Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1874 — FARM AND HOUSEHOLD. [ARTICLE]

FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

—Verbena Water.—Oil verbena and lemon, each one ounce; cologne spirits; three quarts; water, one quart. Mix and filter through magnesia. —Saleralus in Trying Out Lard.—The benefit claimed to be derived from the use of saleratus in trying out lard is that it reduces the quantity of scraps and produces more lard. —Mountain Dew Pudding.—Three crackers pounded or rolled fine, pint of milk, yolks of two eggs; bake half an hour; beat whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, add one cup sugar, pinch of salt; flavor with lemon, pour over the pud» ding, and set in Oven and delicately brown. —Excellent paper pillows maybe made of old letters—the stiffer the paper the better. Newspapers will not do. The paper should be cut into strips, and rolled round an ivory knitting-needle; it is then almost like a spring, and makes a much better cushion than the torn paper, beipg more elastic. —The < ha-acteristics of a good milch cow must be irrespective of breeds, in a general sense. Milk is created from the blood and her vital energies, which make blood—that is the indispensable condition. The good milch cow must have a well-developed chest, a healthy digestive apparatus, the mammillary glands must be perfect, and the udder must be soft and pliable, elastic as a piece of indiarubber to the touch, whether the bag is full orempty.— N. 7. Herald. —The Journal of Cherrastry gives the following simple recipe for the prevention of flies on horses: Take two or three small handfuls of walnut leaves upon which pour two or three quarts of cold water; let it infuse one night, and next morning pour the whole into a kettle and let it boil for a quarter of an hour. When cold it will be fittfotJ use. No more is required than to moisten a sponge, and before the horse goes out of the stable let those parts which are most irritable be smeared over with the liquid, namely, between and upon the ears, the neck, tbe flanks, etc. Not only the gentleman and lady who rides out for pleasure will be benefited by this, but the coachman, the wagoner and all others who use horses during the hot months. -—Rolling. Land Too Early.—A correspondent of the California Agriculturist writes: “Do not roll land too early in the season. If the surface of a field of grain is rolled before the grain is up it is not only the seed that gets a early start but also many fine seeds of weeds which otherwise would not find enough moisture in the top soil for germination. Last year I spoiled in this way one-half of a piece of qats put in for hay. This part was so full of weeds that it ranked as about second-rate “ cow hay,” while the other part, which was rolled for the first lime after it had made a considerable growth, was excellent. Land should be moderately dry when rolled‘so that the lumps maybe pulverized and the surface left loose, and not so hard as to crack in a dry wind. —How to Dress a Turkey.—Take a board four feet long, one and one-half feet wide, bore an inch hole in the center about eight inches from one end, saw out a strip from this end to the hole about one inch wide, or wide enough to admit the neck of the turkey. Place this board on a barrel, with one end against your hips. Lay the turkey on this board on its back, with its neck -in the slat and head underneath; then, with a sharp knife, cut its throat under the board (that the blood may be out of the way); take the turkey by the legs, draw steadily, to keep its neck in place, raise it from the board, that it need not be bruised, and commence at once to pull out the tail and wing feathers, and by the time it is done kicking you will have nearly all the feathers off. You will find that they will come off nearly as easy as If scalded. The pin-feathers, if any, should he taken out at When dressed, carry to the house, lay the carcass upon the table, on the back, with its wings in position, wipe dry, and when you get through, call in your wife, and you may be sure of her approving smile. — Cor. Rural New Yorker. —Carving.—Although it is a daily duty ior many men and women to cut up meat for a family, there are multitudes who do it neither well nor wise. The following suggestions, from an agricultural paper, on this point, may not be out of place, the more especially to young housekeepers: To carve fowls, which should always be laid with the breast uppermost, place the fork in the breast and take off the wings and legs, without turning the fowl; then cut out the merry thought; cut slices from the breast; cut out the collar bone; cut off the side pieces, and then cut the carcass in two. Divide the joints in the leg of a turkey. In carving a sirloin, cut thin slices from the side next to you (it must be put on the dish the tenderloin underneath); then turn it. Help the guests to both kinds. In carving a leg of mutton or ham, begin by cutting across the middle to the bone. Cut a tongue across, and not lengthwise, and help from the middle. Carve a forequarter of lamb by separating the shoulder from the ribs, and then divide the ribs. To carve a loin of veal, begin at * the smaller end and separate the ribs. Help each one to a piece of kidney and its fat. Carve pork and mutton in the same way. To carve a fillet of veal, begin at the top and help to the stuffing with each slice. In a breast' of veal, separate the breast and brisket, and then cut up, asking which part is preferred.