THE COTTAGE GATHENE!?. 
[April is. 
CUCUMBER HOUSE. 
Several correspondents having applied to us for a de¬ 
scription of tlio cucumber house noticed by Mr. Errington, 
he has furnished us with the following plan and parti¬ 
culars.* 
As of first importance, we would recommend—an angle of 
about 45° for the roof; systematic roof-covering at night in 
severe weather, and in order to economise fire-heat; and during 
intense sunshine shade for three or four horn's in the day, 
to prevent an unnecessary drain on the powers of the plant; 
the amount of soil being necessarily somewhat limited. The 
hot-water pipes are best in a cemented trough, or an open 
gutter: one advance or flow pipe, a, of six. inches diameter, 
to traverse the front, and at the end emptying itself into a 
metallic reservoir, just large enough to receive the orifice of 
the advance pipe and two return pipes, which need not be 
more than three or four inches diameter. One of the two 
return pipes to go under each bed of soil, as shewn in the 
diagram at b b. 
a 1 
qjl ) A 
1 
e 
j 
c 
a 
o o O o 
VQO o 9 
JQ O ,0 
c 
£2 
1 O 
b L 
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Scale of 6 feet 6 inches. 
n Advance or flow pipe, b b The two return pipes, c c Stratum of 
broken stones to qualify the heat before entering the soil, d d Chamber 
of soil for the roots, e e Ground level. // Sliders in front and top of 
house. 
The back wall may have melons trained [up it, and also 
pegged on the surface of the soil. 
We lay the greatest stress on the pipes being capable of 
immersion in water, or in substituting open tanks. There 
may be sliders over openings into h h, to he drawn open when 
the bottom heat is too strong, and thus the atmospheric and 
tlie bottom heat and moisture may act reciprocally. 
According to our sketch, the two beds of soil will he 90 
inches wide each, and the central path half a yard, making 
the house six feet six inches wide; the length, of course, at 
the fancy of the owner. At J'f some sliding or other venti¬ 
lators ought to ho provided, the front one pressing imme¬ 
diately over the advance pipe, ami carrying warm and moist 
air through the house. Perhaps it will be necessary to raise 
the floor a few inches in order to cover the pipe, which must 
cross the walk at each end.—R. Errington. 
HINTS FOR HUMBLE HOUSEHOLDS. 
No. 2. 
Potato Soap. —Put two or three ounces of dripping, or 
fat, into three quarts of cold water, and let it boil for a 
quarter of an hour; pare and cut in slices three pounds of 
potatoes, and soak them in boiling water for a few minutes ; 
put them into the saucepan with two large onions sliced, one 
carrot cut into small pieces, and a few heads of parsley if 
convenient; season with salt and pepper, and boil the. whole 
for an hour and a half. This will make an excellent dinner 
for four or five persons. 
Cheap Vegetable Broth. — Take three ounces of dripping, 
* Dr. L., of Bath, Clemens, and C. D., will please to take this in 
answer to their queries. — E d. C. G. 
or fat. and boil as above, with three quarts of water; add a 
teacupful of barley when the water boils ; cut down halt a 
large cabbage, or, if middling sized, a whole one, two turnips, 
two large onions, and one carrot either cut or grated; boil 
the whole together for two hours; season with salt and a 
little pepper. This broth in winter will he found even more 
savoury by substituting leeks cut into pieces an inch in 
length, and well washed to free them from sand, and winter 
greens or savoys instead of turnips and cabbage. 
Leek Soup. —This is a wholesome and excellent soup, 
and may he made as above, with fat or dripping, or any 
scraps or bones, but instead of barley take two tablespoonsfnl 
of oatmeal, or one of flour, and break it smoothly with a 
little cold water, and add to the soup half an hour before it 
is ready. Two horn's and a half will be sufficient time to boil 
down the leeks. 
It is almost needless to say tlipt a pound of shin of beef, 
or a few trimmings or odd pieces, which are sold very cheap, 
or a quarter of an ox-head, or a marrow-hone well broken, 
anj' or either will he better than dripping or fat; hut where 
meat of any kind is unattainable it may he easily dispensed 
with. 
Sheep’s Pluck. —This, if well prepared, will make two 
dinners for a pretty large family. Wash the pluck well in 
several waters, and separate the liver from the heart and 
lights, which put on to boil with two quarts of cold water, a 
small teacupful of rice or barley, a couple of sliced onions, 
and a little parsley; boil this for two hours; take out the 
lights, Ac., and put it aside for the second day’s dinner. Put 
a small hit of butter or dripping in a pan, shoe the liver, rub 
each slice over with Horn', and fry it a nice brown ; lift it out, 
or draw it aside, and put a cupful of the liquor of the broth 
in the pan, season with pepper and salt, and boil it up for a 
minute, and pour it over the liver. This, with the broth, will 
be one good dinner for a working man s family. Second day: 
mince the heart and the lights well; slice two onions and put 
them in a pan with a little piece of butter or dripping, and try 
them till brown; put in the mince, two tablespoonsfnl of 
Hour, pepper, salt, and a cupful of water, or of the broth 
of the previous day if saved, and let it all simmer for halt 
an hour or three quarters; this, with a couple of pounds oi 
potatoes boiled, will make a savoury, satisfactory meal. A 
lamb’s pluck may he dressed in the same manner, only it 
will not go so far. 
A 1’otato Stew. —Pare and slice four pounds of potatoes, 
and soak them in hot water and a little salt for a few 
minutes; slice three onions, and put a layer of potatoes and 
a layer of onions and salt anil pepper, alternately, into a 
baking dish; add an ounce of dripping or fat; fill up the 
dish with cold water and bake in an oven. 
Savoury Cabbage. —Take a large, firm cabbage, and wash 
it well in cold water; cut if down the middle and scoop a 
piece out of each half about the size of an egg; take a 
quarter of a pound of bacon and lay it. in the hollow you 
have scooped out.; close the cabbage again and tie it in a 
cloth, and boil it for two hours and a half, when it will be 
soft and pulpy; masli it up with salt and pepper. This, 
with bread, will he a satisfactory meal for several persons, 
and at a very small expense. 
Cabbage or Cauliflower, when cheap, may he stewed 
(first parboiled) or fried, so as to make a wholesome dinner 
when meat is unattainable. 
Potted Head. —This, if well cooked and seasoned, is a 
very profitable and nutritious preparation. Get half an ox- 
head, and, if not too dear, an ox foot, hut this may be dis¬ 
pensed with ; wash the head well, and put it in a large pot 
with nearly two gal'ons of cold water. When it lias boiled 
for four hours excellent brose may he made from it, by 
drying some oatmeal before the fire, adding a little salt, and 
pouring some of the liquor over the oatmeal; stir it up and 
eat it while it is hot; if oatmeal is not liked, crusts of bread 
may he substituted. When the head separates freely from 
the hones take it out, and strain the liquor; when the meat 
j is cold enough to cut without tearing, cut it into small pieces 
i and return it to the liquor; season well with salt and pepper 
i and a little allspice, and boil all up together. This will 
! keep, ami warm up as excellent soup for several days, or, if 
! a foot has been added to it, it will turn out and eat cold like 
I brawn.—J. W. 
