1026 
Ibt  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
August  4,  1923 
WOMAN  AND  HOME 
From  Day  to  Day 
For  One  That  Died 
We  mourn  for  her,  and  she  with  better 
reason 
Might  mourn  for  us  instead. 
There  is  no  snow,  no  wind  or  wintry 
season 
For  those  we  call  the  dead. 
Be  not  too  sail  for  her — she  may  have 
drifted 
Cloudlike  beyond  our  sight. 
Her  sunlit  eyes  in  wonder  may  be  lifted 
Into  eternal  light. 
And  some  who  loved  her,  kinsmen  long 
departed, 
Comrades  unseen  for  years, 
May  ding  their  arms  about  her,  happy 
hearted, 
Weeping  with  thankful  tears. 
It  almost  seems  her  dreaming  soil  re¬ 
poses 
Upon  light  air  above, 
Sweet  as  the  drifting  scent  of  Summer 
r0ses 
Kind  as  the  breath  of  love. 
She  is  not  lost !  For  death  but  came  to 
free  her, 
And  though  afar  she  roam, 
We  can  but  wait,  'but  wait  and  hope  to 
see  her 
In  some  immortal  home. 
- STANTON  A.  COBLENTZ 
in  New  York  Herald. 
* 
A  paint  remover  given  in  the  “Scien¬ 
tific  American  Cyclopedia  of  Formulas,” 
is  soda  and  quicklime  in  equal  propor¬ 
tions.  Dissolve  the  soda  in  water,  then 
add  the  lime,  and  apply  with  a  brush. 
Let  it  remain  a  few  minutes,  then  wash 
the  paint  off  with  warm  water.  The  ap¬ 
plication  of  soda  and  lime  should  be  as 
thick  as  cream.  After  washing  off  the 
paint,  wash  the  woodwork  with  weak 
vinegar  to  remove  the  alkali.  This  paint 
remover  is  exceedingly  hard  on  the  hands, 
so  it  must  be  used  carefully.  Another  sim¬ 
ple  but  inflammable  paint  remover  is 
naphtha,  the  paint  being  well  wetted  with 
it,  and  then  rubbed  off. 
* 
We  are  asked  to  give  a  recipe  for  maple 
fudge.  The  following  was  sent  us  from 
Vermont  some  years  ago :  Two  cups 
maple  sugar,  one-half  cup  cream,  one-half 
cup  chopped  nuts.  Boil  the  sugar  and 
cream  until  they  make  a  soft  ball  when 
dropped  in  water.  Remove  from  the 
stove,  put  in  the  nuts,  and  beat,  till  cool. 
Pour  on  plates  and  cut  into  squares. 
* 
Sweet  pickles  become  soft  or  shriv¬ 
eled  when  the  syrup  used  is  too  heavy, 
or  when  the  pickles  are  not  put  in  plain 
vinegar  before  the  syrup.  The  following 
is  a  tested  recipe :  Wash  cucumbers,  pack 
closely  in  a  jar,  and  pour  over  them 
boiling  brine,  made  with  one  cup  of  salt 
to  one  gallon  of  cucumbers,  dissolved  in 
enough  water  to  cover.  Let  stand  24 
hours,  drain,  wipe  dry,  and  cover  with 
weak  vinegar,  boiling  hot.  Drain  and 
cover  with  fresh  vinegar,  prepared  with 
mixed  spices  and  brown  sugar  to  taste. 
Boil  the  spiced  vinegar  five  minutes,  then 
add  the  drained  cucumbers,  heat  through, 
and  then  seal  in  glass  jars.  The  sweet 
pickles  will  not  keep  long  in  open  crocks. 
Cucumbers  for  pickling  should  be  fresh, 
but  we  do  not  think  time  of  cutting  has 
any  effect,  except  that  all  garden  pro¬ 
ducts  are  better  when  gathered  in  the 
cool  of  the  morning. 
Salting  Vegetables 
Can  Swiss  chard,  kohl-rabi  and  beets 
be  canned  in  brine  the  same  as  beans,  or 
if  not  how  can  I  do  up  without  cooking? 
MRS.  W.  A.  B. 
Beets  may  be  preserved  in  salt  as  fol¬ 
lows  :  Select  medium-sized,  smooth  roots, 
wash  them,  and  pack  them  firmly  in  a 
large  earthenware  crock  or  jar.  Cover 
with  a  10  per  cent  brine  (1  2-3  cups  salt 
to  one  gallon  of  water  to  which  three- 
fourths  cup  of  vinegar  is  added).  Weight 
the  beets  down,  and  keep  in  a  cool  cel¬ 
lar.  Freshen  and  cook  like  ordinary 
beets.  We  much  prefer  canning  young 
beets  to  salting  them. 
Kohl-rabi  for  salting  should  be  tender 
and  quickly  grown.  Remove  the  leaves 
and  roots  with  a  sharp  knife.  Wash  the 
kohl-rabi,  and  pack  in  earthenware  jar 
between  alternate  layers  of  salt,  one 
pound  salt  to  10  pounds  kohl-rabi.  Cover 
the  top  with  grape  or  Swiss  chard  leaves, 
and  weight  down  securely.  Three  days 
after  packing,  add  enough  10  per  cent 
brine  to  fill  the  jar  completely.  _ 
Swiss  chard  may  be  packed  in  alter¬ 
nate  layers  with  dry  salt,  in  the  same 
proportion  as  the  kohl-rabi,  filling  the 
jars  with  10  per  cent  brine  two  days 
afterwards.  With  all  these  vegetables 
we  prefer  canning,  but  the  brine  is  sat¬ 
isfactory  if  cooking  is  to  be  eliminated. 
Old  Floors  Made  New 
Since  rugs  are  so  universally  used  the 
modern  country  house  is  now  fitted  with 
hardwood  floors  when  built,  but  not  all 
country  housewives  are  so  fortunate  as 
to  occupy  a  modern  house.  To  many  a 
woman  the  old  soft-wood  floors,  with 
their  wide,  unmatched  boards,  possibly 
showing  gaping  cracks  and  knot-holes,  is 
a  vital  question  indeed !  Of  course,  the 
simplest  method  would  be  to  cover  the 
The  Rural  Patterns 
In  ordering  always  give  number  of  pattern 
and  size  desired,  sending  price  with  order 
1918.  Misses’  two- 
piece  slip-on  dress, 
with  a  straight  col¬ 
lar,  and  skirt 
formed  by  four  pan¬ 
els.  Sizes  16,  18 
and  20  yrs.  Size 
18  yrs.  requires  1% 
yds.  30-in.  figured 
and  2’/4  yds.  plain 
material.  20  cents. 
1856.  Jacket 
blouse,  with  sur¬ 
plice  closing,  hav¬ 
ing  crushed  girdle 
that  ties  at  the 
side,  and  short  ki¬ 
mono  sleeves  with 
cuffs;  for  ladies 
and  misses.  Sizes 
34,  30,  38.  40  and 
42  inches  bust.  Any 
size  requires  3  yds. 
40-in.  m  a  t  e  r  i  »L 
Worn  with  bodice 
skirt  No.  1855,  with 
camisole  top,  and 
arranged  for  a 
gathered  or  plaited 
skirt,;  for  ladies 
and  misses.  Sizes 
34,  30,  38,  40,  42 
and  44  in.  bust. 
Any  size  requires  4 
yds.  36-in  material 
for  skirt  illustrated. 
Blouse  15  cents, 
skirt  20  cents. 
nsi 
1931.  Girls’  ki¬ 
mono  dress,  having 
front  and  back 
panel,  and  square 
neck,  or  round  neck 
With  collar.  Sizes  4, 
0,  8,  10  and  12  yrs. 
Size  8  yrs.  requires 
2  yds.  36-in.  ma¬ 
terial.  15  cents. 
Fashion  catalogue 
15  cents. 
1933.  Two-piece 
dress,  with  surplice 
closing  and  long  or 
sjhorit  /sleeves;  for 
ladies  and  misses. 
Sizes  30,  38,  40,  42 
and  44  an.  bust. 
Any  size  requires 
5  yds.  40-in.,  or  3% 
yds.  54-in.  material. 
25  cents. 
old  boards  with  the  hardwood  filling,  a 
superior  sort  of  linoleum  closely  resem¬ 
bling  hardwood,  and  which  when  laid 
gives  a  very  good  substitute  for  a  hard¬ 
wood  floor.  To  many,  however,  its  price 
is  prohibitory,  and  to  the  housewife  of 
very  limited  means  I  would  suggest  that 
she  may  treat  her  floors  herself  with  very 
good  results  and  at  small  expense. 
If  the  discarded  carpets  are  of  ingrain 
she  can  have  these  woven  into  a  pretty 
rug  for  one  of  the  rooms  at  about  one- 
third  the  cost  of  a  new  one.  Almost  any 
magazine  will  give  her  the  address  of 
these  rug-weaving  concerns.  Or  if  the 
old  carpet  is  of  Brussels,  the  body  of 
which  is  practically  indestructible  even 
when  the  nap  is  worn  to  the  extinction 
of  all  pattern,  she  herself  can  make  it 
into  a  desirable  bedroom  rug. 
First  rip  and  wash  it  (on  a  table  and 
with  a  scrubbing  brush),  then  sew  to  the 
desired  size;  stretch  it  out  on  an  attic 
floor,  right  side  up,  tacking  at  intervals 
to  keep  it  straight.  With  a  whitewash 
brush  saturate  the  face  of  the  carpet  with 
a  strong  glue  solution  carefully  made, 
and  let  dry.  This  process  is  called  “siz¬ 
ing.”  and  tends  to  make  the  rug  lie  flat 
without  curling.  When  thoroughly  dry, 
turn  over  and  tack  again,  as  the  wrong 
side  of  the  carpet  will  be  the  right  cide 
of  your  rug.  Now  purchase  a  good  dye 
of  any  preferred  color ;  mix  with  boiling 
water  much  thicker  than  for  ordinary 
dyeing,  and  apply,  hot,  with  a  brush  over 
the  entire  rug.  Two  or  three  applica¬ 
tions  will  be  necessary  to  give  a  smooth 
color,  allowing  plenty  of  time  between 
coats  for  thorough  drying. 
This  done,  procure  from  a  man  who 
does  kalsomining  a  good  stencil  pattern 
of  border  design.  These  are  of  tin  or 
heavy  cardboard,  with  conventional  de¬ 
signs  cut  out.  The  pattern  is  laid  on  the 
surface  to  be  decorated,  and  colors  suit¬ 
able  to  the  design  applied  through  these 
openings.  If  the  body  color  of  your  rug 
is  a  soft  green  or  warm  tan,  a  border  pat¬ 
tern  of  Autumn  leaves,  done  in  the  nat¬ 
ural  colors,  would  be  excellent.  Lay  the 
stencil  around  the  border  of  the  rug  and 
apply  the  dyes,  blending  the  colors  as 
nearly  according  to  nature  as  posible.  A 
study  of  Autumn  leaves,  either  pictured 
or  natural,  will  aid  you  in  this.  A  final 
application  of  varnish  will  render  the  rug 
more  easily  cleaned,  although  the  soft  ef¬ 
fect  of  the  colors  will  be  somewhat  lost. 
Between  times,  while  waiting  for  the 
rug  to  dry,  you  may  be  working  on  the 
floors.  If  the  boards  are  warped  and  un¬ 
even,  have  the  man  of  the  house  put  in  a 
few  nails  where  needed,  or  even  apply  the 
plane  to  splintered  surfaces.  If  there 
are  cracks  and  knot-holes,  these  must  be 
filled  before  going  further.  Of  course, 
crack  filler  can  be  purchased,  but  a  prac¬ 
tically  indestructible  article  can  be  made 
at  home  at  a  cost  of  not  more  than  20 
cents.  Into  three  quarts  of  water  throw 
torn  newspapers  enough  to  absorb  it  all, 
and  let  soak  until  soft  and  pulpy.  Mi;: 
half  a  pound  of  each  of  flour  and  alum 
(powdered)  and  stir  in,  cooking  all  until 
thick  as  putty,  then  press  into  the  cracks. 
Half  the  quantity  given  is  more  than 
enough  for  a  single  room.  This  filling 
will  harden  like  papier-mache,  and  will 
not  chip  and  sweep  out  as  will  putty, 
wax,  etc. 
If  the  floor  is  very  old,  the  use  of  wood 
stains  which  show  the  grain  through  will 
be  impracticable,  and  the  next  best  thing 
is  the  colored  varnish  which  comes  in 
many  shades.  (With  this  a  good  wood 
filler  (shellac)  is  indispensable.  Pur¬ 
chase  p  good  bristle  brush,  not  too  large, 
and  apply  the  liquid  to  one  board  at  a 
time,  finishing  its  entire  length  before  be¬ 
ginning  another.  That  is,  do  not  “cut”  a 
board — stop  work  and  begin  again  after 
the  first  is  dry — for  the  seam  will  show. 
This  warning  applies  even  more  strongly 
to  the  application  of  the  varnish  stain,  or 
paint.  Do  not  have  the  stuff  too  thick, 
and  be  sure  to  brush  out  wrell,  having  lit¬ 
tle  in  the  brush  to  begin  with. 
If  you  are  very  ambitious  and  wish  to 
simulate  an  oak  grain  in  your  floors,  ap¬ 
ply  a  good  oak  stain  and  while  still  moist 
go  over  each  board  with  a  painter’s  comb, 
which  may  be  purchased  at  most  supply 
stores.  These  are  something  like  tin 
shingles,  with  two  edges  cut  into  teeth, 
one  side  coarse,  the  other  fine.  Hold  the 
comb  in  the  right  hand  and  draw  along 
the  boards  with  a  waving  motion,  using 
the  _  wide  and  narrow  sides  alternately. 
A  little  study  of  the  graining  in  a  piece 
of  oak  furniture  will  give  you  a  clear 
idea  of  the  way  this  should  be  done. 
When  the  graining  is  thoroughly  dry  give 
the  floor  a  coat  of  floor  varnish ;  two  if 
the  floor  is  to  be  subjected  to  hard  usage. 
Let  me  persuade  you  to  buy  only  the  ‘best 
varnish,  as  economy  on  this  point  will 
prove  extravagance  in  the  end. 
The  final  application  of  varnish  dry, 
you  will  be  ready  to  lay  your  rugs,  when, 
if  the  color  scheme  has  been  carefully 
carried  out  and  the  work  neatly  done, 
you  will  be  pleased  at  the  artistic  result 
obtained  at  the  expenditure  of  so  little 
money.  maude  e.  s.  iiymers. 
Canned  Chicken  and  Some  Ways  to 
Use  It 
I  have  canned  chicken  and  other  meats 
for  several  years  and  feel  that  it  is  no 
longer  an  experiment.  We  keep  about 
400  hens,  and  of  course  cull  them  every 
year.  We  sell  the  culls  up  to  the  mid¬ 
dle  or  perhaps  August  20  of  each  year, 
as  the  earlier  they  are  put  upon  the  mar¬ 
ket  the  better  price  they  will  bring.  After 
the  time  specified  I  can  the  rest  of  the 
hens  that  need  to  be  culled,  up  to  Sep¬ 
tember  1.  All  that  are  laying  at  that 
time  are  left  to  be  carried  over.  The 
period  between  these  two  dates  furnish 
all  the  chicken  I  want  to  can. 
I  usually  do  three  or  four  at  a  time. 
The  hens  are  dressed  as  for  ordinary 
cooking,  cut  up,  washed,  drained,  and 
bones  left  in.  A  teaspoon  of  salt  is  put 
in  the  bottom  of  a  pint  can  before  the 
meat  is  put  in.  I  try  to  pack  the  cans 
as  uniformly  as  possible ;  viz.,  one  leg, 
one  thigh,  one  wing,  one-half  of  breast, 
etc.  Size  of  hens  varies  greatly  and  so 
this  rule  does  not  always  hold  good.  Oc¬ 
casionally  I  have  used  the  giblets,  though 
usually  not.  After  the  cans  are  filled  I 
adjust  the  rubber,  cover,  and  top  wire, 
and  set  them  in  a  roasting  pan  which 
has  a  little  excelsior  in  the  bottom  and 
pour  warm  water  around  them  using  all 
the  pan  will  hold ;  the  whole  is  gradually 
brought  to  a  boil  and  continued  for  an 
hour  when  the  top  spring  is  snapped 
down  and  the  boiling  is  prolonged  for 
two  hours  more.  The  pan  is  then  set 
aside  to  cool.  .Sometimes  I  only  can  one 
hen,  and  as  our  family  is  small  sometimes 
I  only  can  a  part  of  one,  and  use  the 
rest.  I  use  a  container  to  suit  the  num¬ 
ber  of  cans  I  have  to  cook.  I  have  kept 
canned  chicken  for  more  than  two  years 
and  found  it  perfectly  good.  It  is  a 
great  convenience  and  saves  feeding  a 
lot  of  hens. 
When  I  open  a  can  of  chicken  I  put 
it  in  a  saucepan  with  plenty  of  hot  water, 
because  it  has  had  no  water  on  it  in  the 
can,  and  bring  it  to  a  boil.  It  is  then 
ready  to  use,  when  seasoned  to  taste.  It 
can  be  prepared  in  the  same  ways  that 
fowl  is  ordinarily  used  ;  fricasseed,  fried, 
used  in  chicken  pie  or  chicken  potpie,  etc. 
It  is  nice  when  the  meat  is  put  between 
slices  of  bread  and  toasted  very  quickly, 
so  that  the  bread  does  not  become  dried. 
Served  with  the  gravy  this  is  very  pal¬ 
atable. 
Another  tasty  dish  is  to  make  a  dress¬ 
ing  of  bread  crumbs  as  for  stuffing  a 
fowl,  put  in  a  casserole  or  baking  dish 
and  lay  the  chicken  over  the  top,  put  on 
cover  and  bake.  Oysters  used  in  the 
dressing  makes  a  pleasing  change. 
‘Canned  chicken  is  very  nice  for  club 
sandwiches.  Another  nice  way  to  serve 
it  is  to  mince  it  and  put  it  in  the  "ravy 
and  serve  on  toast.  alta  m.  Gabriel. 
Two  Rickrack  Designs 
Rickrack  Edging. — Fasten  thread  in 
point  of  rickrack  braid,  ch.  5,  1  d.  c.,  ch. 
3,  1  d.  c.,  ch.  2,  1  d.  c.  in  same  point,  ch. 
3,  2  d.  c.  in  next  point,  ch.  3,  1  d.  c.,  ch. 
2,  1  (k  c.,  ch.  3,  1  d.  c.,  ch.  2,  1  d.  c.  in 
next  point,  ch.  3,  2  d.  c.  in  next  point,  ch. 
3.  Repeat  the  length  desired  ;  turn. 
2.  Ch.  7,  fasten  in  2  d.  c.,  ch.  5,  fas¬ 
ten  in  same  2  d.  c.  to  form  a  picot ;  ch.  3, 
7  d.  c.  in  1st  group  of  2  ch. ;  fasten  thread 
back  onto  1st  of  7  d.  c.  This  forms  a 
Richraclc  Edging 
puff  stitch ;  ch.  3,  puff  stitch  in  3  ch. ; 
ch.  3,  puff  stitch  in  2  ch.  ch.  3  ;  picot  in 
2  d.  c. ;  ch.  3,  puff  stitch  in  each  of  next 
groups  of  2  ch.,  with  3  ch.  between.  Re¬ 
peat  the  length  desired. 
3.  Ch.  G,  fasten  in  1st  puff  stitch,  ch. 
0,  fasten  in  3d  puff  stitch  ;  ch.  6,  fasten 
in  picot.  Continue  across. 
4.  8  s.  c.  in  6  ch.,  7  s.  c.  in  9  ch., 
picot,  7  s.  c.  in  same  9*  ch.,  8  s.  c.  in  6 
ch.  Repeat  around. 
Rickrack  Insertion. — Fasten  thread  in 
Riclcraclc  Insertion 
point  of  rickrack  braid,  ch.  8,  fasten  in 
next  point  and  continue  length  desired ; 
turn. 
2.  Oh.  G,  4  d.  c.  in  8  ch.';  ch.  2,  4  d.  c. 
in  next  8  ch.;  ch.  2  and  continue  across; 
turn. 
3.  -  Ch.  3,  3  d.  c.  in  4  d.  c. ;  ch.  2  ;  4  d. 
c.  in  4  d.  c. ;  ch.  2.  Continue  across ; 
turn. 
4.  Ch.  3,  3  d.  c.  3  ch.,  3  d.  c.  in  2  d.  c. 
to  form  a  shell.  Continue  across.  Fol¬ 
low  the  same  directions  for  the  other  edge 
of  rickrack.  This  is  very  pretty  in  pil¬ 
low  cases.  mrs.  el  win  chase. 
Canning  String  Beans 
Will  you  tell  me  how  to  can  string 
beans  so  that  they  will  keep  through  the 
Winter?  mrs.  j.  ii.  p. 
The  following  is  our  method  of  canning 
string  beans,  which  we  keep  in  quantity 
each  year.  Sterilize  jars  and  lids  by 
boiling ;  put  new  rubber  rings  in  hot  wa¬ 
ter.  Prepare  the  beans  as  for  table,  then 
blanch  (plunge  in  boiling  water)  for  five 
minutes,  then  cold  dip,  drain,  and  fill 
into  jars  to  within  one  inch  of  top.  Put 
one  teaspoon  of  salt  in  each  quart  jar, 
fill  with  boiling  water,  adjust  rubber  and 
cap,  clamp  lightly  (do  not  clamp  down 
tight),  and  process  in  wash  boiler  or 
other  vessel  containing  water,  three- 
quarters  the  depth  of  the  jar.  Cook  for 
three  hours,  counting  from  time  water 
begins  to  boil.  Then  clamp  down  fasten¬ 
ing,  cool,  and  store  in  a  dark  place.  The 
product  is  excellent  in  flavor,  and  we 
never  lose  a  can.  Many  housekeepers 
do  not  blanch  beans,  which  saves  time, 
and  is  said  to  give  just  as  good  results, 
but  we  think  the  green  beans  are  a  bet¬ 
ter  color  when  blanched  and  cold  dipped. 
