1883.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
575 
Housekeepers' Measures. 
A great deal of poor food, especially cakes aud 
other ‘‘recipe” preparations, is due to inaccuracy 
in measuring. “A pinch ” of salt or pepper, or other 
condiment, may mean four times as much in one 
hand, as in another,—quite enough to entirely 
change the quality and flavor. Teaspoons, teacups 
and coffeecups now vaiy greatly. The old standard 
teacup held just half a pint, or four to the quart, 
and the cotfeecup three quarters of a pint, or, two 
and two-third cups to a quart; but on testing 
several cups now in use we find that of one pattern 
of teacups three fill a quart; of another it takes five, 
and of another six; while of coffeecups, two of one 
set fill a quart and of another it takes nearly four. 
Tea aud table spoons now vary still more, some 
holding three times as much as others. In fact, a 
large number of the so-called recipes or receipts, 
aside from being a general guide, amount to about 
this : Make up a mixture of such and such in¬ 
gredients, according to your own judgment and 
taste, and you may hit upon a good thing. The 
same might be said of much of the cutting and 
fitting of garments, though measuring tapes, 
graduated yard sticks and cutting boards, are now 
so cheap that they are coming into general use, in¬ 
stead of so many “ fingers ” length, or “ half a yard 
from the elbow to the end of the middle finger.” 
It would be a simple matter aud a great conven¬ 
ience, for any housekeeper to keep always at hand 
accurate measuring cups of earthenware or tin. 
Let a teacupful or a tumbler 
full, always mean exactly 
half a pint, and keep a cup 
of that size. Or use a small 
tin cup—one with a side 
handle being preferable. A 
cup just three inches in 
diameter and a trifle over two 
inches deep, holds half a pint 
(3 inches across and 2 1 /,, inch¬ 
es deep inside ; or 2 inches in 
diameter and 3 1 /, inches 
deep). Any square or oblong 
cup whose inside length, 
depth and width in inches multiplied together, 
make about ll'/j inches (14.437 inches) holds a pint. 
Thus : a tin or other box 2‘/o inches square needs 
to be nearly 2‘/ 3 inches (2.31 inches) deep to hold 
half a pint (2>/ 2 by2V 2 by 2.31 = 14.417 very nearly.) 
Spoon measuring is more important, especially in 
giving medicines. The top is so broad and it is 
so difficult to know when a spoon is evenly full, 
that a “teaspoonful dose” of any medicine, or of 
a flavoring extract in cooking, may be double what 
is prescribed. The standard teaspoon, evenly full, 
holds one-eighth of a fluid ounce, or 128 to a pint; 
and a standard tablespoon just three times as 
much, or 42 to the pint. Sixty drops of water equal 
one teaspoonful, but drops of different liquids vary 
in size. Every family should have a “ Minim glass ” 
(minim means a drop). This is a little glass tube 
or cup having a broad base and a lip for pouring 
from (see engraving). There are marks on the 
side and figures 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, for so many 
drops,—the figure 60 making just a standard tea¬ 
spoonful. With this at hand one is always able to 
measure off exact teaspoonfuls of anything. In 
giving medicine, such regularity of doses may mean 
recovery of health. These glasses can be bought at 
most druggists for fifteen to thirty cents each. 
Fine Ciicnml»cr Pickles. — Make a 
brine that will bear an egg, and drop in the cucum¬ 
bers ; cover them with grape leaves ; weight them 
down, and let them stand ten or more days. Then 
take them out, drain well, aud soak a day or two 
in plenty of clear water, frequently changed. Af¬ 
terwards put them in a kettle with grape and cab¬ 
bage leaves and a lump of alum. Cover with weak 
vinegar, and let them stand until they turn green. 
Then take out, drain, and put into stone jars. For 
each three gallons of pickles use one gallon of 
cider-vinegar, and place into it one ounce each of 
mace and celery seed; two ounces of ginger; three 
ounces each of cloves and stick cinnamon; four 
ounces each of mustard seed (black and white 
mixed), choice black pepper and allspice; two 
tablespoonfuls of ground mustard; a handful of 
chopped horse-radish; two pods of red pepper; four 
onions, and two pounds of sugar. Boil, and pour 
it hot over the pickles. More sugar can be added 
to suit the taste. Cover the jar very closely, and 
expose to the sun every day during hot weather. 
Ivy in the House. 
No other plant is so well suited for in-door dec¬ 
oration as the true or European Ivy — not the 
substitute known as “ Parlor Ivy ” and by other 
names. In former volumes we have shown how it 
Fig. 1.— IVY AS WINDOW DRAPERY. 
may be used for the decoration of cornices, picture 
frames, etc., but it may be employed in various 
other ways. In Paris one frequently sees it used 
as drapery to windows, as shown in figure 1; the 
plants being in boxes and the stems trained up 
on the outside of the window ; while a similar ef¬ 
fect is produced on the inside by the plants in pots 
or boxes. Its general use in that city is shown by 
the vast numbers in pots sold by the plant venders. 
Another use for Ivy is shown in fig. 2. A plant 
box, with rollers to allow it to be moved, has a 
wire trellis at the back. Two iron rods are firmly 
fixed at the corners, and wires stretched between 
them.—Several small plants set in fight rich soil 
will soon form a dense screen for the front of the 
fire place in summer and as a window screen in 
winter. A pleasing manner of forming a window 
ornament of Ivy is shown in figure 3. Ivy stems 
are planted in a pot hung by three wires, and 
trained above and below it, upon supports of wire. 
Ivy is readily trained and with a little care one can 
make it grow in any desired shape. Figure 4 shows 
the stem as trained to form a bush. A small plant 
had its terminal bud pinched off, which caused 
two branches to start from the axils of the upper 
leaves; these when afew inches long were pinched, 
Fig. 2.—IVY FOR A SCREEN. 
and as other branches grew they were treated in 
the same manner. The soil for Ivy should be light 
and rich and contain enough sand to keep it open. 
The Care of the Hair. 
The hair is the covering of the roof of “ The 
home of thought acd palace of the soul.” Where 
baldness, which sometimes occurs in quite young 
persons, is hereditary, it is doubtful if any thing 
can be done to prevent or remedy it. Avoid “ re¬ 
storatives ” and other nostrums, and as a rule do 
not use pomatums or oils upon the head. A cer¬ 
tain hair “Balm” was very popular many years 
ago and did wonders, if the directions were fol¬ 
lowed. The “Balm” was to be used night and 
morning, first rub the scalp with a stiff brush for 
five minutes before applying the stuff. The 
thorough use of a moderately stiff brush will great¬ 
ly promote the health of the scalp and prevent 
the falling of the hair, without a “Balm ” or other 
preparation. The hair should be occasionally 
washed, and if there is much dandruff, the yolk of 
an egg will be most efficient in removing it. Work 
the egg with the fingers well into the hair, a little 
at a time, to bring it in contact with the scalp; 
then wash it out thoroughly with water, and the 
hair will be left beautifully clean and soft. Avoid 
all shampooing liquids ; those used by barbers are 
strong potash solutions. They call it “ Salts of 
Wormwood ” aud “Salts of Tartar,” and use it with¬ 
out knowing its real nature. It is very effective 
in cleaning, but ruinous to the hair. If the falling 
of the hair is not prevented by thorough brushing, 
some stimulating application may be made. Can- 
tharidesis most commonly used. Half an ounce of 
the Tincture of Cantharides added to a quart of Bay 
Rum will answer better than most “ Hair Tonics.” 
Soup for Invalids. 
Raw beef, on account of its ready digestibility, 
is often prescribed for invalids. Of late, European 
physicians have found the use of what we may 
call raw soup, of great utility when given to 
patients much reduced by fevers. This 6oup, first 
proposed by Liebig, is made from finely chopped 
Fig. 3. Fig. 4. 
beef or fowl, recently killed. Half a pound of this 
meat is added to a pint and a half of distilled 
water (pure rain water, filtered, will answer), four 
drops of pure muriatic acid are added, and a tea¬ 
spoonful of salt, or enough to suit the taste. After 
standing an hour, the whole is thrown upon a 
hair sieve (a flannel bag will do as ivell) to separate 
the liquid. If the first liquid which passes through 
is muddy, it is poured back into the strainer until 
what runs off is quite clear. When the liquid 
ceases to run, half a pint of water is added, in 
small quantities at a time, to the flesh in the 
strainer. The yield will be about a pint of a red¬ 
dish colored liquid, tasting like soup, which is to be 
given cold, a cupful at a time, or in such quantities 
as the patient desires. It is claimed that this soup 
contains the nutritive principles of the meat not 
changed by heat, as they are in cooking, and that 
they are in part ready digested by the muriatic 
acid, and that it is suited to the weakest digestive 
organs. If the red color and somewhat fleshy 
odor are objected to, the one may be disguised by 
caramel (burnt sugar) and the other by a little wine. 
The soup spoils readily, and in warm weather must 
be kept on ice. 
