1874. ] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
4.63 
I'TJI 
ggg” (For other Household Items , see “Basket ” iiages). 
“Always Handy.” 
The Fair of the American Institute, which closed 
last month, "besides giving a grand display of large 
and important machines, had in one of its depart¬ 
ments a regular museum of household contrivances. 
Here were gathered numerous little “ crinkums ” 
or “ Yankee notions,” for facilitating the work of 
the housekeeper, and among them was a set of 
articles made by the American Manufacturing Co., 
learn that the plain condensed milk, which is sent 
to the New York market, has no sugar added to it— 
none at all. It is simply pure milk with the water 
extracted—this and nothing more. The sugared 
milk, put up in cans for distant markets and long 
preservation, is quite a different thing ; this has 
pure sugar added, and nothing else. The process 
of doing this can be seen at Brewster’s, on the 
Harlem Railroad, 53 miles from New York, and 
also at Amenia. All these places and factories are 
well worth a visit. W. J. M. 
STOVE WITH “AI/WATS HANDY” ATTACHMENTS, 
New Haven, Conn., with the attractive trade mark 
of “ Always Handy.” These affairs are attachments 
to a cooking stove, and are intended to increase its 
capacity for usefulness. They consist of shelves 
of light open work casting, upon a support made 
fast to the stovepipe, and which can be placed 
at any hight or swung to any position ; the shelves, 
as may be seen in the engraving, are in pairs, and 
may be had in single sets of two, or double sets of 
four shelves. The agent wished us to try this 
fixture, and it was put upon the stove, where it is 
likely to remain ; being sufficiently high to be out 
of the way of the pots and saucepans, the shelves are 
exceedingly handy; they will hold dishes while 
taking up dinner, afford an excellent place on 
which to keep dishes warm, they are just the place 
on which to set bread to rise, or to dry various 
articles; indeed it is not easy to enumerate the 
uses to which they may be put. Another contri¬ 
vance is a towel rack or dryer, consisting of two or 
four neat walnut or maple rods, so hung at one 
end as to be turned in any direction, and if need be, 
taken away altogether in a few seconds ; the racks 
may be attached to the stovepipe, or with a slight 
modification, may be hung wherever needed. Both 
the shelves and the towel rack can go upon the 
same pipe. The manner in which these articles are 
fixed to the pipe, is simple and effective; a flexible 
strip of hoop iron has its ends brought together by 
means of a screw-clamp, which allows of its ready 
adjustment to a pipe of any size or shape. Though 
simple affairs, much ingenuity has been expended 
in rendering them neat, tasteful, and perfect of 
their kind. 
About Condensed Ililk. —If Faith 
Rochester will visit Wassaic, Dutchess Co., N. Y., 
on the Harlem Railroad, 83 miles from New York, 
she can see “ the process of condensing milk,” and 
A Folding' Rural Chair. 
In the household department we have now and 
then suggested work, which did not properly be¬ 
long to the housekeeper herself. There are numer¬ 
ous articles of household convenience or orna¬ 
ment, which add much to the comfort of the home, 
and which can be home-made, such as tables, 
chairs, wood-boxes, and numerous other things, of 
which our pages in past volumes bear numerous 
illustrations. If the good housewife has a definite 
idea of what she wishes made, she has already 
taken a good step towards having it, and if she can 
not make the article herself, she can usually find 
willing and stronger hands to embody her idea in 
wood or other material. There is really no reason 
why ladies should not use the saw and hammer 
themselves ; we have known them to do it, 
and exceedingly neat work they made. Every 
well appointed farm should have a work¬ 
shop with the ordinary tools, and mothers 
should encourage the boys to work in it. 
Much of what passes for laziness in boys is 
really timidity and want of motive, and if 
the mother or older sister can direct such 
boys, and make them feel that they are doing 
something that will be of real use, their in¬ 
dependence will give place to zeal, and they 
will take pride in the work. At the outset, 
the mother or sister should properly consider 
their design, whether it is to be a simple box 
or a more elaborate chair, and have the parts 
accurately measured ; unless this is done, a 
good job can not be expected, and where 
boys are to be the workmen, it is of great import¬ 
ance that they be taught to always work to meas¬ 
ure. These remarks are not made with especial 
reference to the design for a chair here given, but 
apply to such things as have been suggested here¬ 
tofore, or may be given hereafter. The folding 
chair is one that is not difficult to make, and is 
especially useful on the veranda or where a seat is 
required in the garden. It is intended to be rustic, 
i. e ., made of wood with the bark adhering to it. 
In constructing a chair of this kind, the four 
principal sticks should be selected that naturally 
have the desired curves; this seems a difficult 
matter, but those who have had any experience in 
A FOLDING CHAIR. 
rustic work, soon learn to see the capabilities of 
what appears to be unpromising material, and a 
brush heap is to them filled with useful forms. 
The wood should be cut at this season, in order 
that the bark may adhere firmly, and it should be 
well seasoned. In the lack of sticks with the 
natural curve, straight ones may be steamed and 
bent into shape. The pieces should be of oak or 
hickory or other strong wood, and at least two 
inches in diameter at the lower ends. The cross 
bars are morticed into the side pieces and wedged 
firmly, and the seat and back made of split pieces 
firmly nailed on. The two parts are fastened 
together with carriage bolts. When finished the 
wood is thoroughly coated with linseed oil. A 
chair like this will last for many years if put away 
during the winter ; the ability to fold it allows it 
to be stored in a very small space. 
Home Topics. 
BY FAITH ROCHESTER. 
JENNIE JUNE’S AMERICAN COOKING BOOK. 
This book is doubtless familiar to many “ to 
whom these presents may come.” Others, who aro 
interested in recipes, may like to hear something; 
about it. I was glad to see the volume at last, ex¬ 
changing for a little while my copy of Marion Har- 
laud’s “Common Sense in the Household” with a, 
new neighbor, who had Jennie June’s book. In 
some respects this may be the better book, i 
fancy that its author understands more clearly than 
Marion Harland the connection between cooking 
and health. Both books contain much interesting 
matter upon general subjects relating to domestic 
economy. This edition of “American Cookery” 
was published in 1869,- and I am not aware of any 
later one. In a preface to the new edition the 
author acknowledges what she believes was an 
error in a previous edition. She now believes that 
it is a mistake to dilute cow’s milk for infant’s 
food. She thinks it better to sweeten the whole 
milk very slightly, and warm it by placing the bot¬ 
tle in water, which should be gradually heated. 
She says that the child is “ better nourished on a 
smaller quantity of fluid and is less liable to flatu¬ 
lence and colic.” Those who have young babes 
to bring up “ by hand,” will do well to experiment a 
little in regard to diluting the milk. Physicians have 
almost unanimously agreed that the milk should 
have from one-fiftli to one-half of water added, but 
many mothers have thought that their own experi¬ 
ence proved the contrary. Remember that it is 
not our chief object to fatten our children, but to 
give them such elements of nutrition as will pro- 
, duce a steady natural growth, and keep them con¬ 
tented and good-natured and free from disease. 
Jennie June also recommends prepared barley as 
a food for infants. 
This edition contains an added chapter of Sorosis 
recipes, and Favorite Dishes of Distinguished 
Persons. We are told that President Grant is very 
fond of scrambled eggs and fried ham ; while Anna 
Dickenson “detests everything fried—fried pota¬ 
toes, fried eggs, or fried mush—while fried beef¬ 
steak, such as housekeepers in the West are often 
heathenish enough to serve strangers, has power to 
drive her to pull her hair out of curl.” 
Alas ! But why say “ housekeepers in the West ” ? 
No, I thank you! I do not wish for any of Olive 
Logan’s veal cutlets in curl papers, though she is 
welcome to cut note paper into heart shapes, oil it, 
and place her cutlets in it, to make believe they 
have been fried together, if time hangs heavy on 
her hands or if she needs such amusement. In fact, 
this chapter may be a little silly, but the book is a 
good one, as recipe books go. 
In a chapter on “General Principles of Cooking,” 
the author says that the object of cooking is to 
make food healthful and palatable ; that the best 
food requires the simplest preparation ; that clean¬ 
liness is the first cardinal principle ; that the gen¬ 
eral rule is to cook long and slowly; that the flesh 
of grown animals is more healthful than the flesh 
of quite young ones; that fresh meats are always 
better than salted or smoked meats; that “the 
natural order in cooking meats is first to broil, 
s^coud to boil, third to roast, fourth to stew, fifth 
to bake, and sixth to fry—and never to fry so long 
as there is another method left; ” that to retain 
the juices of meat, strong heat should be suddenly 
applied, so as to close the pores at once, but to ex¬ 
tract the juices, as for soup or broth, heat up gradu¬ 
ally ; that the distinct flavor of each article of food 
should be retained, for mixtures which make all 
