Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1890 — AGRICULTURAL TOPICS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.

A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR OUR RURAL READERS. Some Information of Value to the Farmer, Stock-Breeder, Bee-Keeper, Housewife and Kitchen-Maid. THE HOISEHOLD. , “Those Scraps” Found In “Our House.”

MEAN those scraps of food that canfiot be made into the dainty,ap]M*tizing dishes that some of our ingenious writers upon do m o Stic, economy are fond of telling us about, writes Juniata Stafford in Good H ounekccplng. Most of us, who

are thrifty and conscientious, know what to do with bits of cold meat or potato; but there are some tilings we do not know what to do with. For instance, meat pie. If there is a good deal left, enough for a meal, the problem is easy enough: but if there is only a ‘’scrap” left, what then? “Such a good meat pie! Such nice crust and gravy! It is a pity to throw it away! I will not do it!” Thus we say, and the next day we put this nice “scrap” into a little dish, with its gravy, cover it so it will not get too dry, and put it into the oven just long enough to heat through—just while we are broiling the bit of ham that is to be the meat (in the main) for lunch. Result: every one wishes the nicely broiled ham, and the meat pie “scrap” remains the same size as before. At least, that is what happens in my house, and when I write upon these housekeeping topics, 1 am very apt to write about what happens in “my” house. Then there is cold mackerel! Who ever knows what to do with cold mackerel? One can souse cold trout, or escallop cold white fish, or do wonderful things with cold picked-up cod-fish; but cold mackerel is too much of a problem. I have tried broiling it, if it was broiled at first; and have tried re-broiling if it was first broiled; have tried the oven and the frying-pan: but everything is a failure, yet who is willing to deliberately throw away a good "scrap” of cold mackerel? Once I had a whole cold mackerel on my hands. It happened in this way: The provider in our house delights in buying things by the kit (like mackerel), dr by the bushel (like navy beans), or by the 60-pound box (like cod-fish), and everything becomes a problem in elimination before we got through. Well, we had a kit of “beautiful,” mackerel, to which theTamily took kindly for “quite a spell.” Then we had to take a long rest. One morning, as we were to have three extra guests for breakfast, 1 had one of those “beautiful” mackerel cooked. I knew I could expect nothing from the family, so centered all my hopes on the guests. Not one of them ever ate mackerel! There lay the majestic, solitary creature untouched upon the platter! What did I do? 1 put on my hat, took the platter just as it was, and ran around the corner to Mrs. Brown, wlp) sometimes does washing for me, and who has a houseful of growing children. The “kit” followed later, for 1 was desperate. Perhaps the reader may think Mrs. Brown might solve my problem about scraps; but she docs not. I can carry her whole mackerel, but I cannot carry her “scraps.” There are plenty of people just like her, are there not? Again, what can a body do with a cold fried egg? “It is such a nice fresh egg and the others tasted so good!” It is conscientiously slipped into a saucer, put in the ice-box and "referred to the committee on ways and means.” And a hard time the “eommittc” has with it, usually putting it on the table just as it is, and urging every one to "please finish up that egg.” No one wishes to, any more than the “committee” docs. Perhaps we are all too dainty! I am very much inclined to think we arc; but every time I conclude that I am, surely, and that it is high time that I disciplined myself, I also find that, when confronted by that piece of meat pie offset by broiled ham, or that cold mackerel or that cold fried egg, I weaken. I claim no singularity in this weakness. I am strengthened in it (if I may use a seemingly contradictory phrase) by most of my equally dainty friends. Well, what shall we do? Shall wo shut our eyes, as it were, and throw all these goon “scraps” into the gjirbagebox? That is too bad, with so many hungry people in the world. For myself, I have found a poor woman living alone with one little girl, who can tiways use such. It is not easy to find just such a person, and it is a good deal of trouble to carry the little “scraps” to her when she is found; but it is quite worth while. If they are bestowed U:e right spirit, they will be accepted, and will be of decided benefit, not only to the poor, half-fed woman and child, but to the doner whose conscience is made easy. “Taking trouble” is not bad for any of ns, if taken rightly, and “gather up the fragments that nothing be lost,” may be our part in solving some of the great social questions of the day concerning the “distribution of property.” This simple service is not romantic, surely: but it will be found “sort o’ satisfyin’ ” if faithfully tried.