1901 
859 
A Brick Bake Oven. 
THE FIRST-PRIZE WINNER IN OUR PHOTO¬ 
GRAPHIC COMPETITION. 
The picture shown on our first page, 
Fig. 383, received first prize in the re¬ 
cent photographic competition. It is 
needless to enlarge upon the beauty of 
the photograph, for that is fully shown 
in the engraving. The first qualities 
that strike us in the picture are the skill 
of the grouping and the sentiment dis¬ 
played, the latter quality being, from an 
artist’s standpoint, too often missing 
from a photograph. The shining milk 
pails, the clump of hollyhocks, and the 
plump little maid with the cushiony 
loaf, would bring back recollections of 
wholesome country living to many who 
have drifted far from the soil. The 
sender of the photograph, Mrs. S. J. 
Perry, oi Michigan, has this to say of it; 
“Such a brick bake oven is used in 
Onio and Pennsylvania for baking bread, 
pies, cakes and cookies. A fire is built 
inside of dry hard wood, and left to burn 
to coals; then raked out and a wet 
mop used to clean out the ashes. The 
large loaves of bread go in first, then 
pies, cakes and cookies. Bread requires 
but one hour to bake, and other things 
less. In fruit time large board trays 
are filled with apples or peaches sliced, 
or any fruit one wishes to dry, and put 
in after the bread is out. The door is 
closed and the fruit left until next day, 
when it is generally dry enough to put 
away. The bread is fine-flavored, and 
in generous-sized loaves as you can see. 
Eight to 10 loaves, half a dozen pies, 
cake, biscuit, etc., are generally a bak¬ 
ing. The Pennsylvania Dutch know 
well how to make such things.” 
Christmas Holly. 
Readers of The R. N.-Y. may wish 
to know more of the holly they see at 
Christmas. Some of the best comes 
from Delaware. Late in November and 
early December is a season of activity 
to a number of holly workers. It grows 
in the woods and damp places; is a tree, 
when at its best. The most beautiful 
holly has a thick, waxy dark-green leaf, 
edged with sharp thorns. It bears 
bunches of bright scarlet berries, smooth 
and shiny. They ship small branches 
of leaves and berries in boxes or cases. 
This is called loose holly by tne trade. 
Crosses and anchors are made in various 
ways; one style by wiring twigs of green 
and bunches of berries to wooden forms; 
another by the tacking of each leaf and 
sprig of berries to fiat wooden cross 
or anchor. While the latter is pretty, 
the former is the more natural looking. 
Men, women and children go holly 
hunting, on foot and with team; some¬ 
times go miles. Reckless, greedy gath¬ 
erers will cut down trees or cut the 
limbs and top; leaving the poor denuded 
stump to testify to their meanness. 
Others clip twigs, leaving the tree to 
bear a crop for next year. Some steal, 
some beg; others buy. Holly has a 
money value; so have potatoes; why 
steal more of one than the other? The 
twigs are carried home in bags. Often 
the wreath-maker has helpers. The hus¬ 
band or children will “trim” for her. 
Bad leaves, and extra leaves are clipped 
off. The hoop is made of a switch bent, 
tacked and tied, or wired. The maker 
has spooled the wrapping wire upon a 
small stick; taking the hoop in her lap, 
placing some twigs upon it, she holds 
them with the left hand, while she wires 
them round and round with the right. 
The berries have been freed from the 
leaves and tied into bunches; one of 
thesd is wrapped on to the hoop as often 
as the maker chooses. Five to the 
wreath, if a small one, is the common 
arrangement. Wreath making is not 
play. Considerable strength is required 
for good work, and the hands are con- 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use“Mrs.Wins- 
low’s Soothing Syrup” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adr. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
tinually coming in contact with the 
sharp holly points. Many a child has 
warmer clothing or an extra Christinas 
gift due to holly work. Each year finds 
it scarcer than before, and will increase 
the cost of decoration. It is a pity to 
rob the trees of their beauty! Upon a 
background or carpet of snow the dark- 
green leaves and bright berries are a 
beautiful sight to the eyes of a lover 
of nature’s handiwork. Nevertheless, 
it would give me joy to transplant some 
of them in their brightest beauty, where 
the city people could enjoy them in 
their perfection of loveliness. Eachi 
wreath or sprig of holly could tell you 
of your fellow beings in the country if 
it could speak. Some holly buyers see 
only dollars and cents in holly from first 
to last; others see beauty all the way, 
though money be the object for which 
they labor. No, not money but what 
money will buy. lucy e. horton. 
Homemade Mittens. 
Jack Frost is with us once again, and 
there is a general demand for mittens, 
large and small; and in one home at 
CHILD’S STOCKINET MITTEN. Fig. SHH. 
least there is no lack, although there is 
not a good knitter in the family—not 
one who has ever mastered the art of 
knitting to such an extent as to be able 
to knit and read at the same time, as 
Grandmother used to do. As the read¬ 
ing must not be neglected, the sewing 
machine is pressed into the service with 
very satisfactory results, turning out 
mittens at a rate that would astonish 
the housekeepers of “ye olden time.” 
For the men, who work all Winter with 
their mittens on, and must therefore 
have such as are warm, pliable and dur¬ 
able, we make them of heavy denim or 
duck, and line them with old knit under- 
MAN’S WORKING MITTEN. Fig. :i89. 
wear. These are so cheap, and quickly 
made, that to mend them would be a 
waste of time. The hands are made 
double as shown by dotted line in Fig. 
389; being applied on tne outside, when 
the “hand” wears through, it is ripped 
off; and this is all the mending they 
ever get. Made of wool goods (a piece 
of an old coat for instance) with the 
backs nicely stitched, they are very 
neat; and one pair, made from some 
pieces of an old fur cape, with calfskin 
hands, is quite fine, and just the thing 
for driving. The little boys have each 
a pair made of astrachan, lined with 
eiderdown, and finished around the tops 
with fur. 
For Spring and Fall wear, we omit the 
lining; and for the children, very good 
ones are made from pieces of their old 
bicycle hose, (there is usually a little 
left between the knee and ankle) cut¬ 
ting them as shown in Fig. 388. They 
will wear these cotton mittens—thus 
preventing chapped hands—when woolen 
ones would be too warm. Now I im¬ 
agine some sister holds up her hands 
in holy horror, and exclaims: “How 
shiftless!” But I deny the charge. Only 
those who cling to Grandmother’s ways 
are shiftless; and if some one can sug¬ 
gest a better way I am ready to shift 
about at any time, marion Lawrence. 
Rural Recipes. 
In Maryland we’re happy— 
The nor’west breezes pipe; 
The canvasback is blooming 
And the terrapin is ripe. 
The hardshell crab is tempting 
The Jaded appetite; 
The oyster makes us joyous— 
The world is running right. 
—Baltimore American. 
Raisin Gingerbread Without Eggs.— 
One cupful brown sugar, one-third of a 
cupful of shortening (part butter and 
part nice beef suet), one cupful of mo¬ 
lasses, two-thirds of a cupful of butter¬ 
milk, three cupfuls of fiour, one cupful 
of seeded raisins, one rounding tea¬ 
spoonful soda, one teaspoonful each of 
ginger and cinnamon, and one-third 
teaspoonful each of cloves and allspice. 
Bake in a shallow pan and eat warm. 
Indian Pudding.—An old-fashioned 
apple Indian pudding, known to every 
one who remembers grandmother’s 
cooking, calls for two quarts of milk, 
one cupful of molasses, one cupful of 
Indian meal, one tablespoonful of finely- 
chopped suet, two teaspoonfuls of sali 
and one quart of pared and quartered 
apples. Heat the milk in a double 
boiler, and when it boils pour it over 
the meal. Put the mixture in the double 
boiler and cook for three-quarters of an 
hour, stirring it often. Add the mo¬ 
lasses, apples and suet and a half tea¬ 
spoonful each o^ ginger and nultmeg. 
Butter the pudding dish, turn the batter 
into it and bake it in a slow oven for 
three hours. Serve it with cream. If 
butter is used in place of suet three 
tablespoonfuls will be required. Sweet 
apples are the best for this pudding. 
WHAT’S IN A NAME? 
Depends upon the name. 
Scott’s Lmulsion is a name 
that has value. Maybe it 
doesn’t mean much to you— 
but to the consumptive who 
has been strengthened and fat¬ 
tened, to the sickly children 
who have received good health, 
to the weak mothers and 
babies who have grown strong 
—to these Scott’s Emulsion 
means something. 
To all of them it has meant 
an easy and natural return to 
health. 
We’l Isencl you a little to try, i f you like.. 
SCO'fT & BOWNE, .409 Pearl street. New York. 
EVERY MAN 
WOMAN AND CHILD 
who luffers from 
Rheumatism 
should use 
SUacobsOil 
It Conquers Pain, acts like 
maslc, and has no equal o« 
earth as a pain killer. 
Price, 25c and 50c. 
SOLD BY ALL DEALERS IN MEDICDOt 
SPECIAL OFFER 
High-Grade Watches. 
WALTHAM AND ELGIN ONLY. 
Orders will be filled by return mail 
for Christmas and New Year’s presents. 
We now offer some extra fine watches. 
Every watch offered is stem wind and 
set and has all improvements. 
The “P. S. Bartlett” Waltham and the 
“G. M. Wheeler” Elgin are as good 
watch works for men as we have ever 
seen. 
Men’s Size Watches. 
“P. S. BARTLETT’’ OR “G. M. WHEELER.” 
We give" you your choice. They are 
full 17-jeweled watches. They are ad¬ 
justed by experts and are first-class in 
every respect. They come cased at fol¬ 
lowing prices, including free safe de¬ 
livery; 
In solid ore-silver ease, open face. $12.2.‘i 
In sterling silver case, open face.13.88 
In sterling silver case, 3 oz. case, open 
face or hunting. 16.15 
In 25-year gold filled case, open face.. 18.56 
In 25-year gold filled case, hunting_21.37 
No. 7. Ladies’Waltham or Elgin 
Watch. 
14-K. GOLD-FILLED CASE. 
FULL 15-JEWELED WORKS. 
No. 7 is a lady’s full 15-jeweled hunt¬ 
ing case watch. The works Waltham or 
Elgin. The case is 14-Kt. gold filled, 
guaranteed to 25 years. Price delivered 
in good running order, $14.50. 
All watches are fully guaranteed. 
Money returned if not satisfied. The 
watches are sold only to subscribers. 
You can get any watch free by getting 
up a club of subscriptions. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YOKER, NEW YORK 
/ 
ON THE FARM 
—in the fumber camp or the stock yard—wherever 
out-^oor work is done, "Ball-Band” Boots give 
comfort. The most economical goods because the 
most durable. Made on lines of sterling honesty 
in materials ana workmanship. 
II 
Ball-Band 
If Knit Boots, 
Socks, Rubber 
Boots, Shoes, 
and Arctics 
have earned a world-wide reputation. Sales in¬ 
creased over two millions last year. Not made by 
the trust. Refuse imitations which are being forced 
on the market. Look for the red ball, in the trade 
mark on genuine "Ball-Bands.” Sold everywhere. 
Get them of your local dealer. 
MISHAWAKA WOOLEN MFG. CO., 
Mbhawaka, Ind. 
