1909. 
The Luscious Watermelon. 
Watermelon served in the natural 
state is good enough for any purpose, 
provided it has fully ripened and has 
the delightful blending of flavor and 
fragrance that marks the perfect melon, 
and without which they are watery and 
insipid. An expert, when selecting 
melons, first gives them a tap to get "a 
peculiar ringing sound the ripe ones 
give forth and then “hefts” it for that 
indescribable something that makes a 
fully ripened one feel solid, and one 
that is not fully ripened seem hollow 
and light when lifted. # The expert 
tests a melon in other ways through 
the white side—where it has lain next 
the ground, and away from the sun¬ 
light. When he presses on this spot, or 
scratches it with the finger nail and 
finds the skin tender, while the melon 
holds up firmly, with no sign of yield¬ 
ing to pressure, or cutting by the nail, 
he knows it is ready for use. “Plug¬ 
ging ’ a melon or driving a nail into it 
are common tests, and they, too, should 
he applied at the whitest spot. As 
these tests are not allowed on the mar¬ 
kets, it is well to learn to judge by 
tapping, hefting or pressing. 
Given a perfectly ripened melon, it 
must be cold to bring out the delicious 
flavor, and some people cannot eat them 
without suffering an attack of indi¬ 
gestion (others cannot eat them on 
cool days), but as it is the chill to the 
stomach that causes the trouble, it may 
be overcome lv sprinkling fine ginger 
(very lightly) over the sliced melon 
I he ginger counteracts the chill with¬ 
out impairing the flavor of the melon, 
l or table serving the melon may be 
cut to represent baskets, tubs, boats, or 
other shapes. Scoop the eatable part 
out, very carefully, and cut into small 
pieces of any shape—removing the seeds. 
Put shell and pieces on ice, or in a cool 
place until ready to serve, and then 
arrange the pieces in the shell and 
■'tand.it on a fancy plate. The rind and 
greenish-white part of the melon will 
turnish many a delicacy for mid-win¬ 
ter consumption if properly prepared, 
among which pickles and preserves are, 
perhaps, best known. 
1 or a plain pickle, take the outer 
part of the melon and scrape off the 
very greenest part of the rind. Then 
cut the firm, greenish-white part that 
lies next the rind into pieces and boil 
in clear water until tender. Drain the 
pieces and pour over them a syrup 
made by -boiling together vinegar, sugar 
and spices. Any favorite pickle recipe 
may be used, as the degree of tartness 
and the spices used are purely matters 
of taste. .After the syrup has beeiv 
poured, boiling hot, over the rinds let 
stand 24 hours. Drain off syrup and 
bring to boiling heat; boil five or ten 
minutes and pour over the rinds. After 
standing another 24 hours drain off 
the syrup and boil until as thick as 
desired. Drop the rinds in and let 
them boil for five minutes before put¬ 
ting in cans. This is the basis of all 
the watermelon pickles, and different 
descriptive names come from some 
very slight changes. Boiling pieces of 
ginger-root in the syrup instead of 
cinnamon and cloves changes the plain 
sweet pickles to “gingered pickles.” 
.Some cooks soak the prepared rind 
over night in weak brine; others in 
weak alum-water, and others boil the 
pieces in weak ginger-tea, instead of 
clear water, before pouring hot syrup 
over them. These are the methods 
usually followed, but, personally, I pre- 
ter the simpler ..method that'follows. 
I repare the rind as above; boil in 
nightly salted water until it can be 
pn iced with a straw; drain, and drop 
into the syrup; cook until clear; pack 
the pieces in crock; boil syrup until 
mick a nd . pour over them. Nine 
pounds fruit, three pounds sugar, 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
tasteless and is not relished, but if from the heads down of wheat straw 
such falls to your lot, do not throw it was used, or shredded shucks. For 
away. Cut the part of it that would be dressy occasions, silk was torn in half- 
eaten, if good, into small pieces; re- inch strips, each side raveled out one- 
move seeds, weigh, and allow a pound third of the way; then plaited in a flat 
oi sugar for each pound of melon— braid. Frames of wire or pasteboard 
also a large lemon, sliced thin and seeds in the prevailing style of headgear were 
removed, for each pound of melon, covered with the silk braid, which 
bimmer gently until as thick as mar- closely resembled chenille. These 
malade, put in glasses, and seal, this hats sold for $25, and only the most 
gives a pretty pink marmalade that wealthy could purchase them, 
makes a superfine dessert if slipped Not only was necessity the mother 
irom the cups, cut in halves, or thick of invention*in the way of wearing ap- 
slices, and served with a spoonful of parel, but she held full sway in the 
whipped cream on top. kitchen. Wheat bran, wheat grains 
11 any small, unripe melons are on and sliced sweet potatoes, dried and 
at the end of season cut from parched, were used as a substitute for 
each one a piece large enough to per- coffee. Sweet cider, boiled down and 
nut cleaning out the inside. Place the mixed' with sour apple juice, made 
cleaned shells (and pieces cut to make jelly and preserves, dark and tasty, 
opening) in strong brine over night. Sorghum or sweet cider was. used to 
In the morning pack the shells solid sweeten the butters and jams. Mak- 
with a mixture of chopped cabbage, ing cider in those davs was no light 
green tomato celery, cucumber and a task. A large log, hewn out to fonn 
little onion. Sprinkle this with salt and a trough, was filled with apples, and 
let stand an hour or so ; then add pounded with a maul until mashed: 
spices of whatever kind liked and a then lifted out in slatted crates and 
small amount of mustard seed, nastur- heavy weights put on top to press out 
tium pods, ginger root and chopped the juice, which ran off the grooved 
pepper, hit m the pieces cut out and planks into vessels set around, 
tie m place; coyer with vinegar and Basket-making was another industry 
let stand over night. In the morning which is still followed. For everyday 
bring to boiling heat and simmer half use hickory splints are used; staves, 
hour. Lift out: place in jar and rims and handles are placed in posi- 
eover with cold vinegar (fresh). The tion, then splints worked from bottom 
next day drain off this vinegar and to top over and ujider until all the 
add a cup of sugar to each quart; spaces were filled. Some of the weav- 
bnng to boil and pour over the “man- ers were so competent that the finest 
goes. Repeat, the boiling of the vine- of sand would not sift through the 
gar and pouring over the. melon for completed basket. The splints were 
three or four mornings (it takes but also used for chair bottoms and bed 
a tew minutes) and they will then keep mattresses. Hickory and elm bark was 
indefinitely. In preparing the mixture also used for coarser work. Clothes, 
tor fil ing the mangoes any one of the lunch and laundry baskets were made 
vegetables named, in connection with of willow withes, and are still quite 
the cabbage, will give satisfactory re- common in this vicinity. The willows 
“ greater variety is not at hand, are cut in the Spring, and bark peeled 
Ifie following idea is one I saw pub- off; the withes are soaked in warm 
fished and consider valuable if it is as water before using. Baskets of all 
good as claimed. “Coat a fine melon shapes, sizes and designs are woven, 
with paraffin and place in a box of and when drv either varnished, painted 
hay or straw, to avoid pressure on a or left in them natural state The work- 
hard surface, and it will keep perfectly is rather intricate and must be seen to 
for a long, time.” It would make be appreciated. The loops, curves 
melons possible after the season was twists and scalloped effects are only 
over, and if only two or three weeks the ingenuity of the weaver 
late they would be relished more than 
when the vines were producing all the 
family wanted, eva ryman-gaillard. 
727 
DORA B. PHILLIPS. 
A Batch of Cake. 
Glazed Currant Buns.—Soften a 
cake of compressed yeast in half a cup 
of scalded and cooled milk, and add 
pint ot vinegar and spices best liked is 
1 good <‘pickle, ’ though proportions 
may be. changed to suit the individual. 
, making pickles brown sugar is best, 
l,ut for preserves white sugar is used. 
To make preserves, take the solid 
nte part that lies between the pink 
• ’ T 6 • an , d tbe f? ree ”ish-white part next 
n i md. If to ‘be sealed seven pounds 
su £ ar to 10 of melon is plenty, but 
!{ j 0 ,j )e kept unsealed use the stan¬ 
dard pound for pound.” In either 
case adu a finely sliced lemon for each 
five pounds of melon. Boil the pieces 
yf. melon in the syrup until clear, then 
bod the syrup until thick and pour over 
me1on ; T the jars. Tf a variety of 
T™ . 1S d< ; si red. divide the syrup after 
mg the melon and add ginger to 
TT Part ° f T, during the boiling down, 
lave the melon in separate jars and 
„ " h,ch ^as the gingered syrup 
vored ; ° Ver W , ll! be delightfully fla- 
' °I ed m. a very short time. 
Sometimes a melon proves to be 
Southern War-Time Experience. 
xt,. „ r cum i_uuieu mi ik, ana aaa 
I he women of the present time seem to a pint of the same. Stir in about 
to think they have many hardships, three cups of flour, beat until very 
vvliile the good man of the house smooth, then cover and set to rise 
grumbles and groans over the high When light, add half a cup of sugar 
prices of the necessities of life. Allow half a cup of softened butter, one tea- 
me to give you a. leaf from one of our spoonful of salt, three eggs,' one cup 
southern women’s experiences during of cleaned currants, and"about three 
war times. A former article has given cups of flour. Knead until elastic and 
method of weaving, etc., but even then, set to rise. When doubled in bulk roll 
if cotton chain was bought, the cloth out into a sheet and cut into rounds 
cost one dollar per yard, as the thread Set the rounds a little distance apart 
was $40 per bale, and one bale would on a baking sheet, and, when doubled 
fui nish chain for about 40 yards. Sew- in bulk, bake about twenty-five min¬ 
ing-machines were unknown; washers, utes. Brush over with thin starch (a 
wringers, and such labor-saving devices teaspoonful of cornstarch to a cup of 
were objects of curiosity in any neigh- boiling water), sprinkle thickly with 
borhood. Flint rocks, tow and tinder granulated sugar and return to the 
boxes were in common use in lieu of oven to glaze. Repeat the glazing 
the matches of the present day. The process until a heavy coatino- is formed, 
tallow candles are now as scarce as the Caramel Layer Cake.—Into three 
oil lamps were m those days. The cups of pastry flour sift three tea- 
method of making candles may be of spoonfuls of baking powder three 
interest to many of the younger genera- times. Rub to a cream a small cup of 
horn. he molds were usually of tin, butter and two cupfuls of powdered 
holding from six to a dozen or more sugar. Beat until soft and light in 
candles. \\ lcks were, made ^of cotton color, then whip in the yolks of four 
cords, doubled and twisted, with a loop eggs beaten until thick. Stir %n a 
in end to run a small stick through; small cup of sweet milk, and, lastly, 
the other ends of wick were run fold in the stiffened whites of the eggs 
through , center of each mold and tied alternately with the flour Bake in 
on outside to hold securely in center, layer-tins. To make the caramel, into 
then melted tallow was poured in un- three-quarters of a cup of cream put 
til each mold was full, and wicks ex- a pinch of baking soda, add a half 
ammed t( ? see . were straight in cup of sugar and a teaspoonful of 
center, -else the light would burn butter, and pour all into an agate- 
crooked I hen the molds were hung lined saucepan. Boil steadily, without 
UP untd candles hardened, when molds stirring, until it “threads.” Take from 
vvcie slightly warmed and contents re- the fire and pour four tablespoonfuls 
moved as needed. Some few house- of caramel (or sugar that has been 
wives . preferred dipping candles to melted to a deep brown, and beat in 
molding. a teaspoon ful of vanilla extract. Beat 
Many southern women who had long and hard. When cold spread on 
never known want found themselves cake layers. 
well nigh destitute. Braiding hats was Almond Biscuits.—Half a pound of 
found profitable by many. When ob- dry siftfd flour, quarter of a pound 
u.na ik the palmetto pines were used, of powdered sugar, quarter of a pound 
King gathered before maturity and of butter rubbed together until well 
spread in the sun until dry; then blades creamed. Add one well-whipped eg" 
were split desired width with a long and three drops of essence of almond, 
s larp needle, and braided, the braider Roll out on floured board until quite 
using three, four or as many strands thin. Cut with biscuit cutter and bake 
as desired. The notched braid was in a hot oven. When nicely browned 
gencial v used for ladies hats. Two remove from the oven, and when cold 
strands were taken up and doubled in cover each biscuit with the following 
the center, bringing two over and two ice: Half a pound of confectioners’ 
Qr P e ?? 1 s’t-the work.held to- sugar, white of one egg well beaten, two 
ward the braider When sufficient ma- tablespoonfuls of water, half a cup of 
tenal was completed the hats were be- chopped almonds and three drops of 
gun in center of crown, either round or essence of almond. * Brown in the 
oblong, as the worker desired. If pal- oven, and place in refrigerator until 
metto was unobtainable, the first joints icing hardens. i 
\ wWtB.lPAT.0rK f y» } 
FOUNDED 1848 
Intense Black 
There is one sure way 
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If your dealer hasn’tSimpson- 
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Tbe Eddystone Mfg. Co., Philadelphia 
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4 
