me when I have finished my sewing or 
sweeping. 
I did not wish the children to tire of 
modeling, so sometimes we built a table 
and chairs with their blocks, and placed 
on the chairs paper dolls cut from cata¬ 
logues. What tea parties we had then 
with raisins and little crackers served on 
the children’s play dishes! The appetite 
of the paper doll was not very keen, so 
the children and I must of necessity help 
them make way with the raisins and 
crackers. Of course we drank number¬ 
less cups of water poured from the tiny 
teapot. Since I always insist on tiny 
tots taking a nap after dinner, it pleased 
my children greatly to build a dresser, 
washstand and bed of blocks, and put the 
paper dolls to bed after dinner. 
Recently I saw Mrs. Janet W. McKen¬ 
zie’s suggestion for making doll houses 
out of hat boxes. She says: “With a 
hat box as the frame for a doll house, 
and cardboard partitions making four 
rooms, a child’s interest and attention 
may be occupied perhaps for several 
months.” I did not have an extra hat- 
box in the house, so we used empty break¬ 
fast-food boxes, and built up a regular 
city in my large living room. We were 
enjoying a very rainy week, and the chil¬ 
dren had very bad colds, so I was very 
thankful to have something new’ with 
which to occupy their minds. Most of 
our city was made up of stores, and 
were well stocked with hats, furniture, 
and so on from the catalogues. But one 
of the children made his furniture out of 
thin cardboard, as Mrs. McKenzie sug¬ 
gests, and another cut pieces out of an 
old lace curtain and pasted them up at 
the windows of one dwelling. Like all 
Western cities, it sprang up very quickly, 
and did a thriving business while the 
“boom” lasted. A rumor of approaching 
company has caused it to vanish from the 
living room, but I believe the “fathers 
of the town” are considering rebuilding 
it on a new and safer site—the two 
south bedrooms where they sleep . 
Dried corn husks make excellent little 
hammocks for the paper dolls. They also 
make nice rugs for the little playhouses. 
If the children have crayons or paints, 
they will enjoy coloring the rugs. Cray¬ 
ons were one of my earliest investments, 
and they have been more than worth what 
I paid for them. What child does not en¬ 
joy coloring pictures in the old catalogues. 
With blunt-pointed scissors they can cut 
out the same pictures. 
Straw’ cut into quarter-inch lengths 
makes nice beads for children to string: 
and. if you color the straw, the little folks 
will be even more pleased. 
I became so fascinated with the kinder¬ 
garten work that I determined to learn 
more about it. so I subscribed for the 
Kindergarten Review. In it I found val¬ 
uable suggestion in block building, delight¬ 
ful little songs for the children to learn, 
and many other helpful things. One 
number contained a number of sewing 
card designs. I saved the thin cardboard 
that came in my husband’s shirts, w’hen 
they were returned from the laundry, and 
cut these sheets into cards about oxfi in. 
With a darning needle I punched in these 
cards the designs shown in the magazine 
•—rows of candles and of flowers. At that 
time yarn was cheap, so we sewed them 
with appropriately colored yarn. Of 
course other sewing material will serve 
as w’ell. 
children to begin their 
circle—it is by far the 
The blunt needle must 
twice around the circle, 
the second time closing up the spaces left 
in the first journey. Kindergarteners 
usually speak of the second journey as 
"the closing up of the little gates” left 
open on the first trip. Sewing cards with 
simple, attractive patterns, can be ob¬ 
tained from the dealers in such supplies. 
The days we acted out stories were “the 
red letter” days. “Red Riding Hood” and 
It is best for 
sewing with the 
easiest pattern, 
carry the thread 
“The Three Little Pigs” were favorites. 
It is such great fun to “huff and puff.” 
and beet of all to roll off the head of the 
couch into mother’s lap. when the wolf 
goes down tin 1 chimney. It would be diffi¬ 
cult to tell how many times I have re¬ 
peated the last scene of “The Three Lit¬ 
tle Pigs.” It was always understood 
that I must play the part of the third 
little pig. 
Let me add one piece of advice. "When 
you act out stories with your children, 
throw your whole soul into it. If you go 
at it in a half-hearted way the play will 
fall as flat as a heavy pancake. Always 
look at the story from the child’s point of 
view. L. E. c. 
necessary that jars should be 
and airtight, and rubbers good. 
Put the jars and lids in hot water, and 
let this come to a boil, while you are pre¬ 
paring the vegetables. Scald the rubber 
rings. 
Blanching consists of plunging the veg¬ 
etables or fruits into boiling water for a 
short time. For doing this place them in 
a wire basket or piece of chees'ecloth. The 
blanching time varies from one to 15 min¬ 
utes. Spinach and other greens should 
not be blanched in hot water. They must 
be blanched in steam. To do this place 
them in a colander and set this into a 
Vessel which has a tightly fitting cover. 
In this vessel there should be an inch or 
two of water, but the water must not be 
allowed to touch the greens. The most 
important steps in canning are the pre¬ 
liminary steps of blanching, cold-dipping, 
packing in hot, clean containers, adding 
hot water at once, then immediately half 
sealing jars and putting into the steril¬ 
izer. Spoilage of products is nearly al¬ 
ways due to earlessness in one of these 
steps. Blanching is necessary with all 
vegetables and many fruits. It insures 
thorough cleansing and removes objec¬ 
tionable odors and flavors and excess 
The Rural Patterns 
In ordering always give number of pattern 
and size desired, sending price with order 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
sterilized 
lCIi 
Renovating Window Shades 
I have been helped many times by sug¬ 
gestions and recipes in The R. N.-Y. and 
now I would like to hear from anyone 
who has had success in renovating win¬ 
dow shades. I have white ones of good 
quality, but yellowed by smoke. Is there 
any way that they could be made green? 
A. B. M. 
The difficulty in 
in restoring the 
Dyeing the fabric 
troublesome. Can 
us experience in this line? 
this case will be found 
smooth, glossy finish, 
would not of itself be 
my of our readers give 
Canning String Beans and 
Will you give a recipe to can 
string beans so they will keep? 
I he following recipes for canning peas 
and string beans bv the odd-pack method 
reliable. It absolutely 
Peas 
peas and 
J. L. 
8042. Jointed I'.ag Doll, One Size. 22-in. 
high. This i nttern will require 7^-yard of 
mnterial 27 inches wide; % yard, 30. 
Price 15 cents. 
are entirely 
acids. It reduces the bulk of greens and 
causes shrinkage of fruits, increasing the 
quantity which may be packed in a con¬ 
tainer. which saves storage space. 
Vegetables should be canned as soon 
as possible after being picked; the same 
day is best. Early morning is the best 
time for gathering them. Fruits should 
be as fresh as possible. Before starting 
work have on the stove the boiler or 
other holder in which the sterilizing is 
to be done, a pan of boiling water for 
use in blanching and a kettle of boiling 
water for use in filling jars of vegeta¬ 
bles ; or, if canning fruits, the syrup to 
be used in filling the jars. Arrange on 
this working table all necessary equip¬ 
ment. including instructions. Test jars 
and tops. All jars, rubbers and tops 
should be clean and hot. 
Prepare vegetable or fruit. Remove all 
but an inch of the tops from beets, par¬ 
snips and carrots and the strings from 
green beans. Pare squash, remove seeds 
and cut in small pieces. Large vegeta¬ 
bles should be cut into pieces to make 
close pack as possible. Blanch in boiling 
water or steam as directed. Cold-dip, 
but do not allow produce to stand in cold 
water at this or any other stage. Pack 
in hot jars which rest on hot cloths or 
stand in a pan of hot water. Fill the 
jars to within oue-fourth to one-half inch 
of tops. Add salt and boiling water to 
vegetables to cover them. 
Put jars in boiler dee]) enough to allow 
one inch of water over the top. with am¬ 
ple room for boiling. The lids and rub¬ 
bers are put on jars, but not fastened 
tight. Any utensil large and deep enough 
to allow an inch of water above jars, and 
having a closely fitting cover, may be 
used for sterilizing. A wash boiler, large 
lard can or new garbage pail serves the 
purpose when canning is to be done in 
large quantities. Into this utensil should 
be placed a wire or wooden rack to hold 
the jars off the bottom and to permit cir¬ 
culation of water underneath the jars. 
1* or lifting glass top jars use two button¬ 
hooks or similar device. For lifting screw- 
top jars, suitable lifters mav be bought 
for a small sum. A milk carrier makes a 
good false bottom, and if this is used the 
jars may be easily lifted out at the end 
of the sterilization period. 
Peas.—Those which are not fully grown 
are best for canning. Shell, blanch five 
to 10 minutes and cold dip. Pack in jar, 
add one teaspoon of salt and cover with 
boiling water. If the jar is packed too 
full some of the peas will break and give 
a cloudy appearance to the liquid. Put 
on rubber and top and adjust top bail ox- 
screw top on with thumb and little finger. 
Sterilize 180 minutes in hot water bath. 
Remove, complete seal and cool. 
String Beans.—Wash and remove ends 
and strings and cut into small pieces if 
desired. Blanch fx’om five to 10 minutes, 
depending on age. Cold dip, pack imme¬ 
diately in jar. add one teaspoon salt and 
cover with boiling water. Put on l-ubber 
and top and adjust top bail or screw top 
on with thumb and little finger. Sterilize 
120 minutes in hot water bath. Remove, 
complete seal and cool. 
Destroying Ants 
What will drive away the small x’ed 
ants. They even get into my refrigerator 
a little later in the season. e. g. s. 
The little red ants can be poisoned 
with tartar emitic, mixed with cream, 
buttei*, lard or other fat. They can also 
be trapped with raw meat bones ; put a 
scraped raw bone where they run. 
and when it is crowded with ants drop it 
in the fire, or scald it. Fat and raw meat 
are especially attractive to the little red 
ants, but they may also be trapped by 
dipping a sponge in thin syrup and plac¬ 
ing this where they run. When the 
sponge is full of ants drop it into scalding 
water, then dip in the synip and use as 
before. 
The only sure way of getting rid of 
large black ants is to locate their nest, 
which may be inside or outside of the 
house. Notice where the ants come from : 
you will probably find them entering 
through some crack or crevice, or above a 
baseboard. With a syringe inject bisul¬ 
phide of carbon into the crevice, and close 
it with a cloth, to hold the fumes, which 
will extend for some distance. Always 
remember, in using bisulphide of carbon, 
that it: is highly inflammable and explo¬ 
sive ; it must not be used near a light or 
fire. When these black ants get into the 
shell of a house it is often verv difficult 
to eradicate them, as the nest may be 
some distance from where they enter a 
pantry. Many may be ti-apped, however, 
by using a sponge saturated with weak 
syrup of sugar and- water, removing it 
and dropping into scalding water when it 
becomes full of ants, and repeating this 
operation as they continue to entei\ The 
marauding ants are the workers, and their 
killing will in time weaken the colony so 
that there are no caretakers for the larvae. 
Persistent work will surely get rid of 
them. It is well to look fox- the nests 
outside, too, as they sometimes enter the 
house from outside. Such nests should 
be destroyed by the bisulphide; punch 
several holes about a foot deep in the 
ground, pour an ounce of bisulphide of 
eai-bon in each hole, and close up with 
earth. The fumes pass all through the 
workings of the nest. The following is an 
excellent way of poisoning them : Pro¬ 
cure 10 cents’ worth of tartar emetic. 
Take oufc-half teaspoouful and same 
amount of sugar, dampen with a few 
drops, of water and place where the ants 
run. in shallow dishes, and no ants can 
be found in 21 hours. 
HEAT YOUR 
HONE 
Cut down your fuel bills. Avoid 
’the labor and annoyance of caring for a 'jJ 
f number of stoves. Enjoy the winter heat 
I and comfort of the finest 
I homes. 23 years 
our furnaces have ] 
given continued satisfaction in 
homes, stores, schools, etc. from Coast to Coast A 
1 WRITE TODAY FOR CATALOC DESCRIBING BOTH 
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Ask for Catalog 21 
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SCHULTZ PHOTO SHOP, 122 Nassau St., New York 
What Every Home 
Canner Should Have 
One ofonr H& A HAND POWER DOUBLE 
n ,, ^, R S- Die only adjustable Hand Power 
Donnie Seanter bnilt that will seal all sizes of 
sanitary frnitand vegetable cans. Write for prices 
and descriptive matter to Dept. K. 
HENNINGER & AYES MFG.»CO., Portland.'Ore. 
Builders of Steam Pressure Canning Outfits and Double Seamers 
INTERESTING 
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Old lime Gardens 
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Flowers and Ferns in Their 
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Plant Physiology By. Duggar 1.60 
For Sale by 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 333 W. 30th St.. N. Y. 
When you write advertisers 
The Rural New-Yorker 
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tisers mention 
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