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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1884)
WILLAMETTE FARMER: SALEM, OREGON, AUGUST 29, lss4. fyt fjo c trclc. 51RS.HAR1UOT T. CLARKE, Editor. THE FARMER'S WirE. "Oh! give me tho life of a farmer's wife la the ficlds'and the ttoods so bright, 'Moug the singbg birds ft ml the lowing hcriU; And the clover blossoms v hite. The note of tho morning's heavenward lark, In the music sweet to me , And tho dewy flowers in the early hours, The gems I love to s.ee. Oh! give mo the breeze from tho waving trees, The murmur of summer lejves ; And the swallow's song as ho shim along, Or twitters bemath the caves ! Tho plowman shouts as ho tuflig out His team at set of sun, Or his merry ' good night,' by the fire-tly's light When his daily work is done. "And give me tho root and luscious fruit, My own hand rear for food; And the bread so light, and honey white, And the milk so puro and good 1 For sweet tho bread of labor is, When the heart is strong and true, And the blessings will come to the hearth and home If our best we bravely do." Uuexpected Company. How we like to sec a worann entertain unexpected oompany in a quiet, unem barrassed way! Thcro is truer evidence of a good housokcopcr than this. Un expected company will come, and tho pleasure of the ono visiting is greatly marred if ho feels that ho has thrown the household into confusion, and made extra work for the housekeeper. I know of families where, whon visitors coiug unexpectedly, the wholo household seems completely upset. There will be whispering among the members of tho family, children and servants will bo despatched to 'the butchers, baker's and grocery, and the housekeeper will wory herself into a fever. And what is it all for? Simply because an acquaintance has come in to take a meal with them! Now, I think there is nothing more foolish than this. A wife and mother should not make such adistinction in her mode of treating strangers, as com pared with that shown towards her husband and children. For any food that is suitable to bo placcoVon her table day after day, is certainly good enough for unexpected company. We havo always mado it a rule in our home and a happy rule it has proved to make littlo or no change when our frionds cotno in without notice. AVe like them to drop in and take a meal with us, and spond a little timo in pleasant social intercourse; and so wo inako them feel welcomo and at home, wo never have any confusion or extra work on their ac count. If the meal happens to bo a plain one, we act jut tho sanio. Loncc went, in company with two or three others, on a visit in tho country. Ate wore not expoctcd by our country fiiends. It was almost night, and past tho usual supper timo when we reached the place. A short time after our arrival, our hostess quietly left the room, and in a few minufeH returnod and announced that our supper was waiting. "We entered the dining-room, and on a snowy eloth was a loaf of genuine country brown bread, a dish of fresh, golden butter, and a pitcher of delicious milk. That was all. There was not a word of apology from our hostess, but wo visitors had a consciousness of what causod on- friend's plain table, forjit was usually 1' .adod with everything nice. It just hapi i-ued that all she had cooked was that loaf of bread. And so, to save delaying our supper until late, and to prevent our feeling that we wero causing her much extra work, she very sensibly gavo just what sho had. And had she cooked half the night, slic could not have prepared n supper that would have been enjoyed more than wo enjoyed the bread and milk. The timo that most women under tho same circumstances would have.spent in preparing u hot supper, our friend spent with us in social enjoy ment. Every housekeopor can "keep on hand n supply of such things as will prevent all confu.ion when such an emorgoncy occurs. Canned fruits aud jellies should never bo allowed to givo out. Cooked beef, spiced and pickled in vinegar, can bo used at a minute's notice. A supply of fresh cracksrs will always be found convenient. With such things on hand, no housekeeper need worry over what she can got for her company, and the time that she would dike to enjoy with hor visitors need not bo takon up with cooking.' Keep It Bacfc Husbands and wives do not know till they learn by experience (which some never do), how much can lw added to the sum of their happincs by thinking twice and indefinitely postponing whon either is tempted to say a cutting thing to tho other. It doos not tako a great while for a young couple to win the con fidence, each of the other, that nothing designed to wound 'a ill bo said. When this confidence is estiblis-hed, words which would otherwise indict pa!n be come harmless. In a family where this confidence is secured by uniform re spect for the feelings of each other, there is a degree of freedom from re straint, and of general happiness, which is impossiblo where it is not. Every good family is a training school, in which tho husband and wife, from tho nuptial, aio pupils. Ho is an exceptional and rarely fortunate young man who has not somo habits of deportment which mar his cbaineter and influence. It is ex pected of tho wife that sho will correct and cradicato these Unless tho hus band havo an incurably coarso nature, she is justly hold responsible for the polish anil neatness of Ins manners as much as for tho purity of his linen, when ho appears in church or society. And if the wife havo unpleasant impor- fections of manner or conduct, it always 'reflects upon tho husband. This shows that, by common consont, tho family is regarded as a training school in which the husband and wife, as well as the children, arc learners. Such being tho case, each should submit to tho neces sary discipline with pleasure. But if tho habit of cutting and sarcastic words prevails, it will break up tho school, and neither can be of any benefit to tho other. Thero is injury as well as un happiness, of vory serious character, re sulting from a sharp tongue in tho fam ily. And tho sharp tonguo may not usually at first does not represent the real sentiments of the heart, but tho bit terness is not long in finding its way to tho heart, and thcro it is liable to re main not always active, but always ready, and always suspected. Before you say a cutting word to wife, husband or child, think it over deliberately. CHOICE RECIPES. Fried Cabbage with Cream. Chop a quart of cold boiled cabbage, fry it fifteen minutes with sufficient butter to prevent burning, season it highly with pepper and salt, and stir into it half a cupful of cream or milk with a teaspoonfulof Hour mixed with it; let it cook five minutes longer, and serve it hot. Fried Tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in slicos without skinning, pepper and salt thorn then sprinklo a littlo Hour ovor them and fry in butter until brown. Put them on a hot platter, and pour a littlo cream into tho butter and juice. "Whon boiling hot pour over tho tomatoes. Ginger Cookies. Two cups molassos, ono cup lard, two-thirds cup hot coffee, ono tablespoonful ginger, ono largo tea spoonful soda, flour enough to inako a stiff" dough. Tho taste of ginger cookies may bo much improved by using, cofTeo instead of water. Boston Brown Bread. Two cupfuls Indian meal, even ; one cupful rye-meal, one cupful flour, one quart (small) sweet milk, one and a half cupful molasses, pinch of fait, one teaspoonfnl soda dis' solved in a teaspoonfnl of water; two toa- spoonfuls cream-tartar or, if baking powder is pi of erred, two heaping tea- spoonfuls. Steam in a coveiod tin four hours. Tho water must bo boiling whon tho tin is put in tho pot, and must not be allowed to stop boiling during tho four hours. Boned Chicken. Boil a chicken in as little water as possiblo until the meat will fall from tho bones ; remove all the skin, chop together tho light and the dark parts ; season with pepper and salt. Boil down tho liquid in which tho chicken was boiled, than pour it on tho milk ; place in a tin, wrap in a cloth, press with a heavy weight for sovoral hours. Whon served cut in thin hlices. Excellent for traveling lunches, lunch parties, or picnic sandwiches. Mutton Broth for an Invalid. Ono pound of lean mutton cut-in small pieces; put in a quart of cold water; cover closely and boil until tho meat is so tender it falls to pieces. If you wish to add rice or barley, let it toal: in warm water while tho mutton is boiling. When it is soft skim out tho pieces of meat and put in tho cereal, lot it simmer for half an hour, if thoroughly soaked, this will lie long enough. It must be cooked until it is dono at all events. "Hulled Com. Tako ono quart of strong lye and two quarts of .vator, three (marts of good corn, boil until the hulls start which can be told by washing a littlo in cold water, then rinso in two wators, put it on tho stove in cold water and let it boil five miauUs, thou rinso till the lye is all out of the corn, then boil four hours slowly, add salt half an hour before taking it up. To Preserve Hams. A correjouilent of the Hutimiidman says ham can be kept through the hot weather by cutting it as for frying, packing closely in jars and covering with melu-d lard. If dwirable to keep a part of tho barn in s'lapc convient for boiling, cut from the bono snub pieces as you prefer, lcavo the rind on, put some lard in tho place whore the bone was, close it up, pack in jars( cover well with lard ; when taken out it will bo Tound all right. Compressed Yeast Bread. For ono yeat cakctiko fuir quarts of Hour, two table-spoonfuls sugar, ono of salt, little lard or butter, two quarts lukc-waini water, dissolve tho ycat cake in a littlo of the water and mix thoroughly, then set to rise over night in a warm place j in the morning make in loavos and lot it rise to double tho thickness it was when set, bake quickly in a hot oven. Light ' Dumplings. Two cups of buttermilk, ono cup of sour cream, two level teaspoonfuls of saleratns, a little salt, flour to knead, let it ri.-o three-quarters of an hour, then tako off in pieces of the required sizo without kneading over again, and cook until dono through, and if they are not light and wholesome you will not succeed as woll as I havo and others that I havo given the receipt. Toads and Flics and a Tub. In earlier days on the old homestead, wo wero greatly amused at the perform ances of one of our littlo "toddlers." Sho appropriated a washtub, and putting into a fow inches of water placed a dozen stones on tho bottom, largo enough to rise ubove tho surface of tho water. Upon these miniature rocks she establish ed a variety of toads and frogs of different sizes, and each had a namo, that of somo distinguished porson she had heard spoken of. A large bull-frog, for example, was "General Grant;" another was "Undo Abe;" another, 'Henry "Ward Bcechcr;" one a tiny toad was her "Tom Thumb," and so on. Their food, which was atlonded to very regularly, was mainly Hies. Any one of these intruder in thodinnig-room, or kitchen or other apartment, was to find its way into tho "aquarium," as tho tub was called. It was certainly interest ing to watch tho feeding. A fly being caught, and partly crippled, if not crusod in the catehing, was brought in signt oi tno inhabitants ot tho tub, when all became eager watchers, and occasion ally ono would leap from his stony porch ami try to seize it. in duo time tho fly was thrown upon tho water, when each frog or toad near by sprang nftor it, and somo one always caught tho morsel. Ono Caro of tho littlo proprietor was to see that each toad cot n fair share. If tho "genera),' or other frog, was getting uiuru limn iu proportion, no was gently driven, back to his own porch with a stick. There was no end of caro in dropping tho Hies near tho littlo fellows, and kcoping tho larger one at piopcr distance. Ifow many scores of tho troublesome houso-llies wore thus put out of the way wo will not undertake) to ostimate. borne of tho littlo ones in tho I'rairio Farmer homes may tako the hint, or their mothers may, and sccuro help against tho fly nuisance, as woll as occupation for the restless spirits. Ex. A Boy's Estimato o: His Mother's Worlr, "My mother gets me up, builds the fire, gets my breakfast and sends mo oil','' said a bright youth. "What thou?" asked a reporter. "Then sho gots my father up, and gots his breakfast and sends him off. Thon gets tho other children their break fast and sends them to school ; and then sh'o and babvhato their breakfast." "How old is tho baby?" "Oh, she is most two, but sho can walk and talk as well n-. anv of us." "Are you well paid?" "I get two dollars a week and father gots two dollars a day." -now much doos your mother got?" With a bewildered look tho bov said. Mother' Why sho don't work for any body," I thought you said the worked for all of you." 'Oh, yes, for all of us the does; but there ain't no mouey in it " It U a wholly erroneous notion that to make a good asparagus bed one must dig up tho ground to the depth of two foet and -pilo in lwncs and other mate rials. A gardenor gave us his experi ence with two asparagus bods. Ono was prepared by plowing deer) and sub- soiling, and then with spades digging up the earth to tho depth of two feot. This was an expensive process. The other bed was plantod u)on ground plowed in tho ordinary manner. Until beds wero mannied liberally with stable manure. The gardener lived to weir out both beds. They returned him an annual profit fir twenty-five years. F.r the first few years the lit-d on tho eh.il low soil gavo much tho earlier crops. After four or five years there was no dif ferenco in the bods, mid they continued of equal vnluo for a quarter of a cen tury. To boil an egg ho that it is fit to eat, drop it into boiling water and place the vess&l, covered, on top of tho itove, at ono Hide where the water will not boil. Let it stand tisht or ten minutes. " By thu method tho egg will lj cooked through and the whiu- will be soft not tho hard, indigestible substance it be come by. tho usual method. Evuu if the egg is Joft a little too long and Iio- comes hard, it will not bo like an ordi nary hard boiled epg, as trial wil con vince any one. MY BKAVE LADDIE. Tap, tap, along the pavement, tap, It came, a littlo crutch. A pale-faced lad looked up at inc. "I do not mind it much'' Ho answired to my pitying look ; " It might bo worse, you know ; Some fellows have to stay in bed, While I quite fast can go." ''Oh, yes, I used to run about, Perhaps I may again ; The doetor says it's wonderful I havo so little pain ; It hurts mo now .ind then of course, Well ever since tho fall, But I'm so glad, you seo, That J can walk at all." Tap, tap, the little crutch went on, I saw tho golden hair, Tho brown eyes wide and all aglow, The noble, manly air j And somehow tears a moment came, And made my vision dim, Whilo still the laddies cheerful words Were sweet as sweetest hymn. ''I am so very glad, you sof, That I can walk at all." Why, that's tho way for us to feel When troubles rimy befall. There's always blue bky soniewheie, friend, Though clouds around you meet, And patience will tho Master send, If sought at his dear feet. OUR LETTER BOX. Lena sends a picture with hor letter, a specimen of her own drawing it shows considerable natural talent. Is it a picture of your own kitty, with its little white paws? I.ona should try and find somo ono to givo hor instructions in drawing. jominy comes once more with a splendid letter it is very slow business drying fruit in the sun and then it is apt to got spoiled by insects. Aunt Hetty has boon drying fruit too and so is interested in tho business. Our drier will hold somo thirty bushels of fruit. which will dry in a day. Wo are drying largo plums whole, and prunes too, having hundreds and hundreds of bush els still to dry. Sarah, loo, answers the puzzle as to how mauy people there aro in tho house. Both Sarah and Johnny aro correct xo should judge. Sarah's letter is not very long. Wo aro suro sho might havo found somcthingnoio to havo written about. Johnny Handsaker speaks of tho pet squirrel. They aro cunning littlo fel lows and its nico to sec them jumping about among tho treos. A pair.of them have come to livo in our oak trees and every morning thoy can bo scon running up and down the limbs of the trees, scolding at tho dog who eyes them so wistfully and would be so glad to shako tho lifo out of them if only he could catch them on tho ground. It seems strange that any ono could wish to shoot such pretty little animals unless they do mi.-chiof as they do sometimes in the wheat fields. Nearly ovcryptipor wo irrul has somo account of accidents by fire-arms. It would scorn as if men and boys would be careful in handling guns and pisfols, but such things aro loft carelessly where little children can handle anil play with them, and oven grown up men handle guns as if they woro no more than so m.uiv stir ks of wood. Boh have the bump of destruction and love j to kill. It is well enough to kill binls to eat if only tho shot was mire, but so often tho poor bird flics oil' with a broken ' limb to die in suffering. Wo should ' TTtT- """"' l ftJfJB ufm 1 fill - f ffff i ( Bill Si Pi T r ml for Infants and Children. Cast orln, promote I lgKt Ion and oi.-rcoiiH' Klalult-uey, 1jumiiju tiou, Sour Stomach, Uiarrhosi, und KeveribliiicKS. It insures health and nuturulblnop, without morphine. " Ciutnrla ti no wrll aiUptnl to Children that 1 pxMJUiJiK-ui llu4uj-rior Vtany pr:njiiio:i loowniu w." IL A. Aki-uiu, M. 1),, a Iv.rtlUKl Are., UrooUro, N. Y. CENTAUR LINIMENT-nn absolute euro for Khcuma Umii, KpraliiK, linriiH, Culln, &c. Tim most I'o worful and l'oiio trutiiiR Iuln-rellevlng aud Ucallng Jtomedy known to man. u kill animals mercifully and not let them suffer. When a mother bird or nninml is killed tho littlo ones starve to death. Oh, men and boys are cruel; wo don't think girls would let anything stiller pun if they could help it. Boys got hold of n gun and then shoot away at anything that has life, killing birds just tD show tlujy can shoot. Lifo is a won derful thing- wo may take lifo but wo can never n store it ; and so wo should tut bo too hasty in faking it away. IH.VCK Ktvr.ri, W. T., Aug. 20, 1SSI. Editor Home Circle: ' ' As I saw my last letter in print I will write again. Harvest is over now. Wo havo only ono hired man. I will an swer Sarah W. Kelly's puzzle. There are two persons in the house. Wo havo six dozen little chickens. Our school is out now ; I got a card on tho Inst day. Wo caught a littlo squirrel and had it a few days and it got looso. Wo can get. real closo to it. now. Well, for fear of tho wasto bnskot I will close. From your friend; Lena E. Cr.oi.r.. Sat.k.m, Or., Aug. 0, 1S81. Editor Homo Circle: I will writo to,, tho Circle, I see so ninny young folks writing. 1 like to road the Circle. I am the only girl in tho family; havo four brothers. I think I can answer Sarah W. Kelly's pnzzlo that Was in last week's paper. Thoro aro two pcoplo in tho house ; tho man is tho father, uncle, son and nephew ; tho lady is the mother, aunt, daughter and ncicc. My father has gono cast of the mountains. T will close, hoping to see this in print. If so I will write again. Yours respectfully, Sarah A. Swi:iTznit7 Dextkii, Or., Aug. lG.MSM. Kditor Homo Circle : Wo are having nice weather, and farmers arc very busy harvesting. Wo have the most of our threshing done. It was very warm when wo bad the threshers, and it kept my brother and I busy carrying water to tho men. The thermomoter stood at 01 degrees in tho shade. Wo havo about nine acres of wheat to thresh yet. My brother and I havo shocked it all up. I am eight and my brother oloven years old. My threo brothers and I wont hunting and fishing about two weckR ago to n place called Fisher Hock. Wo caught only ono fish, but wo killed sevon pheasants. There aro a good many deer, and just lots of pheasantsand some rabbits. My brother killed two rabbits lately. 0;m was ii.it ing a turnip when he shot it. My brother and sister and I aro very busy now drying apples. Wo diy them in tho sun as wo haven't, got a fruit drier yet. I have only gono to school about two months this ymir yet. Our school was closed on account of scarlet fever. Don't think wo will have any more until after hop picking as there aro so many hops raised hero that all the children havo tin go and help pick them. I will cloo by , asking a Bihlo question : What verso in the Bihlo has all tho lctteis of tho al phabet except j? Johnny Ha.ndsaki'.u. 'I'll., t.tniv it ( ATfii. rilling nf fini) r.il Point, Jackson county, was robbed Iti-st Thursday niirht in n dlicr-L-v trnrl nf n itni- Ah iunr iiu u-i pnn lnni-ti Hiii kfurn f.iu imiiro.'ichcd hv tmrtics with uwniroii who tried to haul the whole busines off. After oading the wagon with goods and rob- lin'f tho till nf u-ltnt. itimipv unu in it t lnv iltit-tnl nil t lintr n-.i . vnt.Aiii rur Tli.i,. l.vj ..... .VM .. ,..V. ".J ,. JWJl.lf.. ll,-fc, have boon tracked in tho direction of Sam's valley, and theio is no doubt but that tno guilty parties will he cauglitas it will 1)0 hard to keep out of iinch of the officers with the amount of goods they started with. .Jim, the Fort Rupert Indian, who beat a klouchnian to death in Victoria, Friday, hung himself in tin! jail f hero on tho Kith. Ho said that ho had killed two women and ho was ready to die. VTtmt jrlvi-aourCnlMfn rwy ehmtn, Wliat cure Ihvlr fuvt-rn, maJtfat tlif lu Hlrt ; 'Tla ()at,rlu. Whrj InMn trrt ami cry t.y turoi. What cure Uit-lr colic, kill, Uu:tr wornm. Hut CtwUirltk. What quickly cnrt CnrmdpaUon,, Bour Hlomch, CoMji. luu'l;itl')!i, Hut Ca.t.irl. Frrw-tl then to Morphln Byrui, Catr Oil and rum,-cric, aii'l Hail factorial
