Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1875 — AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

—A splendid way to keep lemons in hot weather is to cut them in Bliges and mix white sugar with them. Put in a glass jar, cover well with sugar and paper securely. —A screen or blower of wire gauze, from thirty-six to forty wires to the inch, placed in front of range or stove fires will prevent, it is-said, smoke coming into the room when the chimney fails to draw well. —For hot slaw cut the cabbage fine and in long pieces, but don’t chop it —use a thin, sharp knife, boil thirty minutes in enough water to cover it, then draih it off, season witli one teaspoonful of flour stirred up in one teacupful of strong vinegar, beat one egg and put in one large tablespoonful of sour cream, pepper and salt. This is for two quarts of raw, cut cabbage. —To preserve apples pare and core and cut them in halves or quarters, take as many pounds of the best brown sugar, put ateacup oTwatGrtoeaclr pound; when it is dissolved set it over the tire, and when boiling hot put in the fruit and let it boil gently until its is clear and the syrup thick; take the fruit with a skimmer on to flat dishes, spread it to cool, then put it in pots or jars, and pour the jelly over. Lemons boiled tender in water and sliced thin may be boiled witli the apples. —To make honey cakes, mix a quart of strained honey with half a pound of powdered white sugar, half a pound of fresh butter and the juice of two oranges or lemons. Warm the ingredients slightly, just enough to soften the butter, and then stir the mixture very hard, adding a grated nutmeg. Mix in gradually two pounds or less of sifted flour, make it into a dough just stiff enough to roll out easily, and beat it well all over with a rolling-pin; then roll it out into a large sheet half an inch thick, cut it into round cakes with a top of a tumbler, dipped frequently in flour, lay them in shallow tin pans, slightly buttered, and bake them. —Farming is the changing of material (manure) into grass and grain, and thence into pork, beef, wool, etc. When the land is purchased, it is this raw material (fertility) that is paid for; that alone is the value.' The rest is mere sand, or clay, or rock. The object of the farmer, then, should be to secure his material as cheap as he can and use as much as lie can, always keeping his machine, the farm, in good working order, mellow, well drained and clean. Instead of this we are too apt to abuse the machine. The object, of the farmer, then, must always be, manure, fertility—how lie can get this raw material cheapest, and work it best into grain, grass, etc., and thence into other products, such as are of most advantage to him.— Country Gentleman.