speaker insisted on me necessity of tlie 
government being compelled to aid the move¬ 
ment by legal agitation, aud although the discus¬ 
sion was adjourned the reellug was In favor of the 
proposal. There is a smack of the universal feel¬ 
ing of the benefits of a peasant proprietary about 
the debates at the Russian meeting. . . Some 
months ago, as noted here at the time, the Pro¬ 
duce Exchange of tills city, passed ft resolution to 
the effect that all produce should be sold In this 
market by tho cental system of loo pounds, in¬ 
stead of by the present denomination of bushels, 
etc., the change to take place on Jan. 1 ,1830. Tlie 
proposed change has had many hitter opponents, 
however, and Anally, on last Saturday, a vote was 
taken ou the question whether the former resolu¬ 
tion should be rescinded or not. The total number 
ot votes cast was 1,273, of which oils were against re¬ 
scinding aud 6o5 in favor of It, so that, according to 
tblsdeelslon, the cental system comes Into use here 
after New Year’s Day. Nearly all the grain opera¬ 
tors voted In favor of rescinding, and threaten to se¬ 
cede and form a new Grain and Flour Exchange. . . 
The Cauadlan prohibition against the Importation 
of cattle from the United States Is, says an English 
market was compelled to execute It from Boston, 
Mass., owing to his Inability to find suitable stock 
In Canada. . . Our old prophecy has come true. 
The Missouri Htate Grange Association has Issued 
an address contradicting the report that, they are 
opposed to Immigration of farmers, mechanics 
and others to that, flue state. They extend a cor¬ 
dial welcome to all honest and worthy new-com¬ 
ers , . The Erie Canal was closed at Albany at 
12 o’clock 011 tlie night of (he 6 th Inst., for the 
winter. No more boats were allowed to go West¬ 
ward after that hour. . . The N. O. Cotton Ex¬ 
change says that, all reports Indicate an In¬ 
crease In tho total crop as compared with last 
year’s, of 12 per cent, hi ha., 15 per cent, in Miss., 
23 per cent, In Arkansas. . . Tlie Nat. Associa¬ 
tion tor preventing oleomargarine frauds has 
$ 3,000 on hand, aud Intends to make things lively 
here for tricky grease-buttev sellers. . . In the 
Sagua district in Cuba there will be a railing off of 
20 per cent. In sugar, owing t.o poor cane. Trluldad 
expects an unusually large sugar crop. . . The 
cattle plague has broken out In England’s new 
possessions—the Island of Cyprus. 
-- 
Pilgrimaged to Buffalo, N. Y., 
are made by thousands of invalids annually to 
consult with the medical and surgical staff ot the 
World’s Dispensary and Invalid's Hotel, the taigest 
private sanitarium in the world. All chronic dis¬ 
eases are treated by scientific methods. The prac¬ 
tice is divided among nine eminent specialists. 
Among the most pupular domestic medicines in 
tho land are those manufactured by this Associa¬ 
tion, among which are Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical 
Discovery, the greatest, of alteratives or biood- 
eleanscrs, and Dr. Pierce’s Pellets (little pills) 
that, have largely superseded tho old-fashioned 
coarse pills, compouud Extract of Smart-Weed 
Is deservedly popular as a remedy" for diarrhoea, 
dysentery, flux, and kindred diseases; also as a 
painkiller and remedy for op Ids. Dr. .Sage’s Ca¬ 
tarrh Remedy’la the “Old Reliable.” Invalids’ 
Guide-Book —10 cents, post-paid. Address World’s 
Dyspensary Medical Association, Buffalo, X. Y 
Or London, England. 
-- 
Eggleston Truss Co .—Gents :— I purchased one 
of your Trusses In October, and It has proved In 
every' way as recommended. 1 had tw r o ruptures, 
one healed very soon, the other was longer In be¬ 
coming perfectly sound, hut Is now all right. 
There Is surely one Truss firm who are square 
men, and do all they promise, even though that 
promise Is a permanent cure. Yours, 
Malden Bridge, N. Y. W. 8 . Moore. 
-♦♦♦- 
A I»aper for Young People. 
The Youth's Com pun ion, of Boston, employs 
the. same writers as the best English and Ameri¬ 
can magazines, and no other publication for the 
family rurntslies so much entertainment and In¬ 
struction of a superior order for so low a price. 
Its Illustrations are by our best artists, and It has 
recently been greatly enlarged. 
Oh, how refreshing, palaiable and reviving Is a 
draught of cool water with Hop Bitters in It, to a 
fevered patient,. 
-- 
For Relieving Throat Troubles, ” Brown’s 
Bronchial Troches” have a world-wide reputation, 
aDd as they contain nothing that will Injure the 
system, they can be used without fear of had re¬ 
sults. 
The habit of running over boots or shoes cor¬ 
rected with Lyon’s Patent Ileel Stiffeners. 
m 
THE GIST OF THE MARKETS. 
An examination of tills week’s reports of the 
condition of the produce markets In the chief col¬ 
lecting centers will show that the general drift of 
prices for grain Is still upwards; aud Indeed, with 
brief fluctuations, this will probably continue to be 
tlie ease durhig at, least most of the winter; not, 
perhaps. In all sorts ot produce, hut as a general 
rule. This is si rongly indicated by the speculative 
prices for future delivery, and is the general ex¬ 
perience of past, years. A glance at the summary 
of the naturo of the week’s operations at each of 
our chief markets, prefixed, for convenience’s sake, 
to our regular reports, will show that the advance 
has by no means been uniform, even in the differ¬ 
ent grades of the same product tn the same place. 
Forlnslance, look at tlie difference In the advances 
in different grades of wheat at Philadelphia, Chi¬ 
cago and Baltimore; while the rise In oats varies 
all the way from just a shade in Philadelphia and 
New Orleans to 4>sc. in Toledo, and 7c. ou No. 2 in 
Detroit. Because there’s an upward movement on 
some kinds of goods In a market, therefore, or even 
in some grades of the same product, It would be 
unsafe to believe, as we have kuown some farmers 
to do, that the rise Is general. Of coui-se, the same 
rule holds true with regard to a fall also. The de¬ 
cline In the price of hogs at the chief packing 
points Is probably only temporary, and is, most 
likely, due to the unfavorable weather for packing, 
aud to an extra supply sent, forward on account of 
the recent sharp rise in prices. 
Mall advices rrom England, under date ofcDeo. 1 , 
tell of a very reluctant upward movement of prices 
for American grain. Owing to the unusually se¬ 
vere weather all over northern and middle Europe, 
shipments from the frozen Baltic had almost ceased. 
At that date tlie wheat afloat ou the way to Great 
Britain amounted to lts, 160 ,ooo bushels, coining 
from California, otfr Atlantic ports, Chill, India, 
Russia and Australia proportionately In tho order 
of their names here, the first sending 9 , 200,000 
bushels, and the last 400 , 000 . This, with the large 
