1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
423 
siderable portion of our food in some 
seasons. Growing - chickens for egg - pro¬ 
duction gives us many young cockerels, 
in fact, more than we can use. 
But little is saved in buying in quan¬ 
tity here, as our merchants sell sugar 
nearly as cheap by the pound as by the 
barrel. The nutritive value of foods is 
considered somewhat, but not being 
obliged to buy, we look more to palata- 
bility and health. Milk, eggs, corn meal, 
beans and buckwheat stand among the 
cheapest forms of food, nutritive value 
considered, but are all hearty foods. 
A child fed on them, will not be a good 
student, or as good as on an oatmeal, 
egg, whole-wheat bread, steak and fresh- 
fruit diet. 
Our great, health-giving mainstay, is 
fresh fruit in Summer, and home-canned 
tomatoes, corn and fruit in Winter. We 
have such food every day in the year, in 
some form. The older ones drink tea 
and coffee, but the younger ones prefer 
fresh, sweet skim-milk from the Cooley 
creamer. It would be almost impossible 
to fix a value on the home-manufactured 
foods, as we do our own work, and have 
small amounts of almost everything we 
take a fancy for. c. E. c. 
New York. 
The Question of Proportion. 
We keep an account of our table ex¬ 
penses. Our family consists of two 
grown persons and five children, rang¬ 
ing in age from two to ten years. Our 
average weekly expenses for the family 
during the year 1897 were $4. This has 
kept the children growing finely, and 
they are all in prime condition. If the 
farm is made to supply milk, butter, 
cheese, honey, eggs and poultry, to¬ 
gether with the many and varied fruits 
and vegetables which thrive in our cli¬ 
mate, at least one-half of the bill of fare 
can be provided for on the farm. If the 
farm will contribute a pig, a lamb or a 
steer, so much the better, although pork 
is excluded from our bill of fare. 
We have never practiced buying food 
materials in quantity, but we think that, 
by buying such articles as salt, sugar, 
soap, rice, raisins, spices, or anything 
which can be stored without loss, in 
quantities sufficient to last six months, 
something might be gained ; also, that 
such ax-ticles as fruit cans, jelly tumblers, 
etc., can be bought very much cheaper 
out of season. 
We do not always consider the nutri¬ 
tive value in proportion to the cost, 
although we do as a general rule. We 
believe that the housewife should always 
be the buyer, and that she should be 
guided in some measure by the palate of 
the consumer. Study consumer and 
material, watch the market, and remem¬ 
ber that stale articles are never cheap at 
any price. 
I do not see how you can get any gen¬ 
eral proportion between the total income 
and the table expenses. For instance, if 
our income should decrease 50 per cent, 
I do not see how it would be possible to 
decrease the table expenses in propor¬ 
tion, and provide a living ration. If our 
income should increase 100 per cent, I 
certainly should not feel justified in in¬ 
creasing our table expenses in like pro¬ 
portion. MARY qUINCY. 
Wisconsin. 
ABOUT BAKING POWDERS. 
A jocose convention speaker, in setting 
forth the attractions of Syracuse, said, 
“We have large salt factories here, and 
soda is made from salt, and baking pow¬ 
der from soda, and baking powder we 
all know is ‘ absolutely pure ! ”. 
“Which kind?” was the pertinent 
question of several in the audience, and 
the question is echoed by the housewife, 
who, knowing little of the materials 
that are used in the manufacture, is 
puzzled by the varying testimonials and 
sweeping denunciations of bak’ng pow¬ 
der advertisements. A little considera¬ 
tion of the subject would help her to an 
intelligent choice. Baking powders are 
a mixture of an acid salt and the carbon¬ 
ate of an alkali. Pure, strong alkalies 
are powerful poisons, and eat the coat 
of the stomach ; but when properly com¬ 
bined with acids, this poisonous property 
is lost. These two unite chemically 
under the influence of heat and moisture, 
and carbonic acid gas is liberated. It is 
the effort of this gas to escape that 
stretches and expands the dough, and 
makes it full of air cells. If left to stand, 
much of this gas would finally be lost ; 
but if baked at once, the air cells will be 
hardened by the heat, and the loaf be 
light and porous. But we must remem¬ 
ber that, in uniting the two, another 
compound is formed, entirely different 
from either. 
We want, then, in our baking powder, 
the materials that will give the largest 
amount of gas at the least expense. We 
want them to combine readily, yet not 
so quickly that the gas will escape before 
we can get the air cells hardened by 
baking. They must be perfectly meas¬ 
ured, that there be no excess of either 
acid or alkali, and the salt which results 
from their combination, must be harm¬ 
less to the stomach. [The word “ salt ” 
is here used in its chemical significance, 
meaning the neutral compound formed by 
the union of an acid with a basic sub¬ 
stance.— Ed.] 
In these days, the bicarbonate of soda, 
a purified alkali made from the ashes of 
marine plants and from sea salt, is so 
cheap and good, that the potash com¬ 
pounds known to our grandmothers are 
seldom used. It is in the acids used that 
the baking powders now put upon the 
market differ. Alum is so unwholesome 
that, in many places, its discovery in 
bread is punishable by fines and im¬ 
prisonment. Nevertheless large quan¬ 
tities of alum baking powders are in the 
market, and these should never be used. 
Alum is a powerful astringent, and be¬ 
sides, it partly destroys the nutritive 
value of flour, and causes stomach and 
other troubles. Avoid very cheap bak¬ 
ing powders. Good ones cannot be cheap. 
Tartaric and phosphoric acids are 
strong and objectionable, and the plios- 
phatic powders seem to lose strength 
with age. Cream of tartar is the acid 
which, in the opinion of the highest 
authorities, is safest and best to use. It 
is obtained from the crystals which col¬ 
lect in wine casks. It is not easily dis¬ 
solved in cold water, and so does not 
unite with the soda until the application 
of heat. The salt formed by the union 
is Bochelle salt, which is not injurious 
taken occasionally and in the small quan¬ 
tities in which we would get it in baking 
powder. But cream of tartar is expen¬ 
sive, and that is the reason why a really 
good powder costs so much. Sometimes 
rice flour, corn starch and similar mate¬ 
rials are used to blend the acid and 
alkali. If such things are present in too 
large quantity, they weaken the leaven¬ 
ing power of the powder. Ammonia, 
too, is added, and while it would not 
seem wise to recommend its use, since 
an excess would weaken the acid of the 
gastric juice, it does add to the leaven¬ 
ing power, and is quite generally used 
by German cooks and bakers. The 
chloride of ammonium is used by Russian 
peasants to flavor food, instead of the 
chloride of sodium, our common salt. 
Whether it is cheaper to buy or make 
our powder at home, is a question open 
to discussion. In small families, or 
where the cook cannot be depended on to 
measure accurately, it is better to buy ; 
but where large quantities are required, 
something can be saved by mixing at 
home. This is not at all difficult. Pur¬ 
chase the cream of tartar from a reliable 
druggist; there is no other way to guard 
against its adulteration with alum. Use 
one level spoonful of soda to two full 
spoonfuls of cream tartar. Add one 
spoonful of cox-n starch. Mix well, and 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to xise “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Beet.— Adv. 
sift several times through the finest wire 
strainer. Use as you woxxld any other 
baking powder. Soda and cream of tar¬ 
tar should have their place in every store 
closet, as they will often be required sepa¬ 
rately. The latter is used in angel food 
and sponge cakes to stiffen the egg whites 
and hold up the mixtxxre ixntil the air 
cells are hardened by heat, and soda is 
usefxil in many ways. 
Three other acids are used in connec¬ 
tion with soda for leavening doughs. 
Hydrochloric acid would be the least ob¬ 
jectionable of any, as the salt formed by 
its union with soda is chloride of sodixxm 
or common salt; bxxt it cannot come into 
genei’al use, as it is a dangerous acid to 
keep among cooking matei-ials, and it 
xxnites so i*eadily that only a very skillful 
hand could get the dough to the oven 
befoi-e all the gas had escaped. Molasses 
gives us another acid, less strong now 
than formerly, which accounts for the 
large quantities of soda in some old re¬ 
cipes. 
There is no cheaper way to leaven 
quick doughs than by the use of sour 
milk, and where this is plentiful, house¬ 
wives should learn to use it. When it 
has soured rapidly, and is thick and 
solid, it doesn’t vary greatly in the de¬ 
gree of acidity. One level teaspoonfxil 
of soda to one pint of milk is usually re¬ 
quired ; but some soda is so strong that 
less will do. In making soda and sour 
milk mixtures, the work must be done 
quickly, and it will be found a good plan 
to mix the soda thoroughly with the 
fioxir by several siftings. Mix all dry 
materials, then add the milk, and bake 
as soon as possible. To dissolve soda 
first in hot water and add that last, is to 
lose much of its gas before it gets into 
the mixture. Alice a. smith. 
A USEFUL LAMP SHADE. 
Just at present, no really beautifxxl, 
safe, moderate-priced lamp shade seems 
procurable. The glass globes shut off 
too much light to make them desix-able 
where a good light is necessary for read¬ 
ing or sewing. The huge Empire shades 
of wall paper, or in coarsely decorated 
panel designs, are so painfully ugly that 
even their safety and simplicity cannot 
redeem them. The ideal shade is hand¬ 
some enough to correspond with dainty 
furnishings, durable enoxxgh to make it 
worth while to bestow some time and 
trouble on its construction ; clean, xxn- 
fading, safe, in fact, what we have never 
yet had, bxxt have always hoped to live 
to see. Now 1 think I have discovered 
such a shade. 
Cut a paper pattei - n of the shape de¬ 
sired, ten inches deep, and of such a 
curve as will secure a six-inch opening 
at the top, and a 14-inch opening at the 
bottom. Lay this pattern on a piece of 
wix-e netting painted green, such as is 
used for door and window screens ; mark 
around it, and cut with old shears, or 
better yet, tinners’ shears adapted to 
hard usuage. Join neatly and run mil¬ 
liners’ wire around top and bottom, cov¬ 
ering with narrow green ribbon. This 
forms the foxindation for the shade 
proper; it is, in fact, all there is of it 
after it has bloomed oixt in its floral 
beauty. From one to two gross of small 
green or shaded leaves, sxieh as come put 
up in bxxnches, complete the shade. 
These leaves are arranged so as entirely 
to cover the wire. The wire stems are 
drawn thx-oxxgh the mesh, and superflu- 
ous ends exit off with cutting pliers. 
This is continued till a delicate network 
of foliage covers the shade, a tiny leaf 
pi’ojecting - beyond the edge wherever the 
lines end. 
When completed, we have a beautiful 
and artistic shade, ample protection for 
the eyes, while throwing a strong light 
downward for reading or sewing. At 
the same time, it is dxirable. and best of 
all, safe. The air passes freely thi'ough 
the interstices of the wire and foliage, 
and is not confined within dangerous 
limits to overheat the oil, even when a 
large lamp is xised. It is restful and 
pleasing to the eye in daylight and even¬ 
ing alike, and sufficiently decorative for 
ordinai-y occasions. When a more elab¬ 
orate effect is desired, artificial flowers 
may be arranged among the leaves, giv¬ 
ing a touch of color to harmonize with 
the decorations of the room. The shade 
is not more costly than the perishable 
and dangerous ones of silk and lace, and 
is much more usefxxl and artistic. 
ELLA H. COOPER. 
We Are the Farmer’s Friends. 
$10.75 
♦ 
♦ 
078 is the number 
of this (exact) 
Piano Polished 
Solid Oak China, 
Closet and $10.75 is 
our price. Retail¬ 
ers would want $20 
for it. It, measures 
70 inches high, ?58 
inches long, and 
the improved bev¬ 
eled edged plate 
glass measures 16x6 
inches. All the 
shelves are mova¬ 
ble. Our Catalogue of Fur¬ 
niture, Draperies, Crockery, 
Baby Carriage-, Bedding, 
Stoves. Lamps, Mirrors, Pic¬ 
tures, etc., IS MAILED FREE 
to all who ask for it. Our 
Lithographed Carpet Cata¬ 
logue Is also mailed free. If 
samples are desired, send 8c. 
We pay freight on Carpets 
and sew them free of charge. 
$10.95 
buys the best imported All- 
Wool Clay Worsted Suit, 
made to your measure, EX¬ 
PRESS PAID to YOUR STATION. 
Special Bargains in Light¬ 
weight Serges. Catalogue 
and samples free. Address 
(exactly) as below. 
•Julius Hines& Son,< 
J Dept. 320 BALTIMORE, MD. 
$50 Sewing Machine for $19.50. 
WITH ONE YEAR’S SUBSCRIPTION TO THE R. N.-Y., $20. 
We should be sorry if any reader of The R. N.-Y. in any part of the country 
should pay $40 or $50, or even $25 or $30 for a sewing machine. We would be sorry 
because we can send him just as good a machine as is made for $19.50. The finish 
and appearance and attachments are in 
every way equal to the best machines 
made. We will send it ON TRIAL, freight 
paid, and you may retui’n it at our ex¬ 
pense, if you are not satisfied; you shall 
be the judge yourself. We shall sell them 
at this price only to sxxbscribers. We have 
sold thousands of these machines to sxxb¬ 
scribers, and we have never had one re- 
tui-ned. Several families in connection 
with The R. N.-Y r . have them ; that is why 
we can praise them so highly. 
For $19.50, we will send the machine to 
any subscriber, freight paid to any address 
east of the Rocky Mountains. For $20, we 
include a year’s subscription. After a fail- 
trial, we will return the money and pay 
fi-eight both ways, if you are not satisfied. 
We will send it for a club of 10 subscriptions at $1 each, and $15 extra. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
