Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1887 — GEMS OF THE MONTHS. [ARTICLE]

GEMS OF THE MONTHS.

In Poland the people have a singular superstition that each month has a particular gem associated with it, which governs and influences the destiny of the persons born in that month. ~~7*~i Thus. January lias a jacinth, or garnet. which denotes constancy in every engagement. February—Amethyst, insuring peace' of mind, March—A bloodstone, denoting courage and secrecy in-dangerous enterprises. AprilSapphire or diamond,signifying repentance and innocence. May—The green emerald, typical of love. JuneAn agate, meaning long life and health. July—Kuby or cornelian, which insures the forgetfulness or cure of evils springing from friendship or love. August—Sardonyx, a happy marrige life. September—Chrysolite, which preserves from folly. Qctolier—Aquamarine or opal, which denotes both misfortune and hope. November—The Topaz, bringing the owner fidelity and friendship- December—Turquoise or malachite, signifying the most brilliant racecss and happiness. , SHETLAND WOOL SHAWL. Make a chain of eight stitches and join. First row—Work twelve stitches into circle in double crochet. Second row—Work two stitches between each stitch. Third row—Work four stitches between every two stitches. Fourth row—Work four stitches into the center of every four stitches, except at the four corners, which should have eight stitches instead of four. Fifth row—Work four stitches into center of-every four stitches, except at corners, which should have four into every second of the eight stitches. Sixth row—Like fourth row Seventh row —Like tifth row, and so on. Turn about until the shawl is large enough, and finish with a fringe. WATCH THE SlftOKE. How often we bear the remark. “We shall have rain;, the atmosphere is so heavy.” The reverse is true. When one sees smoke hanging from a chimney, ? with a tendency to sink to the ground, it indicates that the atmosphere is light —in fact too light to float the smoke. When the smoke rises from the chimney it indicates a heavy atmosphere. A column of smoke is not a bad barometer, fojt a barometer is nothing more than a recorder oi the pressure of the atmosphere. When the atmosphere is light and the smoke settles the pressure on the mercury is light and the column falls, indicating storm. - Wherrthr atmosphere is heavy and the smoke rises the pressure is greater uud the column rises, indicating fair weather. FISH DIET. During the hoi. summer months farmers as a rule use >a ! ted ti-h for a change in the bill of fare—... J;:- who-some food, the gr-;.!v< cr-j'-i-.hr. t-> ft ’• ying the time it tit-ires to freshen it so it v be wdatuble and—not, create thirst- For salmon, mttekciTd-atttd- -«r.lted hah brt —rgcatigfiig over night in “,:nr- tmtk i< the i 'best way to’freshen, il.__ Lay the skin side down and put ih enough of the>our milk to entirely cover the tish. When used rinse thorougly in eold water till the water is clear, then boil a trifle. Too mueh. boilinganakes the ijsh hard. Turn off the water and cook in cream or butter, or broil on the gridiron. I-never ; tried any way of flavoring tliatr gave fish as good a flavor as this. Salt pork also is much belter freshened over night in sour milk. HOME-MADE REFRIGERATOR. ' The simplest form of ice-box or refrigerator is a tight box to hold the

food and Tee, which is surrounded by a larger box, with non-conducting material between the two. Select or make two boxes one of them four to six Inches larger each way than the other, The smaller box .should be lined on the inside with sheet zinc or galvanized iron, and made water-tight; this box should hat e at one end and about' midway of its height -a shelf to Hold the ice and be provided with a faucet at the botto.m long enough to reach through to the exterior of the outer box. Lay on the bottom of the larger box two nieces of four-inch scaiitling and fill up to the level of these with saw-dust, and set on the inner box. The space between the two boxes is to be filled ip firmly with dry saw-dust. The Cover of the inner box is sometimes made double, and the space filled in with saw-dust. but a simple cover over which a cotton quilt is laid to exclude the air. will answer as well. The cover to the outer box should fit closely, and care should be taken to keep the saw-dust dry. Such a refrigerator may not be so economic d of ice as some modern ones, but will answer a good purpose. POTATOES WITH DEEP EYES.- ' No jKitato is likely to be popular for market which has deep eyes. Whatever its excellence in other respects, this defect makes it less salable. There is not only a great loss in preparing such potatoes for cooking, but it is of The most valuableTpaft of The potato,, which is near tbe skin. A smooth, even surface with eyes not deeply set enables the housewife to pare the jiotatoes with little waste, and if combined with elongatedshape to bake them unpeeled,which is perhaps the best way to cook this vegetable. BREAKING CALVES TO LEAD. It is comparatively easy to teach a young calf to be led by the rope, and if it is to be bred for a cow the advantage of having this accomplishment will greatly increase the value. Even-in its calf age docility in being easily led will give it more frequent changes of feed when tied by a rope, and thus insure greater thrift —anti larger growth. It will prove an advantage so long as it lives, and the sooner this docility is Darned the I letter for the animal and its owner. BREEDING GOOD LAYERS. It is only flie poultry keeper who makes pets of his tlocK, :ind knows the individual points of each one. who can attain success. Such a one can do much to improve the capacity of his heirs by setting eggs only from those that prove the best layers. The professional breeders): all understand this, and when they offer selected eggs at a higher price it is better, if they deal honestly, to take them than eggs equally pure bred from the common flock. Unless the breeder takes this care in selecting his own stock., it will deteriorate.even though the breed may not be mixed with others,

.CHOICE RECEIPTS. Muffins—Cream together one cupful of butter and one cupful of sugar; add three eggs and one pintos milk, stirring well; then add one quart of wheat flour with two teaspoonfid of baking powder and one cupful of yellow Indian meal. Bake in muffin rings, in a hot oven. Thickened milk—Two quartsof milk, three eggs, one and a half cupfuls of flour, oue cupful of sugar, a little salt and flavoring to taste. Mix Hie flour smooth in a little cold milk. Beat the eggs and mix them with tbe sugar and fiour, beating all well. Set the milk on the range in a saucepan, and as soon a.? it boils pour in the mixture, stirring until it thickens. Tea cake—One cupful of sugar mixed with two tablespoonfill of butter: add one cupful of flour, with one teaspoonful of baking powder, half a cup o f corn starchy half a cupful of milk and the whites of three eggs, flavoring with vanilla. Bake in a good oven. Souffle— a quarter of a pound of chocolate in luke-warm water; and the yolks of four eggs and a cupful of powdered sugar, amKmix well together until you have a smooth, frothy paste. Beat up the four whites to a stiff froth and add them to the mixture. Polirall into a Baking dish: leave it for twenty minutes in the oven and serve. Potato bugs will eat tomato plants unless young potato vines be plentiful, It is well to pick them off the tomato plants once a day. as Paris green will be of little advantage unless the work must be done < v?r a large field., Farms in some section of Pennsylvania maintain the fertility of their soil by apolying 100 bushels of slaked lime to the acre once in live vears. It is -aid t:eiil> which havelieeu subjei-tcd to this : treatment for the pa-t one hundred ye ar- are prod uet i ve - "no w “a-T avfieT r thXexperiment-V^is-txied^—iThik-applU. cation depends for the va!:z ■ much tire original character of the soil. ,'A good■hor.yy wilh Juttrcidus use of a ! ho; hoc in jjfct Ji.uidv- of an;'rvj 1 (■! i ' ed person; should cultivate five aries of c..: a dav. v.r.d tlie yov.tig•cuf.i siiould bo kept cfeip and the eai th-I hi-o from | (he tlhie if appeaU's ont, of Hie gron nd yjFgybrT 1 e 1.C.-.• I' I'e :’■ v t > 'The ! e;ii !> ctiltivaliou is-the mo-t aui'Ot “aut. TTiun out some of the st I'i.s if there be j t«io-iwauy ia a-l-+ll * ■*' ■ 1 There is s,,!v.et:;:ng to 1.-e con-'ideryd-iin tne use <-f the Cultivator besides simply working Aim c:bpl O:m of the sdyaatages that By r-dir.t’g tiie esjx-eiaffy when’ there is danger of drought, ’the loose earth serves as a mulya. ihet Aby not only protecting the roo-s from dryness and heat, but. also preventing the loss of nidisi'ure by evaporafion from the soil to a considerable extent * - . -: The Prince of Wales is said to hhvc ‘‘dropped’’ a comfortable fortune on the result of the Derby race.