544 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AUG. 23 
Bonustir (trottomij. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
MRS. ENDICOT’S JOURNAL. 
Children's photographs ; birth-day; while, apron; 
handsome- tidy ; two ways (o prepare apples ; 
Sunday dinners ; young chickens; hard-boiled 
eggs. 
August 2.—“ Can’t you go clown to W--’s 
this uioroing?” asked Bartou of tne at the 
breakfast table, this same VV- being what 
we eoDsider our best photographer. At first 
it did seem impossible on that warm day to 
make the needful exertion to dress the child- 
dreu and myself and then spend an hour, or 
perhaps more, in those hot rooms ; but the re¬ 
membrance of the long-deferred promise to 
Grandmama Endicot changed my no to a 
“Yes, we will go just as soon as we can get 
ready." For one thing, I was glad to go while 
the little folks felt fresh. Baby Katy prov¬ 
ing willing to be so soon redressed, it did 
not take long, for only their usual “ go-to- 
meeting clothes ” were worn, for I wanted 
Grandmama to have the children's photo¬ 
graphs as near like themselves as possible. 
We had intended to have a group, but Mr. 
W- advised differently, Harry being so 
dark, and Della so fair. Finally we had full- 
length cabinet pictures, which gave perfect 
satisfaction, when they came home on Satur¬ 
day. Barton had purchased an album for 
holding cabinetrsizcd pictures in the front, and 
as my contribution I placed in it a card on 
which was paiuted a cluster of daisies and 
violets, with the date of the children's pic¬ 
tures. Harry then rode dowu to the express 
office with it, for it must reach Grandmama in 
time for her birth-day. But I hardly think she 
will enjoy receiving it more than the children 
have enjoyed helping to prepare it. Birth¬ 
days are always kept in some way at our 
house; sometimes the way has to be very sim¬ 
ple, but 1 think the increase of kindly thoughts 
it brings, is an ample repayment. 
When I ran iuto Mrs. Kay’s this afternoon, 
I took mental notes of an apron her niece, a 
young lady who is visiting her, had on. I 
thought it was very pretty and it brightened 
up a dark dress wonderfully. It was made of 
a piaiu breadth of.Swiss, and was a little more 
than half u yard loug. There was a row of 
Italian Inserting across the bottom, and just 
below that was a plaited rullic, about four 
inches deep, finished with a narrow Italiau 
edge. There was one pocket made of the in¬ 
serting and edge, and finished with a bow of 
blue ribbon, of which the band was also made, 
which was fastened at one side with a loop and 
two ends about six inches long. Mic was 
working at a very pretty tidy. She told me it 
was made of a piece of cream-colored Silesia 
half a yard wide, and the length of the tidy 
was the width of the goods. An edge of 
scarlet zephyr was crocheted all arouud it. In 
the center, looking as if painted, was a bunch 
of flowers covering a space of about six inches 
loug aud four broad, cut from ehiutz and 
hemmed on with fine thread. There was also 
a small cluster in each corner. 1 don’t think 
I ever saw anything prettier for the time spent 
on it, and the expense was trifling—not more 
than thirty cents. 
August 9.—This has been a most busy Sat¬ 
urday, the work of two days being crowded 
iuto one; but there is a very appetizing odor 
when the pantry door is opened. Four loaves 
of white and two of brown bread, the crusts 
wet with cold water, and each loaf rolled sep¬ 
arately in a cloth, are leaned up against a pan 
ou the bread board, to get perfectly cold. While 
the bread was in the oven, I prepared a large 
baking-dish of apples as for sauce. Part of 
them I put in a shallow dish aud covered 
with a crust made as for pie. When the bread 
came out, both were put in the oven. In about 
half an hour the apples were tender aud the 
covered dish was nicely browned. 1 took off 
the crust, placed it on a plate, mashed the ap¬ 
ples with a spoon, aud added a good-sized piece 
of butter aud plenty of sugar, and then put ou 
the crust. With the addition of rich sweet 
cream, when eaten for diuuer, Barton said 
“ it was a dish fit for a king,” and 1 knew it 
to be much less hurtful for the stomach than 
the customary pie or pudding. 
The other dish was just sweetened, and set 
away for Sunday’s dinner. We all think ap¬ 
ple-sauce when cooked in this way, is much 
tiuer-flavored than in any other. Della says, 
•• dinner is always belter ou Sunday, than ou 
any other day yet it is always cold and pre¬ 
pared the day before, excepting the coffee. 
For to-morrow we are going to have cold 
chicken, hard-boiled eggs, apple-sauce, sliced 
tomatoes and coffee, with a plentiful additiou 
of boiled milk for the children. The chickens 
wure prepared by splitting them down the 
back with a sharp kuife, then washing and 
wiping them dry, seasoning with pepper and 
salt, aud baking thorn iu a moderate oven 
three-quarters of an hour. Young chickens are 
much nicer prepared in this way, than in any 
other, when they are to be eaten cold.j 
The egg6 were boiled briskly for half an 
hour, aud then dropped into cold water, a plan 
which keeps the yellow from getting dark. As 
for the coffee, I don't think all the children 
get will hurt them. I prefer they should 
have the warm drink than cold milk or water. 
Since Aunt Hatty’s visit 1 have always boiled 
the milk for coffee, usiDg it while hot. We 
consider it a great improvement. 
Harry is reminding me of my promise to 
come and help him decide which pair of 
chickens shall have the honor of appearing at 
our county fair, the last of September. 
-»« - »- 
A LEXTER. 
Dear Mrs. Maple: —How is it that people 
who write and advise others so seldom practice 
what they teach ? How is it that the Agricul¬ 
tural or Horticultural writers, dreaming over 
their theories and advising others, are so fre¬ 
quently remarked upon for being so imprac¬ 
tical? Even their servants seem to partake 
of the spirit of the masters, aud go about with 
a dreamy, listless air, as if, somehow or other, 
the work would do itself. 
There is no rule without exception, and I do 
not wish to imply that all writers are of neces¬ 
sity impractical, for, of course, my experience 
is limited to a very few. I have observed the 
same thing in women who write from a do¬ 
mestic standpoint. The most impractical and 
uncomfortable housekeeper I ever knew writes 
for a weekly paper, aud writes well, which 
brings a smile to the faces of all who read her 
articles—at least, within the limits of her ac¬ 
quaintance. It was said of a lady, who shall 
be nameless here, that, although she published 
a very good work ou cookery, her house 
presented a scene of confu non which would 
bring to mind Dickens’s description, in “Bleak 
House,” of Mrs. Jelliby iu her domestic rela¬ 
tions, a scene so well described that, once 
read, it can never be forgotten. 
A good recipe, that has been thoroughly 
tested, should uot be condemned; but the 
truth is that many recipes are sent out by per- 
sous who know nothing about them except 
from theory, and if followed, they would 
result very much after the fashion of the 
Frenchman’s plum-pudding, when he said, "I 
copied ze recipe aud put ze puddin’ in ze pot, 
and, man Lieu! ven I took it out, it vas soup.” 
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, in her “Minis¬ 
ter’s Wooing,” describes most graphically the 
preparations for an old-fashioned New Eug- 
land tea party. She sent her heroine into the 
kitchen to make cake, with the remurk that, 
whatever recipe she followed, to be eune to^ 
put in plenty of faculty, “Faculty, my dear 
child," said her mother, " is a very important 
iugredieut iu the cake," 1 agree with Mis. 
Stowe that faculty is a very important thiug ; 
but iu sending out advice and recipes into the 
kitchens of our farmers and other families, it 
should be borne in mind that the best judg¬ 
ment is not always there. 
A little conservatism in household matters, 
and especially in the culinary departmeut, I 
would heartily recommend to all housekeep¬ 
ers, as also to be cautious iu trying new ex¬ 
periments. Stick to the good old ways as long 
as they are good—but here I am giving advice, 
aud that is something I had no iutcutiou of 
doing. Mrs. M. H. 8. 
-- 
HANGING-BASKETS. 
I would like to tell the lady readers of the 
Rural how to make hangiug-baskets at a 
slight expense, at least for less than the actual 
cost of such articles bought iu stores, aud, to 
my miud, they are then uo prettier than those 
made at home. Procure a wooden bowl, a 
stray rusted tin basiu or wash-dish, whicli is 
the best shape for the present purpose; cover 
the outside with a coat of putty, aud place on 
it, in rows, groups or clusters, little shells. A 
row of tiny "dust-pan” shapes are pretty for a 
border. The coutrast of the green leaves 
droopiug over the white shells is very pretty. 
Or, if shells are not to be had, a “pounded" 
mixture of bits of different colored glass 
pressed iuto the putty makes the uuiuitiated 
believe your basket to bo made of diamonds, 
especially when the suu is shluiug on it. The 
“snowflake” baskets, made of raveled white 
cloth, look cool aud hint of spicy woods and 
nodding violets, through the loug winter, if 
filled with ferns and hung in some shady win¬ 
dow. Gather the ferns while green aud fresh, 
and pile them on a platter, or even a board, 
cover them with thick, wet moss, and they will 
keep moist and green during the winter, to re¬ 
plenish the baskets or vases. Try it. 
Eva Edgehton. 
-- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Rice Pudding Without Egga. 
I have an excellent recipe for rice pudding 
without egg6, which I kuow to be good from 
experience. Look over aud wash a common- 
sized tea cup of rice- Put into a pudding dish 
with four quarts ot milk, add one pound 
raisins, a little salt, lump butter, size of an egg, 
and season with cinnamon. Stir occasionally, 
until it boils. No pudding with eggs can ex¬ 
ceed this, if attended to according to directions. 
Aunt Em. 
Pumpkin Pie. 
Cut the pumpkin into thin slices and steam 
until tender. Mash and rub through a sieve. 
To a quart of pumpkin add two quarts of new 
milk and six eggs. Sweeten to taste, and sea¬ 
son with a dessert spoonful each of ground 
cinnamon and ginger, a grated nutmeg aud a 
teaspoonful of salt. Heat the mixture and 
pour into pie-dishes lined with paBtc. Bake 
until set and delicately browned. e. m. 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Tomato Catsup. 
Mrs. G. W. wishes our recipe for tomato 
catsup. 
Ans. —The directious we append were given 
us by an acquaintance seven years ago, and we 
have followed them each seasou since with en¬ 
tire satisfaction. Onebnshel basketof tomatoes, 
three large teacupsful of salt, two tablespoons- 
ful of cayenne pepper, four ounces of whole 
black pepper, two ounces of whole allspice, 
two ounces of whole cloves, four ounces of 
grated nutmeg. Wash the tomatoes, put them 
into a kettle, and mash as fine as convenient. 
Add the salt aDd spice and boil two hours. 
Then, when cool enough, strain through a fine 
sieve, careful to rub through all of the pulp. 
But back to boll for four hours longer. When 
cool, bottle, drive in the corks, previously 
soaked In boiling water, and dip into scaling 
wax. Invert the bottles aud keep in a cool, dry 
cellar. During the last boiling—lour hours, the 
catsup needs almost constant stirring to keep 
from burning. 
ToICreen'.Plckles. 
Mrs. Sargent wishes to know how to “ green ” 
cucumber pickles with grape leaves. 
Ans. —Put into your piekling-kettle, which 
ought not to be brass, alternate layers of grape 
leaves and pickles. Press them down aud cover 
with alum water made in the proportions of two 
small t tcaspoonsfal of powdered alum to a 
gallon of water. Set the kettle over a moder¬ 
ate heat where the pickles will come to a scald 
but uot to a boil. Cover the kettle closely and 
let it stand on the back of the stove for four or 
five hoars. Then throw the pickles into cold 
water. Prepare the vinegar and pour over the 
cucumbers as soon as they are cold. 
frills of tbe SSltflt 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Monday, August 18th, 1879, 
The question whether one State can sue an¬ 
other on account ot claims held against the latter by 
individual citizens or the rormer Is about to be put 
to the test by New Hampshire. A recent law of 
that State authorizes the attorney-general upon 
his discretion to bring suits against other States 
In behalf of any citizen who assigns his claim to 
the State and gives a bond to cover the costs of 
procedure, the net avails recovered to be paid 
to the Individual creditor. A similar law passed 
the Legislature of New York and was vetoed by Gov 
Robinson. Thomas B. Pottei. M. P. for Rochdale 
and a weU-kuowu English liberal, lias arrived In 
this country and will have a cordial reception. A 
political pupil ot Cobden, he has been his most 
loyal disciple, and founded the Cobden club to 
spread his doctrines. Mr. Potter was one of the 
stanchest friends ot this country during the war 
aud will see as much of it now as he can In a 
brief stay. 
During July 12,710 Immigrants landed at New 
York against s,689 In the same month last year. For 
the year ending July 81, the increase in immi¬ 
grants was 27,100. The last report ot the British 
commissioner of customs lays slgnlhcauce on the 
fact that the value of British exports to tills coun¬ 
try In 1871 was *ui,ooo,o<Ki. and In 1878 but $72.- 
400 , 000 . The *• Yazoo" plan has been tried In Ran¬ 
kin county, Miss. A mass meeting of Democrats 
appointed a committee to order Major D. F. Sut¬ 
ton to withdraw front his canvass and leave the 
country. Sutton Is an old and respected citizen 
with no offense charged against him except his 
candidacy. Both the Vicksburg papers condemn 
this spirit, of lawlessness. Yazoo county is quiet 
uow, hut. the Independents are to hold a meet¬ 
ing so'm, and more trouble Is expected. The 
New York Herald devotes four columns to recent 
developments In the Stewart grave robbery, it 
says that in January a Nassau street lawyer re¬ 
ceived a letter from Montreal, signed “Romalne,” 
enclosing a retainer of $ 200 , and asking him to 
take charge or negotiations with Judge Hilton for 
the return of the body which was offered for 
$250,000. He also received by express, os an evi¬ 
dence of the good lalth of the writers, the silver 
knobs and parts of the handle of Stewart’s coffin, 
and the coffin plate. 'The lawyer communicated 
these facts to the police, but assured Hilton and 
Mrs. Stewart t hat the only way the body could 
be recovered was by the payment of a quarter- 
million. Hilton refuses to negotiate., and threatens 
the arrest of the negotiating parties. 
Rochester, N. Y., has won a complete victory In 
Its long contest with the New Yojk Central, a fair 
Illustration of the changed relations between rail¬ 
roads and the cities through which they pass. The 
tracks of the Central cross the streets of the city 
at grade, and the dispute arose over the cost of the 
changes necessary to prevent accident. Vander¬ 
bilt now offers to raise his tracks 20 feet, crossing 
the streets on Iron bridges, at a cost of $600,000, 
which is to be paid wholly by the railroad compa¬ 
ny ; the only concession asked being the closing of 
certain streets. When tho tracks of the Central 
were sunk In New York city at a cost of over 
$ 4 , 000 , 000 , the city paid half the expense, and the 
railroad, speaking In a general way, got all the 
profit. The National cotton exchange met at New 
York Wednesday, John Phelps of New Orleans, 
calling the convention of 70 members to order. The 
annual report of the executive council declares 
that during Che last five years cotton culture In 
the United States has outstripped the most san¬ 
guine expectations. The problem of free labor is 
virtually solved and the South must be regarded 
as the future reliance ot cotton manufacturers In 
both America and Europe. Taking the average ot 
the last few years, but 31 per cent, ot the cotton 
crop Is manufactured In the United States, 69 per 
cent, going to feed the mills of Great Britain and 
continental Europe. Reports from all the south¬ 
ern cotton exchanges to July 31, slate that the 
cotton plant Is small, but Is forming, blooming and 
boiling well. The reports are generally as favora¬ 
ble or rather belter than bust year, except that the 
crop is a little later, outside of Texas. Picking has 
begun there very much earlier than usual, and the 
early receipts are expected to he unprecedentedly 
large, at the expense of later months. 
The Tribune says that a further advance In east- 
bound freights of live cents per 100 from Chicago 
Is contemplated. The present rates which went 
into effect August 4, are already a large advance 
over those prevailing heretofore. The new rates 
are expected to begin August 24 . Prominent mer¬ 
chants and planters In Mississippi have sent a del¬ 
egation of colored men to Kansas, to see how that 
state is adapted to settlement by negroes. The 
supposition Is that the delegation will return with 
an unfavorable report, and thus stop the negro 
exodus. As the party Is largely composed of whites, 
such a supposlilou may prove true. The people of 
several counties in Texas arc anxious for the ne¬ 
groes to emigrate. The new Tramp law of Penn¬ 
sylvania goes into effect on tne loth last. The 
undesirable residents wJJl leave there shortly. A 
colored debating society lu Lee county, Ga., re¬ 
cently had before It for discussion, " Which are 
the most benefit to the country—the Lawyers or 
the Buzzards?" After a heated debate the ques¬ 
tion was finally decided In favor of the Buzzards. 
The present prospect Is unfavorable for an early 
repeal ot the order prohibiting the importation of 
American cattle into tho dominion of Canada. It 
is stated that the imperial government will lorbld 
the Importation Of Canadian cattle to England If 
that barrier Is removed. The Chicago lnter-Occan 
undertakes to prove that t he lake region Is to be¬ 
come the great center at iron manufacture. Cheap 
transportation for the Lake Superior ores, easy 
access to great coal fields, which Is specially true 
of Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, Milwaukee and 
Detroit, and the excellent facilities found at these 
points for shipping the manufactured products, It 
Is argued, must sooner or later divert tills valuable 
business to lake ports from less favored cities like 
Pittsburgh. 
Up to the adoption of the new constitution, 
mortgages In California contained a clause pro¬ 
viding that the borrower should pay any tax which 
might be imposed on the value ot the mortgage. 
The new constitution made It a felony to lusert 
this clause In a mortgage and Imposed a tax of t wo 
per cent on mortgages, but capital protects Itself 
lu California as it does everywhere else; the rate 
or Interest on mortgages has been advanced by 
the savings banks and other lenders two per 
cent, and the borrower pays the tax as he 
did before. The time la not far distant when 
the Northern Pacific railroad will make good all 
the early predictions of the enterprise. When Its 
tin e was pushed to Bismarck, It ran through unoc¬ 
cupied lands; the road Is now threaded with vil¬ 
lages, and the number ot passengers carried lu the 
first quarto's of 1877, 1878 and 1879 lias nearlv 
doubled to each succeeding year, beginning with 
4298 to ’77, and reaching nearly 17 ,000 to ’79. The 
sales of land along the line of the- road by the rail¬ 
road and government to 1878 amounted to 2,000,000 
acres, and It probably reached 3 , 000,000 acres to the 
year ending June 30,1879. The crop returns from 
34 settlements show that this land averaged 32>; 
bushels of wheat to Hie acre aud 42>; bushels of 
barley. The construction of the Northern Pacific 
Is to progress this season at the rate ol a mile a 
day, and is expected to reach the Yellowstone 
river to two years. Official returns of the census 
taken March i gives Kansas a population of s-19,- 
978. 
The reports from the United States Consuls on 
the condition of labor to the several countries of 
Eiu opo, which have been prepared for publication 
by the Department of State, show ; 1. That wages 
In the United States are double those of Belgium, 
Denmark, France and England, three times those 
of Germany, Italy aud Spain, aud tour limes those 
of the Netherlands. 2 . That t he prices of tho ne¬ 
cessaries of life are lower to tho United states, 
than In Europe., and that the laborer In the U. S., 
were he satisfied with rhe scanty aud miserable 
fare upon which the European laborer lives, can 
purchase like food for less money than It can be 
purchased for to Europe. 3. That the French 
working people, with far less wages, are happier 
than the working people of Great Britain, who re¬ 
ceive the highest wages to Europe, on account of 
the steadiness and the economical habits of the 
former, and the strikes, drinking habits and con¬ 
sequent recklessness of tho latter. 4. 'That more 
jnisery results from strikes, drinking, socialism 
and communism to England and Germany than 
from all other causes combined, hard tunes in¬ 
cluded. A forthcoming report ot the commissioner 
of Agriculture will show that to the whole United 
States, except Minnesota, California, Colorado, 
Oregon, New Mexico and Washington Territory, 
the average monthly pay ol farm laborers has de¬ 
clined during the year ending last April from three 
to fllteen per cent. At the same time the expenses 
of living to a majority of the States has declined 
In equal or greater proportion. In New-York alone, 
