Tht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1189 
The California poppy is another favorite 
for a sunny place, and they, too, must be 
sown early, like the other poppies. 
This week a friend sent one boy two 
varieties of cactus; one is an Opuntia, or 
prickly pear; the other, I think, is a 
Maraiilaria. Several years ago I had a 
small collection, but. when sickness came 
in the family they died of neglect except 
three, but these new cacti aroused the 
interest of our boys and their chum, so 
we had quite a study of “Hints on Cacti,’' 
and incidentally the boys learned a good 
geography lesson in finding where the 
various odd cacti came from, and then 
studying the maps. I expect now the 
boys* will have a cactus craze, but T shall 
enioy it. too. 
Years ago I read if one wanted to grow 
old gracefully she must begin at 40, and if 
very gracefully begin at 30, and I began 
to study my older friends; to many old 
age seemed giving up so much that always 
had been a delight. Some had had to give 
up their beds of annuals because they 
could not get down to weed, etc., and 
then and there I began to prepare for 
flowers for my old age by planting hardy 
plants and shrubs. 
It was the poet Longfellow, I think, 
who said he kept young by “ growing new- 
wood each year.” This year our teacher 
took up bird study in school, and that 
was my opportunity to grow a new 
branch. The common birds were all our 
friends, and although two or three cats 
sleep under the kitchen stove we never 
tolerate a bird cat. For several Winters 
Our bedroom window sill has been the 
chickadees’ breakfast table, and if they 
are neglected they are now so confident 
they tap on the window pane in the kitch¬ 
en till I feed them. A pair of robins 
lived back of the house; one was so plump 
we called him Fatty. They were very 
lame, and soon as the young birds could 
fly Mrs. Robin came proudly up with her 
two babies to show us their pretty spotted 
breasts. Little Chipiping Sparrow fed 
around the boys’ feet when they fed the 
chickens, and two pairs of bluebirds 
claimed the butternuts for home, and eight 
pairs of swallows have nests in the barn. 
The boys found one cold and drenched in 
the rain yesterday. It was a young one 
and they brought it in. warmed and dried 
it and returned it to the barn. 
The apple trees in front of the house 
were the feeding places of the warblers; 
there were myrtle, chestnut-sided, pine, 
black and white, and black-throated blue 
warblers that came to that one tree. The 
Blackburnian warbler, a beauty of a bird, 
fed in the apple tree beside the barn. 
Five varieties of sparrows have come 
within 20 feet of the house, chipping, field, 
song, white-throated, and white-crowned. 
The scarlet tanager and goldfinch are our 
brightest birds, but we were favored with 
a visit for a few days from another red- 
bird with gray markings, and we could 
only identify it as the Summer tanager. 
although, according to the bird books, 
they seldom come as far north. 
In all, teacher and pupils saw over 40 
varieties of birds, and the teacher said in 
the past year she did not think any of 
the pupils had injured any birds’ nests. 
This means a great deal to a school dis¬ 
trict, and I hope more schools will take 
tip bird study. Birds seems to be in¬ 
creasing in both numbers and variety 
about us. and good bird neighbors are 
worth many dollars to a farm community. 
MOTHER BEE. 
Canning Peas 
The Department of Agriculture, in giv¬ 
ing the following instructions, says that 
few thitigs arc so difficult to can success¬ 
fully as peas. Special care should be used 
throughout, and quick work is essential 
from the time the peas are picked until 
the jars filled with them are iu the can- 
uer. Fresh, young peas are»the best for 
canning. Gather them in the early morn¬ 
ing and can as soon as possible. It is im¬ 
portant to have everything iu readiness 
so the peas may be canned as quickly as 
possible after shelling. Jars and tops, 
before using, should be in the boiling wa¬ 
fer for 15 minutes. Rubbers should be iu 
readiness in a hot baking soda and water 
solution (one teaspoon .soda to one quart 
water). Water in canner should be heat¬ 
ing. 
Shell and sort, according to size and 
maturity. Be sure not to attempt to can 
ripe and young peas in the same <an. 
Place peas iu cheesecloth or wire basket 
and blanch in soda bath (one teaspoon of 
baking soda in one gallon of hot water). 
Blanch according to size and age until 
tender. Very young peas will require 
only a minute or two, while 20 minutes 
.may be needed to make the very old peas 
tender. When well done remove from 
blanching water, drain well and pack 
quickly in the previously boiled jars. 
Pack the peas to within one-half inch of 
top of jar. Put one-third level teaspoon 
of salt and. if desired, two-thirds level 
teaspoon of sugar in each quart can for 
seasoning. Fill the can with hot water 
and use a wooden paddle or knife to re¬ 
move bubbles. Partially seal the jars. A 
steam pressure cooker is very desirable 
for use in canning peas. Quart cans of 
peas may be processed with such a can¬ 
ner 45 minutes under 10 lbs. pressure. 
Seal immediately on removal from steam 
pressure canner. When cool, test for 
leaks. 
A hot-water bath canner may be used 
with success. Many different makes are 
on the market. They make the work 
easier, but a homemade canner will give 
satisfaction. In the latter instance use a 
wash boiler or some large vessel with a 
tight-fitting top. Place in bottom a false 
bottom of wood for jars to rest on. Put 
sufficient water in boiler to cover jars. 
Water must be warm when jars are, put 
In. 
If fractional processing is used, boil 
jars for one hour on each of three succes¬ 
sive days. Remove and seal tightly at. 
end of each processing period. Ix>osen 
covers each time before processing. For 
very young pea<. 45 minutes each day will 
be_ sufficient. Where only one period of 
boiling is used, boil partially sealed jars 
steadily for three hours in a hot-water 
bath. Be sure with either procedure that 
the water js boiling hard before beginning 
to count time. \\ hen the steam pressure 
cooker is employed, live steam should be 
escaping from petcoek before beginning 
f<>_ count the time needed for processing. 
When processing is finished, cool the 
jars, test for leaks, and store in a cool, 
dry place. Hermetic sealing jars cannot 
be used with the fractional or intermit¬ 
tent sterilization. 
Another Idea for Renovating Window 
Shades 
A. B. M. wishes to know how to reno¬ 
vate window shades. A friend of mine 
took alabastine and went over them as if 
she was going over the ceiling. 
MRS. G. J. S. 
Oyster Crackers 
Would you furnish a recipe for baking 
oyster crackers in the kitchen stove? The 
children are very fond of them, but the 
price is almost prohibitive, 22 cents per 
pound. w. I. F. 
We have no recipe for oyster crackers: 
perhaps some reader may be able to sup¬ 
ply this. Perhaps Virginia beaten bis¬ 
cuits might be an acceptable substitute. 
Marion II a Hand’s recipe is as follows: 
< >ne pint of flour, one cup of water, one 
teaspoon of salt. Mix into a stiff dough, 
transfer to a floured block of wood, and 
beat with a rolling pin. steadily, for 10 
minutes, shifting the dough and turning 
it over several times. In old times half 
an hour was the regulation time, but 10 
minutes are enough if the work is per¬ 
sistently done. Cut into small round 
cakes, prick with a straw, and bake a 
light brown iu a quick oven. 
Water crackers are made as follows: 
Rub a tablespoon of butter into half a 
pound of flour, with a little salt, and add 
enough cold water to make a dough that 
will roll out. Roll very thin, cut out, and 
roll again. Bake in a floured tin until 
pale brown. 
Always <peak well of the dead, and if 
you have the time you might speak a 
good word for the living occasionally.— 
Credit Lost. 
Easy, $anitai 
jr 
W HENEVER you prepare peaches for can¬ 
ning or preserving, try this simple way of 
removing the skins. It’s quicker and easier 
than paring and less wasteful. Saves the best part of 
the fruit—that next the skin. 
Dissolve half a can of Babbitt’S Concentrated Lye 
and half an ounce of alum in nine gallons of cold water 
and boil in an iron kettle. Suspend fruit, in a wire 
basket or cheesecloth, in this hot solution for two 
minutes. This will remove the skin. Then wash fruit 
twice in cold water to clean thoroughly. For small 
quantities of fruit use four tablespoons of Babbitt’s 
Concentrated Lye and a pinch of alum, to one gallon 
of water. 
No fuss, no muss, no special utensils 
The U. S. Government Board of Food and 
Drug Inspection has ruled that this method does 
not injure quality or flavor of the fruit. Used 
by the best California canners. Equally effi¬ 
cient for preparing pears and plums. 
Insist on BABBiTT’S~Concentrated Lye to 
get best results. 
B. T. BABBITT, Inc. J0 
15 West 34th Street New York 
Write for booklet giving 
uses for BABBITT’S LYE 
contents: 
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• ■'•»» Sod.un, Chl«> J » 
• 24 Sooiuni Sulpl'."’ 
*UT UVCIOHT I3..S oZ ' 
1 Nil l,e Solution In Am 
