HOUSEKEEPING. 
Tapioca or Sago Cream. 
Wash thoroughly one cup of tapioca or sago and let it 
soak over-night in an earthen dish with one pint of water. 
In the morning add one quart of milk, a small teaspoon of 
salt, and boil two hours in a double boiler. Just before it 
is done beat three eggs, one cup of sugar, and a half tea¬ 
spoon of vanilla, and stir them into the tapioca. The 
whites can be reserved for a meringue, but in that case the 
tapioca must be put into a pudding dish, the meringue 
spread over it, and placed in the oven till the egg is cooked 
and has the faintest yellow shade. 
White earthen pudding dishes look better than yellow, 
and are not expensive. 
Pudding Sauce. 
Stir the butter and sugar together. Moisten the flour, 
needed to thicken it, with a little cold water, and pour 
boiling water over it till it is cooked, then pour it over the 
butter and sugar, stirring briskly all the time. 
Codfish Tongues. 
It seems strange that the tongues of fish should be sold 
by the pound in market, and stranger still, that they should 
make a palatable dish. Those of our readers who have 
access to Fulton Market will find them there at the low 
price of fifteen cents a pound. Two pounds will be 
sufficient for a family of six. The tongues are to be egged, 
crumbed, and fried like oysters, and those who try them 
say they are delicious. 
Bread Cakes. 
One pint of light raised dough as it is ready for mold¬ 
ing into loaves. Three eggs beaten separately, three- 
fourths of a cup of butter, one and a half cups of sugar, 
one teaspoon of soda dissolved in two tablespoons of tepid 
water, a little grated nutmeg, or one teaspoon of ground 
cinnamon, and a pound of stoned and chopped raisins. 
Cream the butter, add the sugar, and then work it into 
the dough with the hand. A large bowl is best to mix it 
in; the spice can be put in with the butter and sugar to 
insure its being thoroughly distributed. Next put in the 
yolks and beat with the hand or a wooden spoon. Then 
add the whites and the soda dissolved in two tablespoons 
of tepid water, and lastly the raisins. Put it into a pan and 
set in a warm place to rise, and when light bake in a 
moderate oven about forty-five minutes. It can be tested 
with a broom-straw. 
Meat Cakes. 
One pound of round steak chopped very fine at the 
butcher’s. Mix with it half a teaspoonful of onion juice, 
one-fourth of pepper and one of salt, and make it out into 
small thin cakes as sausage is made. Broil in a double 
wire broiler that has been rubbed with butter. If it is 
more convenient to fry them, fry first two slices of fat salt 
pork until they are brown and crisp, then take them out 
and put the cakes in the hot fat. Cook them till done, 
then thicken the gravy and pour it around, not over them. 
Scallops. 
If they have any liquor with them drain in a colan¬ 
der, then season with salt and pepper, and dip in beaten 
egg and then in finely-rolled bread or cracker crumbs, and 
fry in hot fat—it should be hot enough to smoke a little. 
If you have no frying-basket use an open wire skimmer to 
take them from the fat. Two minutes will be sufficient to 
cook them. Lay them a few minutes on a brown paper 
and then serve in a hot dish. 
Mrs. C. G. Herbert. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
C HARLES DOWNING, one of the deservedly best 
known of pomologists, died at his residence at New¬ 
burgh, N. Y., January 18, 1885, in the eighty-third year of 
his age. He was among those whose work is their best 
record; there lives not in this country, if in the world, a 
more conscientious, intelligent fruit grower than he who 
has just passed away. The fruits raised by him are well 
known throughout our country, as well they might be, for 
no fruit, whether of his own or another’s production, could 
get his approval unless it justly deserved it. It is fair to 
say that there. has not been a new variety of fruit of any 
kind introduced in this country during the past fifty years, 
but has had to be passed upon by him in order to warrant 
its introduction. 
His father, Samuel Downing, who was a carriage maker, 
gave up his trade to establish a nursery at Newburgh, in 
1800. After working for some years with his father 
among trees and plants, he began in 1822 (the year his 
father died), his experiments with fruits. To this work, 
through a long life, he brought habits of close observation, 
careful judgment and honest expression. No personal in¬ 
terest could cloud his vision and no influence could affect 
his declared opinion of the merits of a fruit submitted to 
his examination. The book on fruits and fruit-culture 
published originally by his brother, Andrew Jackson 
Downing, was largely the inspiration of Charles Downing, 
and developed practically his experience and accurate 
knowledge. Since his brother’s tragic death—at the time 
of the burning of the Henry Clay, near Yonkers, on July 
28, 1852—this book has run through several editions, and 
has received volumes of addenda from his pen. It has 
become a standard work, and its decisions are received 
with entire confidence. The two brothers became distin¬ 
guished early in life as authorities on ornamental plants. 
