226 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
Mrs. S. has not a single ehild to soil her table-cloth 
or hinder her washing it, or to demand immediate 
attention at any critical moment during her cook¬ 
ing. She does all of her work herself, and does it 
nicely—not much as most hired gii-ls would do it.” 
Yes, I did see, and so did the gentleman who 
gave me his idea of a good cook; and we all agreed 
that he was probably right in his estimate of the 
Missouri housekeeper, while we realized that these 
little things, which are so important after all, are 
not so easy for every housekeeper to secure as 
many might suppose at first thought. Yet these 
things, carefulness in details, cleanliness, and 
order, are always worth striving for. 
Night Visits. — Mother, you had better say 
“no” decidedly when your little girl asks if she 
may go to stay all night with Mollie or Katie, or 
Bell; and never consent to your little boy’s request 
to be allowed to spend the night with one of his 
school-mates. Tell them that the night was made 
for sleep, and not for long talks while lying in 
bed. Explain to them what a blessed thing sleep 
is, “tired Nature’s sweet restorer,” and what a 
good thing it is to get a habit of going to bed and 
to sleep regularly at an early hour, so that body 
and brain may both get plenty of quiet rest, so 
necessary for their growth and healthful activity. 
Then give them clean, well-aired beds, in rooms 
where there is plenty of pure air all night long, 
and let them sleep until they wake themselves in 
the morning. 
Early Rising.— The old couplet— 
“ Early to bed and early to rise 
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise—” 
seems to be falling into contempt The cause of 
this may be the fact that too many have insisted 
only upon early rising without paying any atten¬ 
tion to the hour of retiring. It has been discov¬ 
ered that most of us who work with our hands or 
our brains take too little sleep, and so grow ner¬ 
vous and diseased. So late rising is recommended, 
while little protest is made against the late hours 
of bedtime in which such persons usually indulge. 
This is beginning a reform at the wrong end. 
It is better to begin at this end, though, than not 
to begin at all upon a reform. Lack of sleep is 
one of our most crying physical sins. We know 
how cross and unreasonable small children become 
when they lose their regular daily nap. Children 
of a larger growth are affected in the same way, 
though they, perhaps, only “ fret inwardly.” The 
scolding and fault-finding in families would grow 
beautifully less if all the family members had 
plenty of healthful rest for body and brain, such 
as natural sleep affords. The demand for stimu¬ 
lants of all kinds would also grow less. 
It is a very cruel thing to wake a child from its 
morning sleep. If it sleeps late, it is probably be¬ 
cause it goes to bed late—unless it sleeps from 
very stupor, because its bedroom is so badly ven¬ 
tilated. If the child comes late to breakfast, or 
otherwise causes annoyance, let it feel some natural 
inconvenience or discomfort itself—a cold break¬ 
fast perhaps, or the loss of papa’s morning society 
before business claims him for the day. It will 
soon learn that “ early to bed ” is the natural fore¬ 
runner of “early to rise.” 
It is only fair that the older members of the 
family should grow quiet as the children’s bedtime 
approaches, so that the little ones will not feel that 
they are making a great sacrifice in leaving the 
family circle. 
I do not know whether all children need the 
same amount of sleep. Certainly the youngest 
ones require most. Our boy of seven thrives best 
upon ten hours sleep out of each twenty-four; and 
I see that other children of that age require the 
same amount. The younger children take more 
when they take what they seem to need, but all 
are in the habit of sitting down with the family to 
a quarter-past-six breakfast, as a general rule. 
Hanging Lamps. —“Somebody keeps getting in 
my light.” “Take care! you’ll have that lamp 
tipped over ! ” Such expressions are very common 
where the “evening lamp” stands upon a table 
around which the family gather for reading and 
amusement. 
I have lately been visiting in a family where no 
6ucli expressions are heard, where all, sitting in any 
part of the room, enjoy a full flood of light. This 
family could not be induced to part with their 
hanging lamp. It gives them a feeling of safety 
in the midst of fun and frolic, and it is always an 
ornament to the room. Some rooms are too low 
for hanging lamps, but w r all lamps might often be 
used to advantage in such rooms. The room of 
which I write is twelve feet high, but the same 
lamp could be used in a lower room without incon¬ 
venience by using a shorter chain for its suspen¬ 
sion. It has three lamps, but seldom are they all 
lighted at once. The frame-work is of bronze, and 
the glass oil fountains are taken down upon the 
table for trimming and filling. This lamp cost ten 
dollars, but cheaper ones can be obtained—those 
with two burners or with only one, of various 
patterns. 
The Broken Lamp.— If the fountain (or the 
glass globe that holds the oil) has only come loose 
from the standard, this is very easily remedied by 
the use of plaster of Paris. Mix a small quantity 
with water, make it as thick as cream, and fill 
it in between the glass of the fountain and the 
hollow in the top of the standard as quickly as 
possible. As it sets immediately, everything must 
be done with promptness. If the fountain is 
broken in pieces, and there is a whole bronze or 
brass standard remaining, it will pay to purchase a 
new fountain and set it upon the old standard in 
the manner described above. The brass top can be 
fastened on in the same way. 
Cleaning New Iron-ware. — I do not remember 
to have seen directions anywhere for preparing 
new cast-iron utensils for service in cooking. I I 
know I had a deal of trouble with my first stove j 
furniture, and whenever I have anything of the 
kind to deal with now 1 wonder if there is not 
some better way than I have learned. I have just 
been tackling a new set of iron gem-pans. I filled 
them with ashes and water and left them standing 
during the forenoon. I heated them on the stove 
before emptying them, and then gave them a good 
washing and rinsing. I think they will do for use 
to-morrow morning. I usually scour new kettles 
with ashes, then rub them over with a little grease, 
and wash them well with suds. To-day a lady told 
me that it was a good way to wash new irons with 
sour milk. I had no sour milk to use, but I do not 
see the philosophy of it. It is not rust with which 
we have to deal in cleaning new iron, but a fine 
sand, used in the casting. 
Salt Mackerel is almost always too salt when 
served at table. So I think that Prof. Blot is right 
in advising a twenty-four-liours soaking, the water 
to be changed three times. Then he would have 
you broil the fish over hot coals. It may be served 
with a little cream, or dry if preferred. 
A lady cooks mackerel for dinner in the follow¬ 
ing acceptable manner: Wash it thoroughly and 
soak it over-night. In the morning change it to 
fresh water, and two hours before dinner put it in 
enough sweet skimmed milk to cover it. Then 
put it in cold water to cook, never letting it more 
than simmer in the gentlest manner, but keeping 
it in water at the boiling point for about twenty 
minutes. Take it carefully from the boiling water 
upon an unrusted baking tin, cover with sweet 
cream, and set in the oven for a few minutes 
before serving. But the next biscuit you bake in 
that tin may taste of mackerel unless you are 
very careful in washing it. 
Cracker Dessert.— I do not remember to have 
seen in print directions for making a quick and 
cheap and pretty and palatable dessert which I 
learned how to make many ; ago. Choose 
whole soda crackers, and lay each one upon a 
separate small plate. Pour upon it enough boiling 
water to soak it well, and leave none upon the 
plate; cover with a dressing of good sweetened 
cream with a spoonful of jelly in the center if you 
choose, or dip upon it a portion of nice fruit, 
cauned, stewed, or fresh, as is convenient. 
Recipe for Ink. — I thought I would not write 
another word with this detestable “ writing fluid,” 
but wait until I had made myself a whole gallon of 
j good black ink. But it occurs to me that some 
one else may also be.suffering for good black ink, 
and I might tell them how to get a gallon of it for 
a dime. I have made it several times, and always 
with success, and the materials have never cost 
over ten cents. The actual cost is probably less, 
but your druggist may not be willing to put up any 
“ prescription ” for even so small a sum. Ask him, 
for 1 oz. extract of logwood, 48 grains bichromate 
of potash, 24 grains prussiate of potash. Heat a 
gallon of soft water to boiling, add the logwood 
and boil five minutes, then add the other materials 
and boil all together two minutes. 
Wet Boots. —A friend writes from Europe : 
What an amount of discomfort wet boots entail, 
to be sure; and how well we all recall the fretful 
efforts we have now and then made to draw on a 
pair of hard-baked ones which were put by the fire 
over-night to dry. Damp and adhesive within, 
they are without stiff and unyielding as horn. 
Once on, they are a sort of modern stocks, destruc¬ 
tive of all comfort, and entirely demoralizing to 
the temper. The following simple device will rob 
the cold, wet barn-yard of a slushy winter or spring 
evening of half its promise of discomfort for the 
next morning: When the boots are taken off, fill 
them quite full with dry oats. This grain has a 
great fondness for damp, and will rapidly absorb 
the last vestige of it from the wet leather. As it 
takes up the moisture it swells and fills the boot 
with a tightly fitting last, keeping its form good, 
and drying the leather without hardening it. In 
the morning, shake out the oats and hang them in 
a bag near the fire to dry, ready for the next wet 
night, draw on the boots, and go happily about the 
day’s work. This simple recipe, tender-footed 
reader, will save you much discomfort, and will 
make you a tender-hearted reader as you sit in your 
soft foot gear looking over your Agriculturist as 
you wait for breakfast to be made ready. 
Wants to Suit George. — A lady asks 
for help. Who will respond ? She says : “I should 
like to ask the best way to make a nice, light, 
boiled, cheap pudding—one that we can afford to 
eat as often as we want it. I have tried a number, 
but have failed to suit George. Will some of the 
lady readers please help me out ? Also I should be 
pleased to get a recipe for nice sponge cake, and 
one for catsup that will keep for a year.” 
'Waslaing- Milk Blslies. —Last fall there 
was an item on washing milk dishes. One of our 
housekeepers thinks her way is better. She says : 
“ First wash the pans in lukewarm water which, 
without causing the elieesy element in the milk to 
adhere, does entirely dissolve the cream. Follow 
with clear, hot water; then scald the pans and 
wipe them, after which give them a 1 sun bath,’ 
or in the cool season place by the hot stove until 
sure there is no moisture about the seams. I use no 
soap, but my pans are always sweet and smooth.” 
Tea. Calces. —By Mississippi.—Five tea-cups 
of flour, two and a half of sugar, half a cup of 
butter, four eggs, sour cream enough to make a 
soft dough, and one tea-spoonful of soda. Roll 
thin, cut into shapes, and bake in a tolerably 
quick stove. 
Balced. Apple I>assaplings.— -By Miss¬ 
issippi.—Roll out some dough thicker than pie¬ 
crust, and inclose a handful of sliced ripe apples 
well covered with sugar and butter. Bring the 
edges together as in any other dumplings. When 
as many are made as are desired, place them side 
by side in a pudding pan, spread butter and sugar 
over them, and pour boiling water to about half 
cover the dumplings. Put them in the stove and 
cook moderately fast until they are nicely browned. 
The butter, sugar, and water make a nice sauce, 
which can be enriched with more butter, and 
flavored with nutmeg if desired. 
