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DETROIT, APRIL 11, 1887.

 

 

THE HO'USEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

HOW LITTLE WE KNOW OF EACH
OTHER.

How little we know of each other.
We pass through the journey of life,
With its struggles, its fears and temptations,
Its heart-breaking cares and its strife,
We see things alone on the surface,
For few of us glory in sin;
And an unruflled face is no index
. 0f fires that rage wildly within.

How little we know of each other,
The man who walks quietly by
With wealth and with honor and title,
And holds his head proudly\on high,
0ft carries dread secrets within him
That render existence a curse;
Dread secrets that sear his soul over,
0f crime, or misfortune, or worse.

How little we know of each other
The woman of fashion who sneers
At her sister whom fate has abandoned
To poverty, misery, tears,
May prove ere the sun rise to-morrow
More deeply immersed in disgrace,
And the sadness sneered at in another,
Be pictured upon her own face.

How little we know of k ach other.
Of our own hearts how little we know,
We are all feeble under temptation,
Be our station in life high or low.
Ahl then, let sweet charity rule us,
And help one another to win
The crown that awaits those who strive for
Avoidance of shame and of sin.

—-—-———ooo————.

SPRING MILLINERY.

Last week and that just previous, were
notable for the number of events crowded
into them. We had a big fire, a big defalca—
tion, and a half 'dozen “openings” of
spring millinery, for the woman who does
not have a new bonnet for Easter, when
Easter comes. in April, is “ way behind”
the fashionable times. I do not often
attend these displays of stylish headgear,
because though I am in love and charity
with all my fellow-women, I do not enjoy
being pushed about by an eager and bust-
ling crowd, who all want to “ see.” But I
chanced to accidentally find myself amid
that array of ladies in their best, and the
confused murmur of “ superb,” “ ravishing-
ly beautiful,” perfectly charming,” and
other exclamations by which femininity
manifests delight, the other day, and took
a few notes of early styles which may help
somebody in the choice of a bonnet.

The new bonnets differ from each other
only as one star differs from another in
glory; they are not, in shape, much different
from those of last season, or even last sum-
mer. They are still small, with narrow,
high crowns, often V-shaped in the back,
and closely fitting the head in front, flaring

 

slightly, or with narrow coronets. The
novelty consists in the fanciful braids of
which they are composed, and the beautiful
ribbons which are lavishly used for trimt
mings. Prices of these little bonnets,
which are in all colors, to matchcostumes,
range from seventy-five cents up to $2.50,
according to fineness and novelty of the
braid. Ribbons are principally used for
trimming, and are very fanciful in the mat—
ter of edges; they range in price from 45
cents upward, some in black as low as 30
cents. Some bonnets are trimmed in two
colors, as crushed raspberry and gray, pis-
tache green with some of the new shades
of brown; one bonnet which somehow re-
minded me of a salad, was trimmed in a
green like the tender leaves of lettuce, com-
bined with loops of mustard yellow. It is
comparatively easy for even a novice—if she
has any skill in millinery whatever—to trim
one of these little bonnets, if she will bear
in mind that the effect to be produced is
that of height and narrowness. Make first
a tightly-strapped bow with loops about
three inches long, push the loops up close to
the strap and set it on the front of the bon-
net. Fill in on each side of it, back, with
gradually lengthening loops of ribbon,
finishing with two forked ends. Pass a
folded ribbon down the sides, fastened at
the points of the bonnet, for strings, or rip
two places in the braid of the crown and
insert the ends of the ties. If you wish to
add flowers, put them in the centre of the
cluster of long loops; they—the flowers—
must have long stems. Fine flowers, mignon-
ette, primroses, heliotrope, lilacs, etc., made
up with grasses and seed pods, are the most
used. Flowers are used almost exclusively
on these little capotes; and feathers, when
seen, are ostrich tips; fancy wings seem to
have gone quite out of favor. Jet bonnets
are as fashionable as ever, in fact they are
always elegant and suitable, like a black
silk dress, but there is nothing stylish about
an old-fashioned one; it should be re—made,
as well as other bonnets. The pretty printed
silks, which are called foulards, and the
plain and brocade silk costumes in colors.
usually have a bonnet made of the silk to
match, generally a soft full crown, trimmed
with ribbon of the principal tint, or of a
pretty contrasting yet harmonious hue. I
had half a mind not to tell about these bon-
nets, for though they are pretty when well
and tastefully designed, they are “ perfectly
horrid” when they are not. I see some
occasionally that are calculated to drive a
milliner crazy. ’

I heard a gentleman of this city say once
that no matter how nicely a lady was dressed

 

he could always tell whether she belonged
in the city or not, by her bonnet. Country
milliners, he said, never seemed to know
when they had piled on enough adornments,
and had no idea of elegant simplicity.
There is some truth in the criticism. The
most beautiful bonnets are those which are
not over-trimmed, but which are becoming
in color and shape, and not too conspicuous.
A bonnet should be like a frame to a pic-
ture, calculated by its suitability and bar.
mony to set off the face beneath it, without
obtruding itself because of pronounced color
or outre shape. I do not liketo see a woman
who looks as if she had stolen a scrap of
sunset to twist around her head.

In buying a bonnet or hat, remember
above all else that what is beautiful in itself
may be un-beautiful on you by reason of
unbecomingness, want of correspondence
with other articles, or because it is not suit-
able to your age. A gay bonnet above a
face which has lost its bloom and roundness
attracts an undesirable attention; on a
youthful person it detracts from beauty’s
effect; because we look instinctively at the
headgear, not the wearer.

Hats are very high in the crown, with
brims turned up, down, sideways, at an
angle, any way you prefer; the single de-
sideratum seems to be the altitude of the
crown. For early spring wear ostrich
plumes in medium lengths, with velvet or
ribbon accessories, are worn. Most of the
new models are rather “loud,” it seems to
me, but I presume we shall all make up our
minds to wear them. Children’s styles are
not new, the principal features are the
wide brims and high crowns.

BEATRIX.
*-

USEFUL UTENSILS.

Would say to Cyrene in regard to the
automatic steam cooker, that I find it all
that it is recommended to be, and a great
convenience in many ways. It will cook a
dinner beautifully on the top of a coal stove,
oil or gasoline stove, requiring but little
heat to keep the water boiling. You can
put your dinner on to cook and go to church
and find it just done and not over-done on
returning; thus if the family are late to
dinner the food will not be injured by cock-
ing until wanted. The only disadvantage
is when you want to hurry a meal, as it
takes longer to cook than when a meal is
prepared on a stove, but one can soon learn
to adjust such matters as that. The small
size will cook sufficient meat, vegetables
and dessert for six persons. I am looking
forward to real comfort preparing dinner,
when the hot season returns. If any further

 


2 THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

information is needed I will be glad to fur-
nish it.

I would like also to speak of the self-
heating flat iron, having tested that also. I
am convinced that we should not be too
quick to try labor-saving machines before
making inquiries. The self-heating flat
iron is not necessary except during hot
weather; and as it requires live coals to
start the charcoal, one would be obliged to
have a fire to start it; it can be started with
fire kindlings, such as we get at the grocers
in balls; if you have a porch you can iron
there and let the smoke escape. But it is
too large an iron to iron small articles con-
veniently. I hope these remarks will be of
service to some one who is called on to
purchase, as they are only sold by agents.

KALAMAZOO. MRS. J. A. MANN.

[The HOUSEHOLD Editor has used the
flat iron mentioned above, and found that
in addition to the objections named the
fumes from the burning charcoal invariably
gave her a severe headache, accompanied“
by an unusual feeling'of weariness and
lassitude.]

 

—___4...——-——

KITCHEN TALK.

 

I believe there are comparatively few
people who are in the habit of managing
fires, especially that in the kitchen, with
any thought whatever of economy of fuel.
This is particularly true of those whose fuel
comes from the home woodlot, and hence
has not a value represented by an immediate
pecuniary outlay. The idea quite generally
prevails that a stove crammed to its utmost
capacity, the kettles boiling “like mad,”
and an atmosphere close up to the furnace
in which the Hebrew children had their
fiery trial, are necessary to cook a meal.
Particularly is it the idea that a hot fire
hastens a meal; and always the first thing
the belated cook does, is to stuff the stove
in order to make up for lost time. If we
would only learn to manage our fires judi-
ciously we would find we could cook much
more comfortably, not to speak~ of the
saving to the whodpile.

It is a mistake to believe that the faster
and harder vegetables or meat are boiled,
the more rapidly they are cooked. Water
cannot, under ordinary atmospheric condi-
tions, be raised to a higher temperature
than 212 degrees; the extra heat simply con-
verts it into steam. It is «very hard to con-
vince cooks of this however; as they are
firmly grounded in the belief that the hotter
the_fire and the more steam generated, the
more effectual the cooking.

Now you can take a piece of meat, cut it
in two, and boil one half vigorously for
half an hour, and cook the other in water
at that point we call “simmering” and
you will find the latter will cook in the
same time, and be more tender than that
boiled, for the reason that the greater heat
toughens the fibrin. You can boil eggs
hard in three and a half minutes, and have
the albumen of the whites tough and un-
digestible, whereas if you put them into
water at the boiling point, set them on the
back of the stove where they cannot boil,
the white will be like jelly, and the yolk
mealy. We ought to learn a lesson from
this. Aud then how much discomfort we

more fire in the kitchen than‘is necessary to
do the work required. There would be the

saving in fuel, and’ a saving of quite as
much importance, in our physical strength
and the comparative comfort in which we
could perform our necessary tasks. Just
try the “low pressure” system of cooking,
and see how it works.

The dish-washing question is a riddle we
solve three times per day, in the old, old
fashion which never becomes pleasant or
easy to us. In my nine years of practical
housekeeping experiences, I never saw the
time when I could approach a big tableful
of dishes with truly Christian serenity; and
during my girlhood, when fate compelled
me to “ do” the dishes, Iused to vow when
I kept house 1 would serve my meals on
{chips and then burn them. I did not; Mrs.
Grundy was too much for me, even in our
quiet country neighborhood. But it seems
my bright vision of emancipation may yet
come true. Mr. Joel Denton drops into
the world of woman’s work with a practical
thought. He suggests this Sisyphus-like
task might be greatly lightened in a very
simple manner. So many things are now-
days made of paper that most of our dishes
might be of that material, plates, cups,
sauce-plates, etc., and when used, serve as
firewood. The cost might be made very
trifling, since paper pulp is now made of
straw and wood; and though the expedient
would not .do away with dish—washing en-
tirely, it would greatly lesson the labor.
There is one thing Ihave seen many other-
wise very neat people do, which in my view
is “a very dirty caper,” and that is to al-
low the dog or cat to eat from a dish which
is to be used on the table again. Many
persons scrape the scraps from the table
upon the platter, or a dinner plate which
has been used at a meal, and. set-it down
for the convenience of a family of cats or a
couple of dogs, who lick it clean. To be
sure it is washed, but seems as if, in my
eyes at least, all the hot suds in the dishpan
cannot wash it quite clean again. There is
a good deal in what we call “association
of ideas;” Idon’t care to have dishes and
dog kennels intimately associated. A dis-
carded tin basin, a dish with a piece broken
out of it, is plenty good enough for the
dogs and cats of the ordinary farmer. My
Lady’s pug or King Charles may eat from
a hand-painted china saucer, or“ even a
silver plate, but at least it is kept sacred to
his dogship’s use, and one is not invited to
eat her matutinal oat-meal from the same

dish. BEATRIX.
—-——“—-——-—-—

DRESSMAKING MODEL.

I sent one dollar to Higbee & 00., Men-
dota, La Salle 00., Ill., and received a
model for cutting ladies’ and children’s
garments. It took me about one hour to
learn of a dreSSmaker how to use it. It is
more convenient than to cut by patterns,
and a person with taste and common sense
can, with a little practice, soon learn to cut
any dress by it. As I am 25 miles from
anywhere, I find the articles on styles in
the HOUSEHOLD a great help. When I have
dresses to make I send for a fashion plate
and go to work.

HOUSE-CLEANING.

“ Sing a song of cleaning house,
. Pocket full of wails;
Four and twenty dust pans,
Scrubbing brooms and pails,
When the door is opened,
Wife begins to sing—
“Just help me move this bureau, here,
And hang this picture, won‘t you dear?
And tack that carpet by the door,
And stretch this one a little more,
And drive this nail and screw that screw.
And here’s a job I have for you—-
This closet door will never latch ; ‘
And oh! while you’re about it John,
I wish you’d put the cornice on,
And hang this curtain, when you’re done
I’ll hand you up the other one;
This box has got to have a hinge,
Before I can put on the fringe;
And won’t you mend that broken chair?
I’d like a hook put up right there.
The bureau draw must have a knob;
And here’s another little job—
I really hate to ask you dear,
But could you fix a bracket here ?"
And on it goes, when thesejare through.
With this and that, and those to do,
And infinituni, and more too,
All in a merry jingle;
And isn’t it enough to make
A man wish he were single ?” [Almost]
Can there be a man produced who does
not thoroughly detest house-cleaning time?
They seem to know intuitively that it
means interrupted quiet, cold dinners, wife
in deshabille, and the house turned inside
out. I have been looking for some one to
give us an article on “simplifying house-
cleaning,” but 1 see I must set the ball in
motion, giving my ideas. In the first
place get ready for that important time, so
that the regular meals shall go on just the
same. Make a large measure of molasses
cookies, sugar cookies, doughnuts, any kind
of loaf cake—a Perfection cake keeps moist
three weeks or more, bake it in one pan
loaf—a chocolate and cocoanut cake, these
with fresh molasses cake and bread, seven
or eight mince pies, a pan rice pudding,
which is lots better cold than hot, or a
baked Indian meal pudding, full of raisins,
can be warmed in the oven, and is better
than when fresh baked; a pan of blanc-
mange, boiled custard, corn starch blanc—
mange, can all be made in advance. Then
the closets and cupboards should he ran—
sacked. the winter clothing brushed,
mended and folded, or hung away; a large
packing trunk will be found convenient.
Any work like packing ham, canning
mince meat, apples, sweet pickles, etc. ,'
should be done. Have the vegetables and
apples sorted, and give the cellar athorough
cleaning; this can all be done the odd days.
It helps so much to be all ready. Young
housekeepers think that the first thing to do
is to tear up carpets and pile furniture in the
middle of the room. This is a poor begin-

ning; do all the odd jobs first.

Do not take down stoves and tear up car-
pets too early. It is nothing to boast of
that you are the first one to have your house
cleaned; each housekeeper knows her own
business. If there is a baby in the house
this makes it highly necessary that we
should wait for May sunshine and warmth.
It is so much better and much more pleasant
to go to work with some order. The most
important item is that the “men folks”
will look upon this part of the year’s pro-
gramme with a better feeling. I wish we
could do as the women in town do; have a
colored man come _ and do the cleaning.
They are paid one dollar and a half a day,
and accomplish so much, taking up the

 

CHEBOYGAN. SPH‘TSTER HOMESTEADER.

 

might avoid in hot weather by never having

  

carpets, cleaning them and tacking them

 
   

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' the Southern States, which is suspended

 
   

THE HOUSEHOLD. 3

 

down again. It is heavy work and is well
worth a good price.

The chambers and hall should first be
cleaned, then take a room at a time, plan-
ning no more in the morning than can be
completed at night. It is foolishness to
rush through as if there was never going to
be another day; a woman in this way with
only one pair of hands to do the cleaning
and housework, will be completely jaded
out when the campaign is over. There is
considerable brain work necessary to carry
on the cleaning, and not destroy the har-
mony of the home. Of course the more

cleaning and dusting, setting to rights, is-

neglected, the harder work it is to “create
order out of chaos.” Every day and week
brings its duties; never neglect them, keep
them all up in shape. You will be amply
repaid by seeing how much easier house-
cleaning is got along with.
BATTLE CREEK. EVANGALINE.
~-———...————

A TRIP ALONG THE EASTERN COAST
OF FLORIDA.

 

In the fore part of the winter of 1885,
when I was eleven years old, I accompanied
my father on a trip to; the sunny land of
Florida; and thinking that a brief deserip-
tion of the things to be seen there might be
interesting to some of your readers, [thought
I would try to partially tell them. Well,
after looking about Jacksonville in search of
curiosities, finding some very nice ones, we
took the steamer Chesapeake and started
down the St. Johns river. After a few
hours things beautiful almost beyond de-
scription began to appear. There were the
tall palmettoes, the great live oaks and
many other trees and bushes forming a
thick undergrowth; and from the branches
in every form imaginable, from tiny strings
to broad sheets, hung the famous moss of

from nearly every branch of the trees to
the water and is almost the only bedding
they have there. In most places the banks
are very low and covered with rank grass,
and the river is so narrow that the wake of
the vessel would run upon the land for
several feet, sweeping over the grass, which
looks as if it were being mown. The cat-
tle growers, when there are any, turn their

stock out in the woods to hunt their own

living, anda poor one it is, for grass is

very scarce there. About the best pasture

they get is in the marshes, which are gen-

erally covered with bushes or saw palmetto,

and the lakes and rivers. They sometimes
wade into the water to their backs after the
mess that grows upon the bottom, and the——
buzzards which abound there have many a
good meal over some poor victim which,

stuck in the mud, could do no better than

die.

After a few days travel we found ourselves
at a lake the name of which I have forgot-
ten, where there is a warehouse built in the
middle, and a shed on shore to hold the
produce, which was principally oranges,
till it could be rowed out. We were landed
and took the only means of traveling, two
mules and a wagon, to Titusville, which is
seven miles distant, but there being so much
to see we did not mind it any. This road
led us through vast pine forests, and we

we also passed an enormous Indian mound.
Having arrived at Titusville we hired the
sail boat “Orient,” Captain Carlin, and
after procurring the things necessary on
such a trip, we started down the Indian
river. Indian river is very much like the
St. Johns in both vegetation and breadth,
butthe banks are not so low. Near Titus-
ville it was covered with a species of ducks
called coots and the people fairly live on
them in their season.
would rise by the hundreds, making a
noise as loud as the rumbling of a train,
but only to alight to be shot at again. Well,
we started, and for a while saw nothing of
any account except the beautiful scenery
everywhere to be seen there. Occasionally
we would catch a glimpse of an alligator, or
’gator as they are called by the natives,
sliding from the bank where he had been
quietly reposing, or floating upon the sur-
face of the water. After a few days of
steady sailing we reached what is called
Indian River Narrows, the mangrove bushes
nearly touching each other across the river.
Here the boat had to be steered with a pole,
and as the wind could not reach us, we
had torow, so you may imagine what a time
we had. We were obliged however to pass
one night. in this lonely place, where the
deathly hootings of the owls, together with
the howling, chattering and screaming of
the night prowlers, the splashing of the
pompano, a kind of fish noted for its pecu-
liar habit of leaping from the water, and
the company of mosquitoes and that ready
and ever willing little torment the sand-fly,

whose good qualities are known to none but
the visitors of Florida, made night hideous.
In the morning we got under way, and in
a couple of days, stopping occasionally to go
to the beach (to gather shells) which is only
about a quarter of a mile from the river, we
arrived at the Jupiter Narrows, which un-
like _the Indian River Narrows, consist of a
wide river filled with beautiful islands,

among whose reeds and rushes herons,

cranes, dilferent kinds of ducks and other
aquatic birds enjoy the quiet solitude to
their hearts’ content, and undisturbed by
man rear their young. It is very difficult
to sail through this place, it being I should
think nearly a mile long, and there being
but one way to go through it. We got

through the narrows all right, and after
going eight or ten miles, 1 should judge, we
came to Jupiter lnlet, where the river joins
the sea. At this point is Jupiter lighthouse,

which stands 105 feet above the sea level,

has 104 steps in it, and whose light can be
seen 18 miles away. In the morning the

sailor who went. with the boat, rowed us

to the other side of the inlet, and while he

went to get a supply of wood, we walked
down the beach after shells, and I remember

seeing the boilers of an ocean steamer

standing upon their ends, and the shudder

that stole over me as I thought of the poor

souls that were probably lost when she was

wrecked. As soon as the direction of the

wind permitted we set sail and crept silent-

ly down toward the breakers which seemed

waiting to crush us, and 1 cannot say that I

felt exactly easy; but being assured that

there was no danger, I stood at the cabin

door with my father, until with a sudden

 

would once in awhile pass an orange grove;

  

crash the boat stood on beam end, and

 

When shot at they'

plunged and tossed about so frantically that
I came near pitching overboard; but after
being completely drenched by the breakers,
I succeeded in getting into the cabin. After
getting beyond the breakers the sea was not
so rough, and I walked to the prow of the
boat and getting out of the way of the jib
I enjoyed the sight immensely. We passed _
schools of porpoises rolling as it seemed
over and over in the water. We also saw a
whale and a large loggerhead turtle; this
turtle is of a bright orange color and makes
a very marked appearance as it floats upon ,
the waves. After a few hours we reached
Lake Worth, which is an arm of the sea. It
is twelve miles from Jupiter inlet. Here
we stepped and picked shells and seabeans,
We went along the beach for a ways and
descried some rocks ahead, and on going
there I saw one of the‘ most pleasing sights
imaginable. Standing upon the rocks, with
the great ocean stretching away as far as
the eye could reach, the breakers dashing
furiously against the rocks, and countless
numbers of sharks swimming stealthily about
beneath with their great fins sticking out
of the water for a foot, was to my mind one
of the grandest sights I ever saw. Great
numbers of gulls skimmed along the water,
but the most remarkable bird was the
pelican; hundreds would fly over the water
or swim lazily along its surface, and on a
sudden they would dash headlong into it,
and would rarely if ever miss the little fish
they dove for. To think Qf a bird larger
than a goose diving after a fish perhaps as
big as your little finger, why, the mere
thought seems ridiculous. These birds build
their nests on islands, and great numbers
live on each one; they are called Pelican
islands. We visited one of these islands
and there were the nests, some with eggs,
some partly built, and others with young
birds of different sizes. We intended
going to Key West, but circumstances pre-
venting, we turned back, thinking, as I dare
say, you would have done had you been
with us, that we had had a splendid time,
and were willing once more to see home,
which to me, when I got back, seemed a
great deal nicer than ever before.

MANCHESTER.

———§..‘

PROF. J. SATTERLEE, of Lansing, sends
us a report of the proceedings of the Michi-
gan State Board of Health, with a paragraph
marked relative to the item on poisoning by
vanilla extract which appeared in the
HOUSEHOLD of March 28th. In this para-
graph Prof. V. C. Vaughn, of the Univer-
sity, and also a member of the State Board
of Health, states that he and his assistant
took 30 drops of the vanillaused in flavoring
ice-cream which had seriously affected 18
persons who had eaten of it, with no ill re-
sults whatever. Prof. Vaughn’s assistant,
later, took two teaspoonfuls, with no results,

thus settling the question as to the innocuous
nature of the vanilla. The illness of those
who ate the ice-cream was due to the pres-
ence in the milk of tyrotoxicon, a poison
which has been found in cheese, producing
similar effects, and first discovered by
Prof. Vaughn. The symptoms produced by
the ice-cream were identical with those ob-.
served in cases of cheese-poisoning. We
shall, later, give Prof. Vaughn’s views on
the possible connection between tyrotoxicon
and cholera infantum, which will be inter-

L. W. W.

 

esting to the mothers of young children.


4:

 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

  

 

 

  

CARE OF CANARIES.

 

Canary birds are often the victims of
ignorance and mistaken kindness. The
bird’s wants are few, yet often the little
fellow gets many things he does not want.
and few that he does. He wants pure air,
but must not be placed in a draught; he
likes warmth but not heat. The bird whose
cage is hung high up in the room gets more
heat than if his cage were lower, and gets
in addition, all the dust and impurities of
the atmosphere. Often too the cage is hung
out of doors in the shade in summer, and
its tiny occupant forgotten till the meridian
sun invades his position, and he is nearly
baked in the heat reflected from the side
of the house. We once saw seven cages
containing canaries hung against the side
of a house, with the afternoon sunshine
streaming fully upon them. The poor lit—
tle victims were panting in the scorching
heat, and prisoned by the gilded wires,
powerless to escape; their thoughtless
owner ought to have been arrested for
cruelty to animals.

Canaries cannot endure sudden transi-
tions from heat to cold; if the temperature
is variable, that is, if they get a draught
from the window during the day, a torrid
evening in a room heated by fire and lamps,
and a decided lowering in warmth as the
fire dies down through the night, asthma
will follow as a resultant, a disease much
more easily prevented than cured. The best
remedy for this is aconite, homeopathically
prepared, one drop in a teaspoonful of
water; this is sufficient for two doses.

The canary is a cleanly bird and will take
his daily bath with evident delight and a
regularity which some .unfeathered bipeds
might emulate with advantage. Give him
a good sized bathing-dish and let him
splash and flutter to his heart’s content;
water but little lower than the temperature
of the room should be given. Birds are
generally dainty about the water they drink;
makeita rule to fill the cups at least twicea
day. How wouldyou like to be compelled to
drink water brought into the house in the
morning, and which has stood all day?

If you keep canaries, or birds of any
kind, make up your mind not to neglect
them. It is cruel to keep them in bondage,
and neglect or refuse to care for them. The
cage should be cleaned every day, and fresh
sand or a clean paper spread on the bottom.
The odor from a neglected cage, or the sight
of one half-filled with wilted lettuce leaves,
bits of apple, stale egg, etc., are disgusting.

Canaries will not sing unless they are
healthy; they cannot be healthy unless
well cared for. Give them pure water, and
enough hemp and can iry seed, with cuttle—
bone, and occasionally a bit of red pepper
pod, and keep them clean, and they will be
healthful and therefore musical; unless
preyed upon by vermin. In such case,
prevention is better than cure, and cleanli-

' ness is preventive. Birds love lettuce,
chickweed, sugar, sweet apple; and delight
above all things to rob heads of grass of
their store of seeds.

When birds are quite young give them
hard-boiled eggs and cracker soaked in
milk, and the seeds should be cracked for
them till the little bills are strong enough
to attend to business.

4

 

  

If the bird shows, by drooping plumage,
cessation of song and by picking at him-
self, that vermin are troubling him, thor-
oughly wash and scald the cage, no matter
how “ fancy” it is; burn up the old perches
and provide new ones. Examine the new
perches every morning, and scald them if
you find on them, as you probably will, the
tiny mites which distress the little musician?

Loss of voice in a canary is due to age,
cold, over-singing, or moulting. A little
rock candyr dissolved in the drinking water
is said to be good, as also lettuce seed,
which some regard as a specific. Red pep-
per is also recommended, sprinkled on a
bit of bacon and hung where the bird can
reach it.

A fine colored bird is much prized, and
various means are resorted to to produce the
rich lemon color so much admired in the
canary. A favorite process with dealers is
to pour boiling water on a pinch of saifron
and let it stand till all the color is extracted
from it; soak bread in the infusion and give
it to the birds. Birds thus fed have a bean-
tiful yellow hue which can be produced by
no other means. Cayenne also gives a de-
cided character to the plumage, more of a
reddish tint than that given by feeding saf-

fron. BEATBIX.
—————+o‘——-—

POULTRY RAISING FOR WOMEN.

 

[Paper read before the Eckford Farmers’ Club,
by Miss Mary Avery, March 15th:]

I think every woman needs some out-
door exercise, and what can be more
pleasant and profitable than raising poultry?
Perhaps there are some who think they can-
not spare the time, (for I confess it does
take considerable time) but as a rule, I be-
lieve fowls do better under the care of farm-
ers’ wives and daughters, than they do in
the hands of the farmers themselves; men
do not seem to have the time. Then again
some of these same farmers say. poultry
raising does not pay, and assert the hens
eat their heads off two or three times a
year, etc. Still I think they are beginning
to realize there is a little profit in poultry
after all, if properly cared for.

My experience with poultry has been en-
couraging, and I consider it a pleasure to
care for the fowls. I think it is quite an
item in poultry raising to get an early start
in the spring. for it is the early chick that
will bring the highest price, or pay you in
eggs the next winter. I do not know what
others think, but it would not pay me to
keep old hens over; they will not lay much
through the winter; then when they do be-
gin it is late before they will sit, and the
result is, late chickens, and not much profit.

On December 4, 1885, I had 25 hens of a
mixed breed, and a Wyandotte rooster. I
sold during the year 113 dozen eggs, at an
average of. 11% cents per dozen, and 372
pounds of poultry, at the average rate of 7%
cents per pound. The cost of the fowls
December 4, 1885, and the feed for the
whole year, was $28 50. I had on hand
December 4, 1886, 41 fowls valued at $25,
making a net gain of 838, which I think is
not bad for a beginning. My hens have laid
remarkably well this winter; I have sold
from December 10th up to date, 100 dozen
eggs, besides using over eight dozen.
Several persons have asked me how it is
my hens have laid so well, but that is a

 

question I am unable to answer; for many
with larger, warmer, more convenient and
expensive hen-houses than mine, have
gathered but very few if any eggs during
the winter.

The feed was usually a warm mess in the
morning, with whole grain at night, scat-
tered over the straw, so while eating their
supper they were getting exercise as well,
which I think is very essential. Keep them
just a little hungry, so they will scratch.
An over-fed hen with no exercise will soon
get too fat to lay many eggs. Another es-
sential element is‘warm drink two or three
times a day, if water freezes in your poultry
house as it did in mine.

Though I can not boast ‘of great profit, I
am satisfied there is money in raising
poultry, and with increased stock I hope to
do better this year, than last.

—_‘..—_
HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

 

The farmer's principal dependence for

meat is salt pork. We want some new re-

cipes for cooking it; something to make a
change. Here is one way: Beila piece of
the meat which has “a streak of fat and a
streak of lean,” let it get cold, cut in slices,
roll in flour and fry; or broil it without the
flour: A good way to dispose of the slices
of fried pork left after dinner, is to broil-
them for breakfast. If any one can give us
any variations on this time—honored dish,
we shall gladly print them, for at this time
of the year the appetite craves a variety.

 

An exchange says: An old body brussels
csrpet (always a good purchase, for it wears
almost endlessly) when badly soiled, should
be thoroughly beaten, then stretched upon
the flmr and nailed down. Begin at one
side and scrub it thoroughly with an ordi-

nary scrubbing brush, changing the water ,

often and wiping it up with a coarse dry
cloth. The eifect will be surprising; not
only is the dirt removed, but the pile seems
to be raised. Of course the room must be
left with doors and windows open until

quite dry.
Contributed Recipes.

CHOCOLATE PIE.-—Y01k8 of two eggs; two.
cups milk; two-thirds cup sugar; two table-
spoonfuls cornstarch; two tablespoonfuls of
grated chocolate; this is to be cooked like
boiled custard. Let cool. Line the pie-tin
with puff paste and bake. Into this pour the
chocolate; frost with the two whites beaten
with four tablespoonfuls flue sugar; add a
teaspoonful vanilla; return to the oven and
brown slightly. Very nice.

CEARALINE FLAKES PUDDING.—One quart
milk,bring to boiling heat; add one tablespoon-
ful butter; a little salt; then stir in three
cups cearaline flakes. Cook five minutes;
eat with cream and sugar.

Sum PUDDING.—-One and a half cups flour;

one cup molasses; one cup milk; one cup
chopped suet; one cup seeded raisins; one
cup currants; one teaspoonful soda; one
of salt. Steam three hours. Eat with hard
sauce.
‘ CREAM Town—Toast nice slices of bread ;
for one-half dozen take two cups sweet cream,
half cup butter, half cup sugar; bring ’to
boiling heat and turn over the toast; put
each slice on a plate by itself before putting
on the cream. EVANGELINE.

BATTLE CREEK.

 

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