Part 3 (continued 3)

Truth is a Rock Large Enough for All to Stand Upon.

2196. Hints for Wives (4)

"It was!" "It was not!" "It

was!

" "It was

not

!" "Ah!" "Ha!"—Now who's the wiser or the better for this contention for the last word? Does obstinacy establish superiority or elicit truth? Decidedly not! Woman has always been described as clamouring for the last word, and men, generally, have agreed in attributing this trait to her, and in censuring her for it. This being so it remains for some one of the sex, by an exhibition of noble example, to aid in sweeping away the unpleasant imputation. The wife who will establish the rule of allowing her husband to have the last word, will achieve for herself and her sex a great moral victory! Is he

right

?—it were a great error to oppose him. Is he

wrong

?—he will soon discover it, and applaud the self-command which bore unvexed his pertinacity. And gradually there will spring up such a happy fusion of feelings and ideas, that there will be no "last word" to contend about, but a steady and unruffled flow of generous sentiment.

2197. Cider

A beverage made from the juice of the apple, and for which sour and rough-tasted apples are generally preferred. The process of making cider varies in different localities, but in every case essentially consists of the collection of the fruit, and the expression and fermentation of the juice. The

collection of the fruit

should not be commenced before it has become sufficiently mature. The apples, after being gathered, are usually left for fourteen or fifteen days in a barn or loft to mellow, during which time the mucilage is decomposed, and alcohol and carbonic acid developed.

The

expression of the juice

is the next step in cider-making. The apples are ground to a pulp in a mill, consisting of two fluted cylinders of hard wood or cast iron working against each other. The pulp is afterwards put into coarse strong bags, and pressed with a heavy weight so as to squeeze out all the juice. This is then placed in large open tubs, and kept at a heat of about sixty degrees. After two or three days for weak cider, and eight or ten days for strong cider, or as soon as the sediment has subsided, the liquor is drawn off into clean casks. The casks are then stored in a cellar, shaded barn, or other cool place, where a low and regular temperature can be insured, and are left to mature and ripen until the following spring. The refuse pulp may be given to pigs and store cattle.

2198. Bottling Cider

Preparatory to

bottling cider

, it should always be examined, to see whether it is clear and sparkling. If not so, it should be clarified, and left for a fortnight. The night previous to bottling, the bung should be taken out of the cask, and the filled bottles should not be corked down until the day after; as, if this is done at once, many of the bottles will burst by keeping. The best corks should be used. Champagne bottles are the best for cider. When the cider is wanted for immediate use, or for consumption during the cooler season of the year, a small piece of lump sugar may be put into each bottle before corking it. When intended for keeping, it should be stored in a cool cellar, when the quality will be greatly improved by age.

2199. Cider Champagne

Cider, eighteen gallons; spirit, three pints; sugar, five pounds. Mix and let them rest for a fortnight, then fine with one pint of skimmed milk. Bottle in champagne bottles: when opened, it will be found to approach very nearly to genuine champagne.

2200. Properties of Cider

Cider is a pleasant and refreshing beverage, and with persons in good health is not unwholesome when drunk in moderation. By persons suffering from indigestion, however, it should be carefully avoided; nor should it be drunk by persons when they are overheated, as it is apt to cause colic and other disagreeable symptoms. Persons who suffer from rheumatism, or have a tendency to it should not drink cider.

Knowledge is the Wing whereby we Fly To Heaven.

2201. Perry

A beverage made from pears. The fruit used for this purpose should contain a large proportion of sugar, and be likewise astringent, or the liquor from it will be acetous when it ceases to be saccharine. In the making of perry, the pears are pressed and ground in precisely the same manner as apples are in the making of cider. The method of fermenting perry is nearly the same as that for cider; but the former does not afford the same indications as the latter by which the proper period of racking off may be known. The thick scum that collects on the surface of cider rarely appears in the juice of the pear, and during the time of the suspension of its fermentation, the excessive brightness of the former liquor is seldom seen in the latter; but when the fruit has been regularly ripe, its produce will generally become moderately clear and quiet in a few days after it is made, and it should then be drawn off from its grosser lees.

In the after management of perry the process is the same as that of cider; but it does not so well bear situations where it is much exposed to change of temperature. In bottle it almost always retains its good qualities, and in that situation it is always advisable to put it, if it remain sound and perfect at the conclusion of the first succeeding summer.

2202. Servants

There are frequent complaints in these days, that servants are bad, and dependents and aiding hands generally are bad. It may be so. But if it is so, what is the inference? In the working of the machine of society, class moves pretty much with class; that is, one class moves pretty much with its equals in the community (equals so far as social station is concerned), and apart from other classes, as much those below as those above itself; but there is one grand exception to this general rule, and that is, in the case of domestic servants. The same holds, though in less degree, with assistants; and in less degree only; because in this last case, the difference of grade is slighter.

Domestic servants, and assistants in business and trade, come most closely and continually into contact with their employers; and they are about them from morning till night, and see them in every phase of character, in every style of humour, in every act of life. How powerful is the force of example! Rectitude is promoted, not only by precept but by example, and, so to speak, by contact it is increased more widely. Kindness is communicated in the same way. Virtue of every kind acts like an electric shock. Those who come under its influence imbibe its principles. The same with qualities and tempers that do no honour to our nature. If servants come to you bad, you may at least improve them; possibly almost change their nature. Here follows, then, a receipt to that effect:

Receipt for obtaining good servants

.—Let them observe in your conduct to others just the qualities and virtues that you would desire they should possess and practise as respects you. Be uniformly kind and gentle. If you reprove, do so with reason and with good temper. Be respectable, and you will be respected by them. Be kind, and you will meet kindness from them. Consider their interests, and they will consider yours. A friend in a servant is no contemptible thing. Be to every servant a friend; and heartless, indeed, will be the servant who does not warm in love to you.

2203. Oyster Ketchup

Take some fresh oysters; wash them in their own liquor, strain it, pound them in a marble mortar; to a pint of oysters add a pint of sherry; boil them up, and add an ounce of salt, two drachms of pounded mace, and one of cayenne; let it just boil up again, skim it, and rub it through a sieve; and when cold, bottle it, cork well, and seal it down.

2204. Walnut Ketchup

Take two sieves of green walnut shells, put them into a tub, mix them up well with from two to three pounds of common salt, let them stand for six days, frequently beating and mashing them. By this time the shells become soft and pulpy, then by banking the mass up on one side of the tub, and at the same time raising the tub on that side, the liquor will drain clear off to the other; then take that liquor out: the mashing and banking-up may be repeated as often as liquor is found. The quantity obtained will be about six quarts. When done, let it be simmered in an iron boiler as long as any scum arises; then bruise a quarter of a pound of ginger, a quarter of a pound of allspice, two ounces of long pepper, and two ounces of cloves. Let it slowly boil for half an hour with the above ingredients; when bottled, let an equal quantity of the spice go into each bottle. Before corking, let the bottles be filled quite up: cork them tight, seal them over, and put them into a cool and dry place for one year before they are used.

2205. Essence of Mushrooms

This delicate relish is made by sprinkling a little salt over either flap or button mushrooms: three hours after, mash them,—next day, strain off the liquor that will flow from them, put it into a stewpan, and boil it till it is reduced one half. It will not keep long, but is preferable to any of the ketchups containing spice, &c., to preserve them, which overpowers the flavour of the mushrooms. An artificial mushroom bed will supply these all the year round.

2206. Essence of Celery

This is prepared by soaking for a fortnight half an ounce of the seeds of celery in a quarter of a pint of brandy. A few drops will flavour a pint of soup or broth equal to a head of celery.

2207. Tincture of Allspice

Bruised allspice, one ounce and a half; brandy, a pint. Steep for a fortnight, occasionally shaking, then pour off the clear liquor. This is excellent for many of the uses of allspice, such as making bishop, mulling wine, flavouring gravies, potted meats, &c.

2208. Horseradish Vinegar

Pour a quart of best vinegar on three ounces of scraped horseradish, an ounce of minced shalot, and one drachm of cayenne; let it stand a week, and you will have an excellent relish for cold beef, salads, &c., costing but little. Horseradish is in the highest perfection about November.

2209. Mint Vinegar

Put into a wide-mouthed bottle, fresh nice clean mint leaves enough to fill it loosely; then fill up the bottle with good vinegar; and after it has been corked close for two or three weeks, pour it off clear into another bottle, and keep well corked for use. Serve with lamb when mint cannot be obtained.

2210. Cress Vinegar

Dry and pound half an ounce of

cress seed

(such as is sown in the garden with mustard), pour upon it a quart of the best vinegar, let it steep for ten days, shaking it up every day. This is very strongly flavoured with cress, and is useful for salads, and as a sauce for cold meats, &c. Celery vinegar may be made in the same manner.

2211. Cheap and Good Vinegar

To eight gallons of clear rain water, add three quarts of molasses; turn the mixture into a clean, tight cask, shake it well two or three times, and add three spoonfuls of good yeast; place the cask in a warm place, and in ten or fifteen days add a sheet of common wrapping paper, smeared with molasses, and torn into narrow strips, and you will have good vinegar. The paper is necessary to form the "mother," or life of the vinegar.

Little Boats Must Keep Near the Shore.

2212. Cayenne Pepper

Dr. Kitchiner says (in his excellent book, "The Cook's Oracle"

¹

):

"We advise all who are fond of cayenne not to think it too much trouble to make it of English chilis,—there is no other way of being sure it is genuine,—and they will obtain a pepper of much finer flavour, without half the heat of the foreign. A hundred large chilis, costing only two shillings, will produce you about two ounces of cayenne,—so it is as cheap as the commonest cayenne. Four hundred chilis, when the stems were taken off, weighed half a pound; and when dried produced a quarter of a pound of cayenne pepper. The following is the way to make it:—Take away the stalks, and put the pods into a cullender; set them before the fire,—they will take full twelve hours to dry;—then put them into a mortar, with one-fourth their weight of salt, and pound them and rub them till they are as fine as possible, and put them into a well-stoppered bottle."

Footnote 1:

London: Houlston & Sons.

return to footnote mark

2213. Peas Powder

Pound in a marble mortar half an ounce each of dried mint and sage, a drachm of celery seed, and a quarter of a drachm of cayenne pepper; rub them together through a fine sieve, this gives a very savoury relish to pea soup and even to gruel. A drachm of allspice, or black pepper, may be pounded with the above as an addition, or instead of the cayenne.

2214. Horseradish Powder

The time to make this is during November and December: slice the radish the thickness of a shilling, and lay it to dry very gradually in a Dutch oven (a strong heat soon evaporates its flavour); when dry enough, pound it and bottle it.

2215. Curry Powder (1)

(a genuine Indian receipt).—Turmeric, coriander, black pepper, four ounces each; fenugreek, three ounces; ginger, two ounces; cummin seed, ground rice, one ounce each; cayenne pepper, cardamums, half an ounce each.

2216. Another Curry Powder (2)

Coriander, twelve ounces; black pepper, six ounces; turmeric, four ounces and three-quarters; cummin seed, three ounces; cayenne, one ounce and a half; ground rice, one ounce; cardamums, half an ounce; cloves, quarter of an ounce.—It is best to have the above receipts prepared at a chemist's.

2217. Another Curry Powder (3)

Take two ounces of turmeric, six ounces of coriander seed, half an ounce of powdered ginger, two drachms of cinnamon, six drachms of cayenne pepper, four drachms of black pepper, one drachm of mace and cloves, powdered fine, two drachms of pimento, four drachms of nutmeg, and an ounce and a half of fennel seed; powder finely, mix, dry, and bottle for use.

2218. Another Curry Powder (4)

Take of coriander seed and turmeric, each six drachms; black pepper, four drachms; fennel seed and powdered ginger, each two drachms; cayenne pepper, half a drachm: powder finely, mix, dry, and bottle for use.

2219. True Indian Curry Powder (5)

Turmeric, four ounces; coriander seeds, eleven ounces; cayenne, half an ounce; black pepper, five ounces; pimento, two ounces; cloves, half an ounce; cinnamon, three ounces; ginger, two ounces; cummin seed, three ounces; shalots, one ounce. All these ingredients should be of a fine quality, and recently ground or powdered.

2220. Oyster Powder

Open the oysters carefully, so as not to cut them, except in dividing the gristle which adheres to the shells. Put them into a mortar, and when you have got as many as you can conveniently pound at once, add salt in the proportion of about two drachms to a dozen oysters; pound them, and rub them through the back of a hair sieve, dry them thoroughly, and put them into the mortar again, with as much flour as will convert them into a paste; roll this paste out several times, and lastly, flour it, and roll it out the thickness of half a crown, and cut it into pieces about one inch square; lay them in a Dutch oven, where they will dry so gently as not to get burned; turn them every half hour, and when they begin to dry, crumble them. They will take about four hours to dry. Pound them, sift them, and put them into dry bottles; cork and seal them.

Three dozen of natives require seven ounces and a half of flour to make them into a paste weighing eleven ounces, which, when dried, is reduced to six and a half ounces. To make half a pint of sauce, put one ounce of butter into a stewpan with three drachms of oyster powder, and six tablespoonfuls of milk; set it on a slow fire, stir it till it boils, and season it with salt. As a sauce, it is excellent for fish, fowls, or rump steaks. Sprinkled on bread and butter, it makes a good sandwich.

2221. Anchovy Butter

Scrape the skin from a dozen fine anchovies, take the flesh from the bones, pound it smooth in a mortar; rub through a hair sieve, put the anchovies into the mortar with three-quarters of a pound of fresh butter, a small quantity of cayenne, and a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg and mace; beat together until thoroughly blended. If to serve cold, mould the butter in small shapes, and turn it out. For preservation, press the butter into jars, and keep cool.

2222. Lobster Butter

Lobster Butter is made in the same manner as anchovy butter. A mixture of anchovy butter and lobster butter is considered excellent.

2223. Liver Sauce for Fish

Boil the liver of the fish, and pound it in a mortar with a little flour, stir it into some broth, or some of the liquor the fish was boiled in, or melted butter, with some chopped parsley, a few grains of cayenne, and a little essence of anchovy, soy, or ketchup;—give the whole a boil up, and rub it through a sieve; a little lemon juice, or lemon cut in dice, may be added, if liked.

2224. Sauce for Fish

Twenty-four anchovies, chopped; ten shalots; two ounces of horseradish, scraped; four blades of mace; one lemon, sliced; twelve cloves; one quarter of an ounce of black pepper, whole; one gill of the anchovy liquor; one quart of best vinegar; one quart of water. Let the whole simmer on the fire, in a covered saucepan, until reduced to one quart, strain, and bottle for use. If required for long keeping, add a quarter of an ounce of cayenne pepper.

2225. Apple Sauce

Pare and core three good-sized baking apples, put them into a well-tinned pint saucepan, with two tablespoonfuls of cold water; cover the saucepan close, and set it on a trivet over a slow fire a couple of hours before dinner,—some apples will take a long time stewing, others will be ready in a quarter of an hour. When the apples are done enough pour off the water, let them stand a few minutes to get dry; then beat them up with a fork, with a bit of butter about as big as a nutmeg, and a teaspoonful of powdered sugar; some persons add lemon-peel, grated or minced fine,—or boil a small piece with the apples. Many persons are fond of apple sauce with cold pork.

2226. Grill Sauce

To a quarter of a pint of gravy add half an ounce of butter and a dessertspoonful of flour, well rubbed together; the same of mushroom or walnut ketchup; a teaspoonful of lemon juice; half a teaspoonful of made mustard, and of minced capers; a small quantity of black pepper; a little lemon-peel grated very thin; a saltspoonful of essence of anchovies; a very small piece of minced shalot, and a little chili vinegar, or a few grains of cayenne; simmer together for a few minutes; pour a portion of it over the grill, and send up the remainder in a sauce-tureen.

2227. Tomato Sauce

Twelve tomatoes, ripe and red; take off the stalk; cut in halves; put them in a stewpan with a capsicum, and two or three tablespoonfuls of beef gravy; set on a slow stove till properly melted; rub them through a sieve into a clean stewpan; add a little white pepper and salt, and let them simmer a few minutes.—French cooks add an onion or shalot, a clove or two, or a little tarragon vinegar.

One Story is Good until Another is Told.

2228. Beef Gravy Sauce

(

Or Brown Sauce for ragoût, Game, Poultry, Fish, &c.

.)—If you want gravy, put in a thick and well-tinned stewpan a thin slice of fat ham or bacon, or an ounce of butter, and a middling-sized onion; on this lay a pound of nice juicy gravy-beef (as the object in making gravy is to extract the nutritious qualities of the meat, it must be beaten so as to reduce the containing vessels, and scored to render the surface more susceptible to the action of the water); cover the stewpan. Set it on a slow fire; when the meat begins to brown, turn it about, and let it get slightly browned (but

take care it is not at all burnt

): then pour in a pint-and-a-half of boiling water, set the pan on the fire;—when it boils, carefully catch the scum, and then put in a crust of bread toasted brown (don't burn it), a sprig of winter savoury, or lemon thyme and parsley, a roll of thin-cut lemon peel, a dozen berries of allspice, and a dozen of black pepper; cover the stewpan close, let it

stew very gently

for about two hours, then strain it through a sieve into a basin.

If you wish to thicken it, set a clean stewpan over a slow fire, with about an ounce of butter in it; when it is melted, dredge into it (by degrees) as much flour as will dry it up, stirring them intimately; when thoroughly mixed, pour in a little of the gravy,— stir it well together, and add the remainder by degrees; set it over the fire, let it simmer gently for fifteen or twenty minutes longer, and skim off the fat, &c., as it rises; when it is about as thick as cream, squeeze it through a tamis or fine sieve, and you will have a fine rich brown sauce, at a very moderate expense, and without much trouble.

Observe

—If you wish

to make it still more relishing

—for

poultry

, you may pound the liver with a piece of butter, rub it through a sieve, and stir it into the sauce when you put in the thickening.

2229. Chutney

One pound of salt, one pound of mustard seed, one pound of stoned raisins, one pound of brown sugar, twelve ounces of garlic, six ounces of cayenne pepper, two quarts of unripe gooseberries, two quarts of best vinegar. The mustard seed gently dried and bruised; the sugar made into a syrup with a pint of the vinegar; the gooseberries dried and boiled in a quart of the vinegar; the garlic to be well bruised in a mortar. When cold, gradually mix the whole in a large mortar, and with the remaining vinegar thoroughly amalgamate them. To be tied down close. The longer it is kept the better it will become.

2230. Wow Wow Sauce

Chop parsley leaves fine; take two or three pickled cucumbers, or walnuts, and divide into small squares, and set them by in readiness; put into a saucepan a piece of butter as big as an egg; when it is melted, stir into it a tablespoonful of fine flour, and half a pint of the broth of the beef; add a tablespoonful of vinegar, one of mushroom ketchup, or port wine, or both, and a tablespoonful of made mustard; simmer together till it is as thick as you wish, put in the parsley and pickles to get warm, and pour it over the beef, or send it up in a sauce-tureen. This is excellent for stewed or boiled beef.

2231. Sage-and-Onion, or Goose-Stuffing Sauce

Chop very fine an ounce of onion and half an ounce of green sage leaves, put them into a stewpan with four spoonfuls of water, simmer gently for ten minutes, then put in a teaspoonful of pepper and salt, and one ounce of fine bread-crumbs; mix well together; then pour to it a quarter of a pint of broth, or gravy, or melted butter; stir well together, and simmer it a few minutes longer. This is an excellent relish for roast pork, poultry, geese or ducks, or green peas.

2232. Garnishes

Parsley is the most universal garnish for all kinds of cold meat, poultry, fish, butter, cheese, and so forth. Horseradish is the garnish for roast beef, and for fish in general; for the latter, slices of lemon are sometimes laid alternately with the horseradish.

Slices of lemon for boiled fowl, turkey, and fish, and for roast veal and calf's head.

Carrot in slices for boiled beef, hot or cold.

Barberries, fresh or preserved, for game.

Red beetroot sliced for cold meat, boiled beef, and salt fish.

Fried smelts as garnish for turbot.

Fried sausages or forcemeat balls are placed round turkey, capon, or fowl.

Lobster coral and parsley round boiled fish.

Fennel for mackerel and salmon, either fresh or pickled.

Currant jelly for game, also for custard or bread pudding.

Seville orange or lemon in slices for wild ducks, widgeons, teal, and so forth.

Mint, either with or without parsley, for roast lamb, either hot or cold.

Pickled gherkins, capers, or onions, for some kinds of boiled meat and stews.

The Sea is the Heaving Bosom of the World.

2233. Relish, for Chops, &c.

Pound fine an ounce of black pepper, and half an ounce of allspice, with an ounce of salt, and half an ounce of scraped horseradish, and the same of shalots, peeled and quartered; put these ingredients into a pint of mushroom ketchup, or walnut pickle, and let them steep for a fortnight, and then strain it.

Observe

.—A teaspoonful or two of this is generally an acceptable addition, mixed with the gravy usually sent up for chops and steaks; or added to thick melted butter.

2234. Mock Crab

Take any required quantity of good fat mellow cheese, pound it well in a mortar, incorporating made mustard, salad oil, vinegar, pepper (cayenne is the best), and salt sufficient to season and render it about the consistence of the cream of a crab. Add and mix well half a pint or more of pickled shrimps, and serve in a crab-shell, or on a dish, garnished with slices of lemon.

2235. Female Dress

It is well known that a loose and easy dress contributes much to give the sex the fine proportions of body that are observable in the Grecian statues, and which serve as models to our present artists, nature being too much disfigured among us to afford any such. The Greeks knew nothing of those ligatures and bandages with which our bodies are compressed. Their women were ignorant of the use of stays, by which ours distort their shape instead of displaying it. This practice, carried to excess as it is in England, is in bad taste. To behold a woman cut in two in the middle, as if she were like a wasp, is as shocking to the eye as it is painful to the imagination. Such a deformity would be shocking in a naked figure; wherefore, then, should it be esteemed a beauty in one that is dressed? Everything that confines and lays nature under restraint is an instance of bad taste. This is as true in regard to the ornaments of the body as to the embellishments of the mind. Life, health, reason, and convenience ought to be taken first into consideration. Gracefulness cannot subsist without ease.

2236. How to take care of your Hat

Should you get caught in a shower, always remember to brush your hat well while wet. When dry, brush the glaze out, and gently iron it over with a smooth flat iron.

If your hat is very wet, or stained with sea water, get a basin of clean cold water, and a good stiff brush; wash it well all over, but be careful to keep the nap straight; brush it as dry as you can, then put it on a peg to dry. When dry, brush the glaze out, and gently iron it over as above.

Should you get a spot of grease on your hat, just drop one drop of benzine or sapine on the place, and then rub it briskly with a piece of cloth until out.

Should you be travelling, always tie your hat up in a handkerchief before putting it into your case; this will save it from getting rubbed or damaged through the friction of the rail or steamboat.

Never put your hat flat on the brim, as it will spoil its shape; but always hung it up on a peg.

Never put your hat, wet or dry, in front of the fire, as it will soften it, and throw it all out of shape.

Before putting your hat down, be careful to see if the place is free from spots of grease, beer, sugar, &c., as these things often spoil a good hat more than a twelvemonths' wear, and are often very difficult to remove.

These simple rules will save a good hat for a very long time.

Music is Soul Embodied in Sound.

2237. French Polishes

Naphtha Polish.—Shell-lac, three pounds; wood naphtha, three quarts. Put the shell-lac in the naphtha and let it dissolve.

Spirit Polish.—Shell-lac, two pounds; powdered mastic and sandarac, of each one ounce; copal varnish, half a pint; spirits of wine, one gallon. Digest in the cold till dissolved.

2238. French Polish for Boots and Shoes

Mix together two pints of the best vinegar and one pint of soft water; stir into it a quarter of a pound of glue, broken up, half a pound of logwood chips, a quarter of an ounce of finely powdered indigo, a quarter of an ounce of the best soft soap, and a quarter of an ounce of isinglass. Put the mixture over the fire, and let it boil for ten minutes or more. Then strain the liquid, and bottle and cork it: when cold it is fit for use. Apply it with a clean sponge.

2239. To Polish Enamelled Leather

Two pints of the best cream, one pint of linseed oil; make them each lukewarm, and then mix them well together. Having previously cleaned the shoe, &c., from dirt, rub it over with a sponge dipped in the mixture: then rub it with a soft dry cloth until a brilliant polish is produced.

2240. Boots and Shoes

Boots and shoes should be cleaned frequently, whether they are worn or not, and should never be left in a damp place, nor be put too near to the fire to dry. In cleaning them, be careful to

brush

the dirt from the seams, and not to scrape it off with a knife, or you may cut the leather. Let the hard brush do its work thoroughly well, and the polish will be all the brighter.

2241. Blacking

Blacking is generally made with ivory black, treacle, linseed, or sweet oil, and oil of vitriol. The proportions vary in the different directions, and a variable quantity of water is added, as paste or liquid blacking is required; the mode of making being otherwise precisely the same.

2242. Liquid Blacking

Ivory black and treacle, of each, one pound; sweet oil and oil of vitriol, of each, a quarter of a pound. Put the first three together until the oil is perfectly mixed or "

killed

;" then add the oil of vitriol, diluted with three times its weight of water, and after standing three hours add one quart of water or sour beer. The ivory black must be very finely ground for liquid blacking, otherwise it settles rapidly. The oil of vitriol is powerfully corrosive when undiluted, but uniting with the lime of the ivory black, it is partly neutralized, and does not injure the leather, whilst it much improves the quality of the blacking.

2243. Paste Blacking

Ivory black, two pounds; treacle, one pound; olive oil and oil of vitriol, of each, a quarter of a pound. Mix as before, adding only sufficient water to form into a paste.

2244. Best Blacking for Boots and Shoes

Ivory black, one ounce and a half; treacle, one ounce and a half; sperm oil, three drachms; strong oil of vitriol, three drachms; common vinegar, half a pint. Mix the ivory black, treacle, and vinegar together, then mix the sperm oil and oil of vitriol separately, and add them to the other mixture.

2245. Waterproofing for Boots and Shoes (1)

Linseed oil, one pint; oil of turpentine, or camphine, a quarter of a pint; yellow wax, a quarter of a pound; Burgundy pitch, a quarter of a pound. Melt together with a gentle heat, and when required for use, warm and well rub into the leather before a fire, or in the hot sun. The composition should be poured, when melted, into small gallipots, or tin boxes.

2246. To Render Shoes Waterproof (2)

Warm a little bees'-wax and mutton suet until it is liquid, and rub some of it slightly over the edges of the sole, where the stitches are.

Out of Debt, Out of Danger.

2247. Directions for putting on Gutta-Percha Soles

Dry the old sole, and rough it well with a rasp, after which, put on a thin coat of warm solution of gutta percha with the finger, rub it well in; let it dry, then hold it to the fire, and whilst warm, put on a second coat of solution thicker than the first; let it dry. Then take the gutta percha sole, and put it in hot water until it is soft; take it out, wipe it, and hold the sole in one hand and the shoe in the other to the fire, and they will become sticky; immediately lay the sole on, beginning at the toe, and proceed gradually. In half an hour, take a knife and pare it. The solution should be warmed by putting as much as you want to use in a cup, and placing it in hot water, taking care that no water mixes with it.

2248. Boot Tops (1)

Clean boot tops with one ounce of white vitriol, and one ounce of oxalic acid dissolved in a quart of warm water. Apply with a clean sponge. Or, sour milk, one pint; gum arabic, half an ounce; juice of a lemon, white of an egg, and one ounce of vitriol, well mixed.

2249. Boot-top Liquid (2)

Oxalic acid and white vitriol, of each one ounce; water, one pint and a half. To be applied with a sponge to the leather, previously washed, and then wiped off again. This preparation is poisonous.

2250. Care of Gloves

Nothing looks worse than shabby gloves; and, as they are expensive articles in dress, they require a little management. A good glove will outlast six cheap ones with care. Do not wear your best gloves at night, the heat of the gas, &c., gives a moisture to the hands, that spoils the gloves; do not wear them in very wet weather; as carrying umbrellas, and drops of rain, spoil them.

2251. To Clean Kid Gloves (1)

Make a strong lather with curd soap and warm water, in which steep a small piece of new flannel. Place the glove on a flat, clean, and unyielding surface —such as the bottom of a dish, and having thoroughly soaped the flannel (when squeezed from the lather), rub the kid till all dirt be removed, cleaning and re-soaping the flannel from time to time. Care must be taken to omit no part of the glove, by turning the fingers, &c. The glove must be dried in the sun, or before a moderate fire, and will present the appearance of old parchment. When quite dry, they must be gradually "pulled out," and will look new.

2252. To Clean French Kid Gloves (2)

Put the gloves on your hand and wash them, as if you were washing your hands, in some spirits of turpentine, until quite clean; then hang them up in a warm place, or where there is a current of air, and all smell of the turpentine will be removed.

2253. How to Wash Kid Gloves (3)

Have ready a little new milk in one saucer, and a piece of brown soap in another, and a clean cloth or towel folded three or four times. On the cloth, spread out the glove smooth and neat. Take a piece of flannel, dip it in the milk, then rub off a good quantity of soap to the wetted flannel, and commence to rub the glove downwards towards the fingers, holding it firmly with the left hand. Continue this process until the glove, if white, looks of a dingy yellow, though clean; if coloured, till it looks dark and spoiled. Lay it to dry; and old gloves will soon look nearly new. They will be soft, glossy, smooth, well-shaped, and elastic.

2254. Preserving the Colour of Dresses

The colours of merinos, mousseline-de-laines, ginghams, chintzes, printed lawns, &c., may be preserved by using water that is only milk warm; making a lather with white soap,

before

you put in the dress, instead of rubbing it on the material; and stirring into a first and second tub of water a large tablespoonful of oxgall. The gall can be obtained from the butcher, and a bottle of it should always be kept in every house. No coloured articles should be allowed to remain long in the water. They must be washed fast, and then rinsed through two cold waters. In each, rinsing water stir a teaspoonful of vinegar, which will help to brighten the colours; and after rinsing, hang them out immediately. When

ironing-dry

(or still a little damp), bring them in; have irons ready heated, and iron them at once—as it injures the colours to allow them to remain damp too long—or sprinkle and roll them up in a cover for ironing next day. If they cannot be conveniently ironed immediately, let them hang till they are

quite

dry, and then damp and fold them on the,

following day,

a quarter of an hour before ironing.

It is better not to do coloured dresses on the day of the general wash, but to give them a morning by themselves. They should only be undertaken in clear bright weather. If allowed to freeze, the colours will be irreparably injured. We need scarcely say that no coloured articles should ever be boiled or scalded. If you get from a shop a slip for testing the durability of colours, give it a fair trial by washing it as above; afterwards pinning it to the edge of a towel, and hanging it to dry. Some colours (especially pinks and light greens), though they may stand perfectly well in washing, will change as soon as a warm iron is applied to them; the pink turning purplish, and the green bluish. No coloured article should be smoothed with a

hot

iron.

A Gambler and a Swindler are Near Neighbours.

2255. To Renovate Silks (1)

Sponge faded silks with warm water and soap, then rub them with a dry cloth on a flat board; afterwards iron them on the

inside

with a smoothing iron. Old black silks may be improved by sponging with spirits; in this case, the ironing may be done on the right side, thin paper being spread over to prevent glazing.

2256. Black Silk Reviver (2)

Boil logwood in water for half an hour; then simmer the silk half an hour; take it out, and put into the dye a little blue vitriol, or green copperas; cool it, and simmer the silk for half an hour. Or, boil a handful of fig-leaves in two quarts of water until it is reduced to one pint; squeeze the leaves, and bottle the liquor for use. When wanted, sponge the silk with this preparation.

2257. Restoring Colour to Silk (3)

When the colour has been taken from silk by acids, it may be restored by applying to the spot a little hart's-horn, or sal volatile.

2258. To Remove Water Stains from Black Crape

When a drop of water falls on a black crape veil or collar, it leaves a conspicuous white mark. To obliterate this, spread the crape on a table (laying on it a large book or a paper-weight to keep it steady), and place underneath the stain a piece of old black silk. With a large camel's-hair brush dipped in common ink go over the stain, and then wipe off the ink with a small piece of old soft silk. It will dry at once, and the white mark will be seen no more.

2259. To Remove Stains from Mourning Dresses

Boil a handful of fig-leaves in two quarts of water until reduced to a pint. Bombazines, crape, cloth, &c., need only be rubbed with a sponge dipped in this liquor, and the stains will be instantly removed.

2260. Wax

Wax may be taken out of cloth by holding a red-hot iron within an inch or two of the marks, and afterwards rubbing them with a soft clean rag.

2261. Grease Spots from Silk

Upon a deal table lay a piece of woollen cloth or baize, upon which lay smoothly the part stained, with the right side downwards. Having spread a piece of brown paper on the top, apply a flat iron just hot enough to scorch the paper. About five or eight seconds is usually sufficient. Then rub the stained part briskly with a piece of whity-brown paper.

2262. Liquid for Preserving Furs from Moth

Warm water, one pint; corrosive sublimate, twelve grains. If washed with this, and afterwards dried, furs are safe from moth. Care should be taken to label the liquid—

Poison

.

One Doubt may Lead to Disbelief.

2263. Velvet

When Velvet gets crushed from pressure, hold the parts over a basin of

hot

water, with the lining of the article next the water; the pile will soon rise, and assume its original beauty.

2264. Stockings

Worsted and Lambs'-Wool stockings should never be mended with worsted or lambs'-wool, because, the latter being new, it shrinks more than the stockings, and draws them up till the toes become short and narrow, and the heels have no shape left.

2265. Making Flannels

All Flannels should be soaked before they are made up, first in cold, then in hot water, in order to shrink them.

2266. Washing Flannel

Flannel should always he washed with white soap, and in warm but not boiling water.

2267. Brewing

The best time of the year for brewing is the autumn. The spring is also suitable, but less so. It is a great object to secure a moderate temperature for the cooling of the worts, and to insure gradual fermentation. To those who wish to enter upon the practice, without any previous knowledge, we would advise their calling in the aid of some one practically acquainted with the process for the first operation. By so doing they will save a great deal of trouble, disappointment, and expense. In all places, town or country, there are persons who have worked in brewing establishments, or in gentlemen's families where they have superintended the operations of the brew-house, and the aid of such persons would be valuable. With such assistance, the following receipts will be of importance, since many who are able to go through the manipulations of brewing are unaware of the proper proportions to employ:

2268. Ale

Take three bushels of malt, three pounds of hops, fifty-two gallons of water, for two workings. Or,—malt, two bushels and a half; sugar, three pounds; hops, three pounds; coriander seeds, one ounce; capsicum, a drachm. Thirty-six gallons. This gives a pleasant ale, with a good body.

2269. Amber Ale

Three bushels of amber malt, three quarters of a bushel of pale amber malt, two pounds of hops, a tablespoonful of salt. Three mashes, forty to fifty gallons. Skim, and fine with isinglass.

2270. Burton Ale

One quarter of pale malt, eight pounds and a half pale hops; mash three times. Work the first mash at 170°, second at 176°, third at 150°. Boil the first wort by itself; when boiling add three pounds of honey, a pound and a half of coriander seeds, one ounce of salt. Mix the worts when boiled, cool to 61°, set to work with a pint and a half of yeast. As soon as the liquor gets yeasty, skim the head half off; rouse the rest with another pint and a half of yeast, three quarters of an ounce of bay salt, and a quarter of a pound of malt or bean flour. This makes a hogshead.

2271. Edinburgh Ale

Mash two barrels per quarter, at 183°; mash for three quarters of an hour; let it stand one hour, and allow half an hour to run off. Or, mash one barrel per quarter, at 190°; mash three quarters of an hour, let it stand three quarters of an hour, and tap.

2272. Porter

Brown amber and pale malt, in equal quantities; turn them into the mash-tub. Turn on the first liquor at 165°; mash one hour, then coat the whole with dry malt. In one hour set the tap. Mix ten pounds of brown hops to a quarter of malt, half old, half new; boil the first wort briskly with the hops for three quarters of an hour, after putting into the copper one pound and a half of sugar, and one pound and a half of extract of liquorice to the barrel, turn it into coolers, rousing the wort the while. Turn on the second liquor at 174°, set tap again in an hour. The second wort having run off, turn on again at 145°; mash an hour, and stand an hour; boil the second wort with the same hops for one hour. Turn into the coolers, and let into the tub at 64°, mixing the yeast as it comes down. Cleanse the second day at 80°, previously adding a mixture of flour and salt, and rousing well.

When in Motion, to Push on is Easy.

2273. Making Wines

Wines from Rhubarb, Unripe Grapes, Currants, Gooseberries, &c.—The whole art of wine-making consists in the proper management of the fermenting process; the same quantity of fruit, whether it be rhubarb, currants, gooseberries, unripe grapes, leaves, tops, and tendrils, water, and sugar, will produce two different kinds of wine, by varying the process of fermentation only—that is, a dry wine like sherry, or a brisk beverage like champagne; but neither rhubarb, currants, nor gooseberries will produce a wine with the true champagne flavour; it is to be obtained only from the fruit of the grape, ripe or unripe, its leaves, tops, and tendrils. The following receipt will do for rhubarb, or any of the above-mentioned fruits.

2274. English Champagne

Take fifty pounds of rhubarb and thirty-seven pounds of fine moist sugar. Provide a tub that will hold from fifteen to twenty gallons, taking care that it has a hole for a tap near the bottom. In this tub bruise the rhubarb; when done, add four gallons of water; let the whole be well stirred together; cover the tub with a cloth or blanket, and let the materials stand for twenty-four hours; then draw off the liquor through the tap; add one or two more gallons of water to the pulp, let it be well stirred, and then allowed to remain an hour or two to settle, then draw off; mix the two liquors together, and in it dissolve the sugar.

Let the tub be made clean, and return the liquor to it, cover it with a blanket, and place it in a room the temperature of which is not below 60° Fahr.; here it is to remain for twenty-four, forty-eight, or more hours, until there is an appearance of fermentation having begun, when it should be drawn off into the ten-gallon cask, as fine as possible, which cask must be filled up to the bung-hole with water, if there is not liquor enough; let it lean to one side a little, that it may discharge itself; if there is any liquor left in the tub not quite fine, pass it through flannel, and fill up with that instead of water.

As the fermentation proceeds and the liquor diminishes, it must be filled up daily, to encourage the fermentation, for ten or twelve days; it then becomes more moderate, when the bung should be put in, and a gimlet hole made at the side of it, fitted with a spile; this spile should be taken out every two or three days, according to the state of the fermentation, for eight or ten days, to allow some of the carbonic acid gas to escape. When this state is passed, the cask may he kept full by pouring a little liquor in at the vent-hole once a week or ten days, for three or four weeks.

This operation is performed at long intervals, of a month or more, till the end of December, when on a fine frosty day it should be drawn off from the lees as fine as possible; and the turbid part passed through flannel. Make the cask clean, return the liquor to it, with one drachm of isinglass (pure) dissolved in a little water; stir the whole together, and put the bung in firmly.

Choose a clear dry day in March for bottling. The bottles should be champagne bottles—common wine bottles are not strong enough; secure the corks in a proper manner with wire, &c. The liquor is generally made up to two or three pints over the ten gallons, which is bottled for the purpose of filling the cask as it is wanted. The wine contains spirit enough without the addition of brandy, which spoils all wines; a proper fermentation producing spirit enough.

The way to obtain a dry wine from these materials is to keep the cask constantly filled up to the bung-hole, daily or every other day, as long as any fermentation is perceptible by applying the ear near to the hole; the bung may then be put in lightly for a time, before finally fixing it; it may be racked off on a fine day in December, and fined with isinglass as above directed, and bottled in March.

A Word Before is Worth Two Behind.

2275. Parsnip Wine

Take fifteen pounds of sliced parsnips, and boil until quite soft in five gallons of water; squeeze the liquor well out of them, run it through a sieve, and add three pounds of coarse lump sugar to every gallon of liquor. Boil the whole for three quarters of an hour. When it is nearly cold, add a little yeast on toast. Let it remain in a tub for ten days, stirring it from the bottom every day; then put it into a cask, in which it should remain for a year. As it works over, fill it up every day.

2276. Turnip Wine

Take a large number of turnips, pare and slice them; then place in a cider-press, and obtain all the juice you can. To every gallon of juice add three pounds of lump sugar, and half a pint of brandy, Pour the liquor into a cask, and when it has done working, bung it close for three months, and draw off into another cask. When it is fine, bottle, and cork well.

2277. Blackberry Wine

Gather the fruit when ripe, on a dry day. Put into a vessel, with the head out, and a tap fitted near the bottom; pour on boiling water to cover it. Mash the berries with your hands, and let them stand covered till the pulp rises to the top and forms a crust, in three or four days. Then draw off the fluid into another vessel, and to every gallon add one pound of sugar; mix well, and put it into a cask, to work for a week or ten days, and throw off any remaining lees, keeping the cask well filled, particularly at the commencement. When the working has ceased, bung it down; after six to twelve months it may be bottled.

2278. Black or White Elderberry Wine

Gather the berries ripe and dry, pick them, bruise them with your hands, and strain them. Set the liquor by in glazed earthen vessels for twelve hours, to settle; put to every pint of juice a pint and a half of water, and to every gallon of this liquor three pounds of good moist sugar; set in a kettle over the fire, and when it is ready to boil, clarify it with the white of four or five eggs; let it boil one hour, and when it is almost cold work it with strong ale yeast, and tun it, filling up the vessel from time to time with the same liquor, saved on purpose, as it sinks by working. In a month's time, if the vessel holds about eight gallons, it will be fine and fit to bottle, and after bottling, will be fit to drink in twelve months.

2279. Arrack (Imitation)

Dissolve two scruples of flowers of benjamin in a quart of good rum, and it will impart to the spirit the fragrance of arrack.

2280. Devonshire Junket

Put warm milk into a bowl, turn it with a little rennet, then add some scalded cream, sugar, and cinnamon on the top, without breaking the curd.

2281. A Nightcap For Travellers

Take your pocket handkerchief, and laying it out the full square, double down

one-third

over the other part. Then raise the whole and turn it over, so that the third folded down shall now be underneath. Take hold of one of the folded corners, and draw its point towards the centre; then do the same with the other, as in making a cocked-hat, or a boat, of paper. Then take hold of the two remaining corners, and twisting the hem of the handkerchief, continue to roll it until it meets the double corners brought to the centre, and catches them up a little. Lift the whole, and you will see the form of a cap, which, when applied to the head, will cover the head and ears, and, being tied under the chin, will not come off. Very little practice will enable you to regulate the size of the folds so as to fit the head.

2282. Scotch Punch, or Whisky Toddy

Pour about a wineglassful of

boiling

water into a half-pint tumbler, and sweeten according to taste. Stir well up, then put in a wineglassful of whisky, and add a wineglassful and a half more boiling water.

Be sure the water is boiling

. Never put lemon into toddy. The two in combination, in almost every instance, produce acidity in the stomach. If possible, store your whisky

in the wood

, not in bottles as keeping it in the cask mellows it, and dissipates the coarser particles.

Man Doubles his Evils by Brooding upon them.

2283. Athol Brose

Put a wineglassful of whisky into a half-pint tumbler; sweeten with a large teaspoonful of honey, and fill up with milk that has been

nearly

brought to boiling over a clear fire. Remember that "milk boiled is milk spoiled."

2284. Buttered Rum

Put a wineglassful of good rum into a half-pint tumbler, with a lump or two of sugar and a piece of butter the size of a filbert. Fill up with

boiling

water. This is excellent for hoarseness and husky condition of the throat.

2285. Raspberry Vinegar

Put a pound of very fine ripe raspberries in a bowl,

bruise them well

, and pour upon them a quart of the best white wine vinegar; next day strain the liquor on a pound of fresh ripe raspberries; bruise

them

also, and the following day do the same,

but do not squeeze the fruit, or it will make it ferment

; only drain the liquor as dry as you can from it. Finally, pass it through a canvas bag, previously wet with the vinegar, to prevent waste. Put the juice into a stone jar, with a

pound of sugar

, broken into lumps, to

every pint of juice

; stir, and when melted, put the jar into a pan of water; let it simmer, and skim it; let it cool, then bottle it; when cold it will be fine, and thick, like strained honey, newly prepared.

2286. Ginger Beer

The following receipt is taken from the celebrated treatise of Dr. Pereira on Diet. The honey gives the beverage a peculiar softness, and from not being fermented with yeast, it is less violent in its action when opened, but requires to be kept a somewhat longer time before use. White sugar, five pounds; lemon juice, one quarter of a pint; honey, one quarter of a pound; ginger, bruised, five ounces; water, four gallons and a half. Boil the ginger in three quarts of the water for half an hour, then add the sugar, lemon juice and honey, with the remainder of the water, and strain through a cloth; when cold add a quarter of the white of an egg, and a small teaspoonful of essence of lemon; let the whole stand four days, and bottle; it will keep for many months. This quantity will make 100 bottles.

2287. Ginger-beer Powders

Blue paper

; Carbonate of soda, thirty grains; powdered ginger, five grains; ground white sugar, one drachm to one drachm and a half; essence of lemon, one drop. Add the essence to the sugar, then the other ingredients. A quantity should be mixed and divided, as recommended for Seidlitz powders.—

White paper

; Tartaric acid, thirty grains.

Directions

.—Dissolve the contents of the blue paper in water; stir in the contents of the white paper, and drink during effervescence. Ginger-beer powders do not meet with such general acceptation as lemon and kali, the powdered ginger rendering the liquid slightly turbid.

2288. Lemonade

Powdered sugar, four pounds; citric or tartaric acid, one ounce; essence of lemon, two drachms; mix well. Two or three teaspoonfuls make a very sweet and agreeable glass of extemporaneous lemonade.

2289. Milk Lemonade

Dissolve three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar in one pint of boiling water, and mix with them one gill of lemon juice, and one gill of sherry, then add three gills of cold milk. Stir the whole well together, and strain it.

2290. Champagne Lemonade

Champagne Lemonade, composed of two bottles of champagne, one bottle of seltzer water, three pomegranates, three lemons, and of sugar sufficient, is a

princely beverage

in hot weather; only care must be taken that perspiration is not hereby too much encouraged.

2291. Summer Champagne

To four parts of seltzer water add one of Moselle wine (or hock), and put a teaspoonful of powdered sugar into a wineglassful of this mixture; an effervescence takes place, and the result is a sort of champagne, which is more wholesome in hot weather than the genuine wine known by that name.

Think of Ease but Work on.

2292. Lemon and Kali, or Sherbet

Large quantities of this wholesome and refreshing preparation are manufactured and consumed every summer; it is sold in bottles, and also as a beverage, made by dissolving a large teaspoonful in a tumbler two-thirds filled with water. The ingredients are—ground white sugar, half a pound; tartaric acid and carbonate of soda, of each a quarter of a pound; essence of lemon, forty drops. All the powders should be well dried; add the essence to the sugar, then the other powders; stir all together, and mix by passing twice through a hair sieve. Must be kept in tightly-corked bottles, into which a damp spoon must not be inserted. The sugar must be ground, or very finely pulverized, in a pestle and mortar. The powdered sugar sold for icing cakes will do.

2293. Soda Water Powders

One pound of carbonate of soda, and thirteen and a half ounces of tartaric acid, supply the materials for 256 powders of each sort. Put into blue papers thirty grains of carbonate of soda, and into white papers twenty-five grains of tartaric acid.

Directions

.—Dissolve the contents of the blue paper in half a tumbler of water, stir in the other powder, and drink during effervescence. Soda powders furnish a saline beverage which is very slightly laxative, and well calculated to allay the thirst in hot weather.

2294. Seidlitz Powders

Seidlitz powders are usually put up in two papers. The larger blue paper contains tartarized soda (also called Rochelle salt) two drachms, and carbonate of soda two scruples; in practice it will he found more convenient to mix the two materials in larger quantity by passing them twice through a sieve, and then divide the mixture either by weight or measure, than to make each powder separately. One pound of tartarized soda, and five ounces and a half of carbonate of soda, will make sixty powders. The smaller powder, usually placed in white paper, consists of tartaric acid, half a drachm.

Directions for Use

.—Dissolve the contents of blue paper in half a tumbler of cold water, stir in the other powder, and drink during effervescence. (

See par

.

2291

.)

2295. Economy of Tea

A given quantity of tea is similar to malt—only imparting strength to a given quantity of water, therefore any additional quantity is waste. Two small teaspoonfuls of good black tea and one three parts full of green, is sufficient to make three teacupfuls agreeable, the water being put in, in a boiling state, at once; a second addition of water gives a vapid flavour to tea.

2296. Preparing Tea

In preparing tea a good economist will be careful to have the best water, that is, the softest and least impregnated with foreign mixture; for if tea be infused in hard and in soft water, the latter will always yield the greatest quantity of the tannin matter, and will strike the deepest black with sulphate of iron in solution.

2297. Tea-making

Dr. Kitchiner recommends that all the water necessary should be poured in at once, as the second drawing is bad. When much tea is wanted, it is better to have two tea-pots instead of two drawings.

2298. Another Method

The water should be fresh boiled, not exhausted by long boiling. Scald the teapot and empty it; then put in as much water as necessary for the first cups; put the tea on it as in brewing, and close the lid as quickly as possible. Let it stand three minutes and a half, or, if the quantity be large, four minutes, then fill the cups. This is greatly superior to the ordinary method, the aroma being preserved instead of escaping with the steam, as it does when the water is poured on the tea.

2299. Substitute for Cream in Tea or Coffee

Beat the white of an egg to a froth, put to it a very small lump of butter, and mix well. Then stir it in gradually, so that it may not curdle. If perfectly mixed, it will be an excellent substitute for cream.

Perseverance is the Bridge by which Difficulty is Overcome.

2300. Making Coffee

In making Coffee, observe that the broader the bottom and the smaller the top of the vessel, the better the coffee will be.

2301. Turkish Mode of Making Coffee

The Turkish way of making coffee produces a very different result from that to which we are accustomed. A small conical saucepan something like our beer-warmer, with a long handle, and calculated to hold about two tablespoonfuls of water, is the vessel used. The fresh roasted berry is pounded, not ground, and about a dessertspoonful is put into the minute boiler; it is then nearly filled with water, and thrust among the embers. A few seconds suffice to make it boil, and the decoction, grounds and all, is poured out into a small cup, which fits into a brass socket, much like the cup of an acorn, and holding the china cup as that does the acorn itself. The Turks seem to drink this decoction boiling, and swallow the grounds with the liquid. We allow it to remain a minute, in order to leave the sediment at the bottom. It is always taken plain; sugar or cream would be thought to spoil it; and Europeans, after a little practice, are said to prefer it to the clear infusion drunk in France. In every hut these coffee boilers may be seen suspended, and the means for pounding the roasted berry are always at hand.

2302. Coffee Milk

(

For the Sick-room

.)—Boil a dessertspoonful of ground coffee, in nearly a pint of milk, a quarter of an hour, then put into it a shaving or two of isinglass, and clear it; let it boil a few minutes, and set it by the side of the fire to clarify. This is a very fine breakfast beverage; but it should be sweetened with sugar of a good quality.

2303. Iceland Moss Chocolate

(

For the Sick-room

.)—Iceland moss has been in the highest repute on the Continent as the most efficacious remedy in incipient pulmonary complaints; combined with chocolate, it will be found a nutritious article of diet, and may be taken as a morning and evening beverage.

Directions

.—Mix a teaspoonful of the chocolate with a teaspoonful of boiling water or milk, stirring it constantly until it is completely dissolved.

2304. Alum Whey

A pint of cow's milk boiled with two drachms of alum, until a curd is formed. Then strain off the liquor, and add spirit of nutmeg, two ounces; syrup of cloves, an ounce. It is useful in diabetes, and in uterine fluxes, &c.

2305. Barley Water

Pearl barley, two ounces; wash till freed from dust, in cold water. Boil in a quart of water a few minutes, strain off the liquor, and throw it away. Then boil the barley in four pints and a-half of water, until it is reduced one half.

2306. Agreeable Effervescent Drink for Heartburn, &c.

Orange juice (of one orange), water, and lump sugar to flavour, and in proportion to acidity of orange, bicarbonate of soda about half a teaspoonful. Mix orange juice, water, and sugar together in a tumbler, then put in the soda, stir, and the effervescence ensues.

2307. Apple Water

A tart apple well baked and mashed, on which pour a pint of boiling water. Beat up, cool, and strain. Add sugar if desired. Cooling drink for sick persons.

2308. Tincture of Lemon Peel

A very easy and economical way of obtaining and preserving the flavour of lemon peel, is to fill a wide-mouthed pint bottle half full of brandy, or proof spirit; and when you use a lemon pare the rind off very thin, and put it into the brandy, &c.; in a fortnight it will impregnate the spirit with the flavour very strongly.

2309. Camomile Tea

One ounce of the flowers to a quart of water boiling. Simmer for fifteen minutes and strain. Emetic when taken warm; tonic when cold.

Dose

, from a wine-glassful to a breakfast cup.

Solitude is the Nurse of Wisdom.

2310. Borax and its Uses

The utility of borax for medicinal purposes, such as relieving soreness of the throat, and for the cure of thrush in young children, has long been known, but it is only in the present day that its good qualities as an antiseptic have become known, and its use in every kind of domestic work, in the laundry, in the garden, vinery, and greenhouse, and even for the toilet, under various forms and in different preparations bearing the general name of "Patent Californian Borax," specially prepared for all personal and domestic purposes, has been promoted by its production in small packets, varying in price from 1d. to 6d., which may be purchased of almost any chemist, oilman, grocer, or dealer, throughout the world.

2311. Its Antiseptic Qualities

The Patent Borax, which consists of a combination of boron and sodium, acts in a marvellous manner as an arrester of decay, and as such is useful for the preservation of meat, milk, butter, and all articles of animal food liable to taint and decay, especially in hot weather. When infused in small quantities in water, it preserves and softens it for drinking, cooking, washing, and all household purposes; it whitens linen and cleanses it far better than soda, it kills harmful insect life, though perfectly harmless to human beings and domestic animals; it cleanses and heals ulcers, festering wounds, sore throat, &c.; is useful in the nursery for washing the heads of children, cleans sponges, destroys unpleasant and unwholesome smells, and is beneficial to teeth and gums when used as a tooth-powder, or put in water used for washing the teeth.

2312. Borax as a Disinfectant

Alone or dissolved in water, and used freely to pour down closets, sinks, &c., it removes all noisome smells, acting as a purifier, and rendering even impure water wholesome. It should be used frequently where sewer gas is suspected.

2313. Borax for Cleansing Purposes

A solution Patent in hot water, allowed to cool, is useful for washing any kind of glass or china, imparting a lustre and brightness to them that they never exhibit when washed in the ordinary way. When it is put into water used for washing floors it destroys all vermin with which the solution comes in contact.

2314. Borax as a Vermin Killer

When sprinkled in the form of powder on places infested with insects, black beetles, &c., these troublesome pests with soon disappear.

2315. Its use in Cleansing Marble

Sprinkle some borax on the marble, wherever it is stained or soiled, and then wash the marble with hot water and a little borax soap powder, applied with a soft flannel.

2316. Borax in Cookery

A few grains added to the tea before the water is poured on it greatly improves the flavour of the infusion. When used instead of soda, or carbonate of soda, in cooking vegetables, such as greens, peas, beans, &c., it improves their flavour, preserves their colour, and renders them tender. Vegetables, eaten in an uncooked state, as, salad, are rendered more crisp and of better flavour, by steeping them for a short time before they are brought to table in a solution of borax.

2317. Borax as a Preservative of Meat, &c.

Meat may be preserved, and taint removed by soaking it for a short time in a solution of Patent Californian Borax, or by sprinkling it with the dry powder. Game, poultry, hams, bacon, and all kinds of meat may be thus preserved. Milk cans should be washed with the solution, and milk itself may be preserved and kept sweet for some time by adding to each quart about half a thimbleful of this prepared borax dissolved in a tablespoonful of hot water. Butter may also be preserved by washing it in a solution of borax, or sprinkling the powder over it, or the cloths in which it is wrapped.

Judgement is the Throne of Prudence.

2318. Borax in the Laundry

For washing add a threepenny packet to every ten gallons of hot water used; let the clothes soak all night in the solution; in the morning give them a slight boil, adding a little more Patent Borax, if they be very greasy or dirty. By this means the clothes are rendered whiter, soap is saved, and the hands are uninjured. It acts, moreover, as a disinfectant, if the clothes have been taken from the bed or person of anyone who is suffering from any infectious disorder. Flannels are rendered softer, and the appearance of lace, fine articles, coloured prints, soiled ribbons, &c., greatly improved by washing them in this solution. A teaspoonful to each pint of starch, when hot, will add to the stiffness and gloss of linen when ironed.

2319. To Revive Black Lace

Lay the lace on a piece of clean smooth board, and moisten it all over with a piece of black silk dipped in a solution of a teaspoonful of Patent Borax to a pint of warm water. Iron while damp, after covering the lace with a piece of black silk or cloth.

2320. Borax for the Toilet

As a wash for the mouth add half a teaspoonful of spirits of camphor, and a teaspoonful of tincture of myrrh to a pint of hot water, in which a penny packet of Patent Borax has been dissolved, and use a wineglassful of this mixture in half a tumbler of water, when brushing the teeth. When the mouth is washed out with this solution, it removes the smell of tobacco and any unpleasant odour arising from decayed teeth. Camphorated chalk dentrifice is improved as a tooth powder by the addition of a little powdered borax. For washing hair brushes, sponges, etc., a solution of a small packet in a pint of hot water should be used.

2321. Borax in the Nursery

A little borax added to water for bathing infants and children has a beneficial effect on the skin. For cleaning the hair and removing scurf or dandruff wash the head with a solution of a small packet of borax in a pint of hot water, after which the head should be rinsed with cold water, and carefully dried. This wash may be improved by the addition of half an ounce of rosemary spirit sold by any chemist.

2322. Borax in the Garden

A solution made by dissolving borax in hot water in the proportion of a penny packet of the former to a pint of the latter, will kill the green fly on roses, and other plants. A weaker solution may be used for syringing the plants. When applied to the stems of fruit trees, and other trees, it destroys all insects in and about the bark, and clears the blight on apple trees. For these purposes the solution should be applied with a brush. For washing the shelves, boards, and woodwork of greenhouses, the solution is especially valuable, and when used for syringing vines in the proportion of a pint of the solution to ten gallons of water, and half a pound of borax dry soap, as soon as the grapes have been thinned, it will keep them free from red spider and all other insects.

2323. Fever or Infection

In all cases of fever or infectious diseases, it should be freely used in the room by dusting the dry powder over floors, carpets, mats, &c. (it will not injure the finest fabrics), and by placing in dishes or other vehicles, into which hot water should be poured. It has

no smell

, but quickly removes

all smells

. In cases of death it is most valuable; the corpse may be kept perfectly sweet by merely dusting into ears, nose, mouth, under arm-pits, feet, &c., or when any moisture exudes. It will preserve features and skin fresh as in life for many weeks, and keep the corpse free from decomposition.

2324. Vaseline

What it is.—This indispensable household requisite is a product of petroleum, from which it is obtained by an elaborate system of nitration, without the addition or aid of any chemical whatever. The substance thus produced, to which the name of "Vaseline" has been given, is in the form of a lemon-coloured jelly, completely devoid of either smell or taste, and of exquisite softness and smoothness to the touch. This jelly, which is one of the finest emollients known, and is possessed of healing and other medicinal properties, forms the basis of many preparations which are now widely used all the world over.

2325. Vaseline for Medicinal Use

The pure jelly itself, without any addition, is an invaluable family remedy for burns, chilblains, chapped hands, and skin roughened by exposure to wind and water in cold weather; as well as for sun-burns, wounds, sprains, and all diseases of the skin; for inflamed eyelids, and for preventing pitting in small-pox, when used externally as an ointment. When taken internally, in doses of half a teaspoonful, or in smaller quantities, it forms a cure for diseases of the throat, chest, and stomach, and gives speedy relief in cases of diphtheria, croup, &c. For convenience in using it, a confection is prepared from it for complaints of the throat and lungs. No one need fear to use it, for although it is a product of petroleum, it is the only one that is not dangerous to use, and is possessed of no poisonous qualities. It may be procured from or through any chemist and druggist.

2326. Vaseline for the Toilet

The toilet soap and tar soap made from vaseline are superior in emollient and healing properties, to similar preparations from glycerine. For the hair, an excellent hair tonic and pomade are supplied, which have the effect not only of strengthening, but of promoting its growth. For the complexion, vaseline cold cream should be used, and for the lips, when sore and chapped by cold winds or any other cause, vaseline camphor ice.

2327. Vaseline for the Household

As time progresses there can be no doubt that this valuable preparation will be turned to good account for many domestic uses. It has already been found an excellent anti-corrosive, being an efficient protection against rust, when smeared over guns, bicycles, arms, knives, tools, and steel goods, of any kind in general household use. An excellent boot and shoe paste is prepared from it, which renders boots and shoes absolutely waterproof, and over which any ordinary blacking may be used to produce a polish.

2328. Vaseline in the Stable

When mixed with graphite, vaseline affords a valuable lubricant for application to the axles of light and heavy carriages of every description, and for all bearings in machinery of any kind, especially where great speed is required. A paste is also prepared from it which renders leather harness soft, pliable, impervious to wet, and free from any tendency to crack, thus increasing its durability. Another preparation is found most useful for the cure of injuries and diseases of cattle and domestic animals. This, which is supplied under the name of Veterinary Vaseline, has been found to promote the growth of the hair, unchanged in colour, in the case of broken knees. Its use will also improve the condition of the coat on horses, and will keep off the flies, and cure the mange, and all skin diseases commonly met with in the stable, including injuries to the frogs, hoofs, and fetlocks.

2329. Damp Situations, Remedy for

People who live in damp localities, particularly near undrained land, are apt to think that there is no help for them save in removal. They are mistaken. Successful experiments have shown that it is possible to materially improve the atmosphere in such neighbourhoods by the planting of the laurel and the sunflower. The laurel gives off an abundance of ozone, whilst the sunflower is potent in destroying the malarial condition. These two, if planted on the most restricted scale in a garden or any ground close to the house, will be found to speedily increase the dryness and salubrity of the atmosphere.

2330. Plant Skeletons

The leaves should be put into an earthen or glass vessel, and a large quantity of rain water poured over them; after this they must be left in the open air, and to the heat of the sun, without covering the vessel. As the water evaporates and the leaves become dry, more water must be added; the leaves will by this means putrefy, but the time required for this varies; some plants will be finished in a month, others will require two months or longer, according to the toughness of their parenchyma. When they have been in a state of putrefaction for some time, the two membranes will begin to separate, and the green part of the leaf to become fluid; then the operation of clearing is to be performed.

The leaf is to be put upon a flat white earthen plate, and covered with clear water; and being gently squeezed with the finger, the membranes will begin to open, and the green substance will come out at the edges; the membranes must be carefully taken off with the finger, and great caution must be used in separating them near the middle rib. When once there is an opening towards this separation, the whole membrane always follows easily; when both membranes are taken off, the skeleton is finished, and it has to be washed clean with water, and then dried between the leaves of a book.

2331. Fruit Skeletons

Fruits are divested of their pulp and made into skeletons in a different manner. Take, for an instance, a fine large pear which is soft, and not tough; let it be carefully pared without squeezing it, and without injuring either the crown or the stalk; put it into a pot of rain water, covered, set it over the fire, and let it boil gently till perfectly soft, then take it out and lay it in a dish filled with cold water; then holding it by the stalk with one hand, rub off as much of the pulp as you can with the finger and thumb, beginning at the stalk and rubbing it regularly towards the crown. The fibres are most tender towards the extremities, and are therefore to be treated with great care there. When the pulp has thus been cleared pretty well off, the point of a fine penknife may be of use to pick away the pulp sticking to the core. In order to see how the operation advances, the soiled water must be thrown away from time to time, and clean poured on in its place. When the pulp is in this manner perfectly separated, the clean skeleton is to be preserved in spirits of wine.

2332. To make Impressions of Leaves

Prepare two rubbers by tying up wool or any other substance in wash-leather; then prepare the colours in which you wish to print leaves, by rubbing up with cold drawn linseed oil the tints that are required, as indigo for blue, chrome for yellow, indigo and chrome for green, &c. Get a number of leaves the size and kind you wish to stamp, then dip the rubbers into the paint, and rub them one over the other, so that you may have but a small quantity of the composition upon the rubbers; place a leaf upon one rubber and moisten it gently with the other; take the leaf off and apply it to the substance on which you wish to make an imprint of the leaf. Upon the leaf place a piece of white paper, press gently, and a beautiful impression of all the veins of the leaf will be obtained.

2333. To make a Fac-simile of a Leaf in Copper

This beautiful experiment can be performed by any person in possession of a common galvanic battery. The process is as follows:

Soften a piece of gutta percha over a candle, or before a fire; knead it with the moist fingers upon a table, until the surface is perfectly smooth, and large enough to cover the leaf to be copied; lay the leaf flat upon the surface, and press every part well into the gutta-percha. In about five minutes the leaf may be removed, when, if the operation has been carefully performed, a perfect impression of the leaf will be made in the gutta percha.

This must now be attached to the wire in connection with the zinc end of the battery (which can easily be done by heating the end of the wire, and pressing it into the gutta percha), dusted well over with the best blacklead with a camel-hair brush—the object of which is to render it a conductor of electricity; it should then be completely immersed in a saturated solution of sulphate of copper. A piece of copper attached to the wire in connection with the copper end of the battery must also be inserted into the copper solution facing the gutta percha, but not touching it; this not only acts as a conductor to the electricity, but also maintains the solution of copper of a permanent strength.

In a short time the copper will be found to creep over the whole surface of the gutta percha, and in about twenty-four hours a thick deposit of copper will be obtained, which may then be detached from the mould. The accuracy with which a leaf may thus be cast is truly surprising.

2334. Leaf Printing

After warming the leaf between the hands apply printing ink, by means of a small leather ball containing cotton, or some soft substance, or with the end of the finger. The leather ball (and the finger, when used for that purpose), after the ink is applied to it, should be pressed several times on a piece of leather, or some smooth surface, before each application to the leaf, that the ink may be smoothly and evenly applied. After the under surface of the leaf has been sufficiently inked, apply it to the paper where you wish the impression to be; and, after covering it with a slip of paper, use the hand or roller to press upon it.

2335. Directions for Taking Leaf Impressions

Hold oiled paper in the smoke of a lamp or of pitch, until it becomes coated with the smoke; to this paper apply the leaf of which you wish an impression, having previously warmed it between your hands, that it may he pliable. Place the lower surface of the leaf upon the blackened surface of the oil-paper, that the numerous veins, which are so prominent on this side, may receive from the paper a portion of the smoke. Lay a paper over the leaf, and then press it gently upon the smoked paper with the fingers, or with a small roller covered with woollen cloth, or some similarly soft material, so that every part of the leaf may come in contact with the sooted oil-paper. A coating of the smoke will adhere to the leaf. Then remove the leaf carefully, and place the blackened surface on a sheet of white paper, or in a book prepared for the purpose, covering the leaf with a clean slip of paper, and pressing upon it with the fingers, or roller, as before.

Thus may be obtained the impression of a leaf, showing the perfect outlines, together with an accurate exhibition of the veins which extend in every direction through it, more correctly than the finest drawing. And this process is so simple, and the materials so easily obtained, that any person, with a little practice to enable him to apply the right quantity of smoke to the oil-paper, and give the leaf a proper pressure, can prepare beautiful leaf impressions, such as a naturalist would be proud to possess.

2336. Dry Botanical Specimens for Preservation

The plants to be preserved should be gathered when the weather is dry. Place the ends in water, and let them remain in a cool place till the next day. When about to be submitted to the process of drying, place each plant between several sheets of blotting paper, and iron it with a large smooth heater, pretty strongly warmed, till all the moisture is dissipated. Colours may thus be fixed, which otherwise become pale, or nearly white. Some plants require more moderate heat than others, and herein consists the nicety of the experiment; but it is generally found that if the iron be not too hot, and is passed rapidly yet carefully over the surface of the blotting paper, it answers the purpose equally well with plants of almost every variety of hue and thickness.

In compound flowers, with those also of a stubborn and solid form, as the Centaurea, some little art is required in cutting away the under part, by which means the profile and forms of the flowers will be more distinctly exhibited. This is especially necessary when the flowers are fixed down with gum upon the paper previous to ironing, by which means they become almost incorporated with the surface. When this very delicate process is attempted, blotting-paper should be laid under every part excepting the blossoms, in order to prevent staining the white paper. Great care must be taken to keep preserved specimens in a dry place.

2337. Collecting and Laying out Sea-weeds

"First wash the sea-weed in fresh water, then take a plate or dish (the larger the better), cut your paper to the size required, place it in the plate with fresh water, and spread out the plant with a good-sized camel-hair pencil in a natural form (picking out with the pin gives the sea-weed an unnatural appearance, and destroys the characteristic fall of the branches, which should be carefully avoided); then gently raise the paper with the specimen out of the water, placing it in a slanting position for a few moments, so as to allow the super-abundant water to ran off; after which, place it in the press. The press is made with either three pieces of board or pasteboard. Lay on the first board two sheets of blotting-paper; on that lay your specimens; place straight and smooth over them a piece of old muslin, fine cambric, or linen; then some more blotting-paper, and place another board on the top of that, and continue in the same way.

The blotting-paper and the muslin should be carefully removed and dried every day, and then replaced; at the same time, those specimens that are sufficiently dried may be taken away. Nothing now remains but to write on each the name, date, and locality. You can either gum the specimens in a scrap-book, or fix them in, as drawings are often fastened, by making four slits in the page, and inserting each corner. This is by far the best plan, as it admits of their removal, without injury to the page, at any future period, if it be required either to insert better specimens, or intermediate species.

Some of the large algae will not adhere to the paper, and consequently require gumming. The following method of preserving them has been communicated by a botanical friend:

'After well cleaning and pressing, brush the coarser kinds of algae over with spirits of turpentine, in which two or three small lumps of gum mastic have been dissolved, by shaking in a warm place; two-thirds of a small phial is the proper proportion, and this will make the specimens retain a fresh appearance.'"

Miss Gifford's Marine Botanist.

2338. To Preserve Fungi

Receipt of the celebrated botanist, William Withering, by which specimens of fungi may be beautifully preserved.

"Take two ounces of sulphate of copper, or blue vitriol, and reduce it to powder; pour upon it a pint of boiling water; and when cold, add half a pint of spirits of wine; cork it well, and call it 'the pickle.' To eight pints of water, add one pint and a half of spirits of wine, and call it 'the liquor.' Be provided with a number of wide-mouthed bottles of different sizes, all well fitted with corks. The fungi should be left on the table as long as possible, to allow the moisture to evaporate; they should then he placed in the pickle for three hours, or longer, if necessary; then place them in the bottles intended for their reception, and fill with the liquor. They should then be well corked and sealed, and arranged in order, with their names in front of the bottles."

Trust not the Man who Promises with an Oath.

2339. To Stuff Birds, Quadrupeds, &c.

Large animals should be carefully skinned, with the horns, skull, tail, hoofs, &c., entire. Then rub the inside of the skin thoroughly with the mixture of salt, pepper, and alum, and hang up to dry. Large birds may be treated in the same way, but should not be put into spirits.

2340. Small Birds may be preserved as follows:

Take out the entrails, open a passage to the brain, which should be scooped out through the mouth; introduce into the cavities of the skull and the whole body, some of the mixture of salt, alum, and pepper, putting some through the gullet and whole length of the neck; then hang the bird in a cool, airy place—first by the feet, that the body may be impregnated by the salt, and afterwards by a thread through the under mandible of the bill, till it appears to be free from smell; then hang it in the sun, or near a fire: after it is well dried, clean out what remains loose of the mixture, and fill the cavity of the body with wood, oakum, or any soft substance, and pack it smooth in paper.

2341. Birds' Eggs

In selecting eggs for a cabinet, always choose those which are newly laid; make a medium-sized hole at the sharp end with a pointed instrument, and one at the blunt end: let this last hole be as small as possible; this done, apply your mouth to the blunt end, and blow the contents through the sharp end. If the yolk will not come freely, run a pin or wire up into the egg, and stir the yolk well about; now get a cupful of water, and immersing the sharp end of the shell into it, apply your mouth to the blunt end and suck up some of the water into the empty shell; then put your finger and thumb upon the two holes, shake the water well within, and after this, blow it out. The water will clear the egg of any remains of yolk or of white which may stay in after blowing. If one injection of water will not suffice, make a second or third.

An egg, immediately after it is produced, is very clear and fine; but by staying in the nest, and coming in contact with the feet of the bird, it soon assumes a dirty appearance. To remedy this, wash it well in soap and water, and use a nail-brush to get the dirt off. The eggshell is now as it ought to be, and nothing remains to be done but to prevent the thin white membrane (which is still inside) from corrupting.

Take a wineglass and fill it with a solution of corrosive sublimate in alcohol, then immerse the sharp end of the eggshell into it, keeping the finger and thumb which hold the egg just clear of the solution. Apply the mouth to the little hole at the blunt end, and suck up some of the solution into the shell. There need be no fear of getting the liquor into the mouth, for as soon as it rises in the shell the cold will strike the finger and thumb, and then the sucking must be immediately discontinued. Shake the shell in the same manner as when the water was in it, and then blow the solution back into the glass.

The eggshell will now be beyond the reach of corruption; the membrane for ever retains its pristine whiteness, and no insect, for the time to come, will ever venture to prey upon it. If you wish your egg to appear extremely brilliant, give it a coat of mastic varnish, put on very sparingly with a camel-hair pencil: green or blue eggs must be done with gum arabic, as the mastic varnish is apt to injure the colour.