822 
WOMAN AND HOME 
From Day to Day 
To a Phoebe Bird 
Under the eaves, out of the wet. 
You nest within my reach ; 
You never sing for me. and yet 
You have a golden speech. 
You sit and quirk a rapid tail. 
Wrinkle a ragged crest, 
Then pirouette from tree to rail 
And vault from rail to nest. 
And when in frequent, witty fright 
You grayly slip and fade.. 
And when at hand you realight 
Demure and unafraid, 
And when you bring your brood its fill 
Of iridescent wings 
And green legs dewy in your hill, 
Your silence is what sings. 
Not of a feather that enjoys 
To prate or praise or preach. 
O Phoebe, with your lack of noise, 
Wlmt eloquence you teach ! 
—witter BYNNER, in The Bellman. 
* 
The following is an easy method to re¬ 
move a tight lid from a round metal or 
pasteboard container. Place a stout string 
with the ends tied together so that the 
loop will fit loosely around the can or 
box. just below the edge of the lid. Then 
slip a stick under the string find twist it 
up tightly. This will release the cover so 
that it will come off easily. 
* 
One of the bulletins of the Office of 
Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction has 
this to say about pickled Japanese plums: 
Although every American artist who 
visits Japan in the early Spring comes 
away with the keenest appreciation of the 
remarkable beauty and picturesque char¬ 
acter of the so-called “flowering plums 
of Japan, few of these artists appear to 
know anything about the fruit which is 
borne bv‘ these beautiful flowering trees. 
These fruits, which are properly classed 
bv botanists with the apricots instead of 
the plums, constitute a most unique food 
of the Japanese. Though sometimes 
eaten fresh, much in the same way as we 
eat our native American plums, they are 
usually pickled in brine and. colored with 
the colored leaves of the Perilla plant and 
packed in boxes or other receptacles for 
household use. Great quantities of these 
pickled plums are consumed iu Japan. 
Their use is so universal that they formed 
an important part of the army ration in 
the Russo-Japanese war. and it is said 
that tliev were often depended on to 
quench the thirst of the soldiers when on 
long marches. One’s first impression of 
these Japanese pickles may be properly 
compared with one’s first impression of 
the Spanish pickled green olive, which 
has now become so popular. Eaten with 
meats, they furnish an entirely new and 
appetizing flavor; one which, perhaps, is 
destined to become popular in America ; 
certainly one which deserves our investi¬ 
gation. The trees are very hardy and 
there are a great many varieties: when in 
flower they are very beautiful. Our horti¬ 
culturists should study them. 
We infer that these plums are pickled 
green, and they are suggestive of the “Ver¬ 
mont olives” that many of our readers 
prepare by putting green tomatoes iu 
brine. Perhaps someone can tell us more 
about these pickled plums, from the house¬ 
keeper’s standpoint. 
* 
We wonder how large a proportion of 
farm housekeepers use a system of house¬ 
hold accounts that includes materials fur¬ 
nished by the farm, as well as those 
bought? There is very little knowledge 
accessible on this subject. Some of our 
State experiment stations have taken it 
up, and are now studying it. Farmers’ 
Bulletin 904. “Farm Household Ac¬ 
counts.” issued by the Department of Ag¬ 
riculture at Washington, is helpful and 
suggestive. We think most farmers take 
no account 'of supplies furnished the 
house, yet they belong iu the farm ac¬ 
counts, like the crops fed to the barn 
boarders. Returns from the farm that do 
not include home supplies cannot be called 
complete. We should be interested to 
learn what systems of household accounts 
are in general use on farms, and how they 
are managed. 
* 
Nickel can usually be kept bright by 
washing iu hot soapsuds and rinsing in 
very hot water. It may be cleaned and 
polished with a paste of whiting and lard 
or tallow, or whiting mixed with alcohol 
or ammonia. The lard and whiting i6 
very satisfactory aud inexpensive. 
<Ih* RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
Notes from Vermont 
Reading of dyeing faded curtains en¬ 
courages me to tell of renovating some 
curtains of ecru bordered scrim. I soaked 
them in warm water with a strong wash¬ 
ing powder added, put them on the stove 
iu cold water with more dissolved washing 
powder, then hung iu the sun and repeat¬ 
ed until they were a pretty cream. I drew 
threads an inch and a half wide and hem¬ 
stitched the edges zig-zag. If I had had 
more time I would have crocheted a sim¬ 
ple edging, but as they are I like them 
full as well as before, when ’they were 
new. 
At one time it seemed necessary to 
paper a bedroom when the poeketbook was 
flat. Saved from various paperings were 
several rolls of light paper with cream 
back so nearly alike in quality I did not 
hesitate to turn them and hang them 
wrong side out. If there seemed a bit of 
difference I changed beside a door or be¬ 
neath a window. In a wallpaper store 
often one can buy odd rolls of papers at a 
bargain, and by buying those Avhose backs 
are of the same shade plain oatmeal paper 
could be had by hanging wrong side out. 
A little later boys’ suits, shopworn, may 
be bought cheaply aud redyed too. • 
To the list of greens given recently, the 
thinnings or tough lettuce, and Chinese 
The Rural Patterns 
In ordering always give number of pattern 
and size desired, sending price with order 
iMUl, DUU11Y 
9391. Empire Neg- Misses, and Sr 
ligee. Three sizes. Women’. Sizes 
9401. Bodice for 
Small 
_ Hi 
34 to 30, 38 to 40, and 18 years. 
42 to 44 bust. 9037. Three-piece 
Skirt for Misses and 
Small Women. Sizes 
10 and 18 years. 
9392. Bodice with 8982. Wash Apron 
Tunic. 34 to 42 bust. and Cap. Three sizes, 
9593. Two-piece 34 to 30. 38 to 40, 
Skirt. 24 to 34 waist. 42 to 44 bust. 
second one was inserted. Six inches above 
this another was put in, and this left a 
little one three inches deep at the top. 
This one held salve boxes and the like. 
The second was for medium-sized bot¬ 
tles, while the lower one held the taller 
bottles. The drawer held the medicated 
cotton, strips of plaster and bandages, 
consisting of strips of old soft muslin, 
neatly rolled. 
Two strips each twq inches wide were 
nailed the length of the back, near the 
edge at either side. These were planed to 
a point and sandpapered. Holes were 
bored through to hang the cabinet on nails 
to the wall. 
The door was of one piece, and hinged 
on with little brass hinges. A little 
bronzed latch was put on aud a bronzed 
pull on the drawer. I gave the inside 
three coats of white liquid enamel, using 
about one pint. The outside I first gave 
a coat of orange shellac, then two coats of 
varnish, letting the first one dry for 48 
hours, and then rubbing it down with 
steel wool. Apply the second coat after 
48 hours, rub it likewise. This gives a 
soft, velvety surface. Use the regular 
cabinet varnish, because it is very hard 
and elastic and takes the rubbing well. I 
have a very nice appearing cabinet now 
at a cost of about $1. MRS. l. J. N. 
:abbage should be added; both are tender, 
ike spinach. How many raise the New 
Zealand spinach? We like it and nip off 
hree or four inches of the end of each 
iranch and it simply grows more branches 
vith each picking until frost time, when 
>ach plant will be two or three feet iu 
liameter, and it is fine for canning. 
To the new house plants I would add 
he later varieties of Abutilon or flower- 
ng maple. They are nearly cverblooming 
ind require about the same temperature, 
iglit and treatment as Begonias. If in- 
dined to grow too long and thin, pinch 
hem back when 10 or 12 inches high, 
rhe variegated leaf is especially pleasing. 
Not everyone knows the good qualities 
if the dwarf cverblooming calla. not the 
Little Gem. This grows 10 to 20 inches 
tiigh and is sure to bloom. 
MOTHER BEE. 
Dyeing Rag Carpet 
About three or four weeks ago somebody 
asked how to dye a rag carpet. Leave on 
floor, sweep well before dyeing. Dissolve 
contents of two packages of dye in a pail 
of two gallons of h water. Add two 
ounces of gum arabie, previously dissolved 
in hot water. Don’t soak the carpet, hut 
use enough to wet the surface. Try the 
color on a small corner and allow it to 
dry before attempting to dye the whole 
carpet, as it may be desirable to alter the 
shade. Do not forget that the pattern of 
black and other dark shades in the orig¬ 
inal carpet will show through the dye, 
though this pattern sometimes produces 
beautiful effects. This is a very easy 
method and the prepared dyes come in a 
number of standard colors. MRS. w. S. 
Cheap, but Invaluable 
Biscuit Pudding.—Mix dough as for 
short biscuits, then stir iu a pint of fruit. 
Cooked prunes or apple sauce, berries, 
any preserves or uncooked fruit. If canned 
goods are used, drain oft the liquid before 
using. It can be conserved for flavoring 
cakes, icings, etc. Blueberries or cran¬ 
berries, cooked or raw. lend themselves 
readily to this recipe. Steam three hours 
and serve with cream and sugar, flavored 
with nutmeg. A batter pudding made 
after this recipe, but with less flour, so 
the pudding will pour into cooking dish, 
is particularly good. 
Raised Pudding.—Make on same day 
that yeast bread is baked, and reserve a 
piece large enough for one loaf. Knead 
into it (when it is ready for pan) butter 
size of an egg, or any fat will do. and a 
pound or less of raisins. Put in pudding 
dish and allow to raise till light (about 
twice original size). Cover closely aud 
May 10, 1919 
Before making up 
anything for Dessert 
Consider the advantages of using 
for making such desserts as are de¬ 
scribed in every 
recipe book. 
Compare the old 
style recipes in 
your cook book 
with the recipes 
for making the 
same desserts in 
the easy Jell-0 way 
by using Jell-O. 
See how much 
easier and better 
these are made by 
using Jell-0—and 
how much cheap¬ 
er, too. 
Remember, always, that Jell-0 is 
already sweetened and flavored 
(there are six different flavors—all 
pure fruit) and that it does not have 
to be cooked. 
Jell-0 is put up in six pure fruit 
flavors; Strawberry, Raspberry, 
Lemon, Orange, Cherry, Chocolate. 
At all grocers’ and general stores. 
We will send you a copy of the 
.Tell-0 Recipe Book, free, if you will 
write and ask for it. 
THE GENESEE PURE FOOD COMPANY 
Le Roy, N. Y., and Bridgeburg, Ont. 
FAMOUS HO TEL BLEND _ 
COFFEE 
DIFFERENT FROM ORDINARY COFFEES 
In 5-lbs. Lots or Oyer JM 
From Wholesaler Direct l.. 
Bean or Ground ID. 
We’re accepting orders from families direct for this 
remurkable blend, used by leading N. Y. Hotel* 
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money Back 
5 Lbs.Del. Free MOO Miles. 10 Lbs Pel. Free 500 Mile® 
For cheaper Coffees Send for Price List 
GILLIES COFFEE CO., 233-239 Washington St., New York 
Established 79 Years 
A Homemade' Medicine Cabinet 
I needed a cabinet for our lidine reme¬ 
dies. bandages and the like, as the urgent 
need of a bandage to tie up a little cut 
finger on short notice made it. imperative 
that I have the things all together and 
ready at a moment’s notice. The cabinets 
from the stores seemed to be beyond my 
purse, and yet I wanted something pretty. 
So I procured a store box and turned it 
over to my husband to see what lie could 
do. It was of fair weight and 24x12x8 iu. 
(size. 
First, it was sandpapered perfectly 
smooth, inside ond out. A drawer 3^ 
in. deep was fitted into the bottom. The 
lower shelf rested just above this on 
cleats. Ten inches above this shelf the 
NEW PERFECTION 
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Delicious Cooking 
The New Perfection Oil Cookstove gives all the 
comfort of gas—keeps your kitchen cool, even in 
the hottest weather, and clean the year round. 
No kindling, no ashes. 
It broils, bakes, roasts, toasts — literally to per¬ 
fection. 
Its Long Blue Chimney makes the clean intense 
heat—prevents smoke, odor or soot. You regu¬ 
late the flame like gas—on when you want it, 
off when you’ve finished. 
The New Perfection Ilot Water Heater gives 
plenty of hot water for kitchen, laundry and bath. 
See your dealer. Today. 
STANDARD OIL CO. OF NEW YORK 
