either end down, close together; then cover

with meal, another layer of eggs, and so on until the box is full, occasionally

giving it a shake to fill well between the eggs. This plan I have adopted for

it,

years with success, and the last when used

—which

is often the last of April and

DR. CHA8Sr8 RECIPES.

550

—

the beginning of May

are as good as the first.

I commence to pack in Sep^

The whole secret lies in carefully selecting fresh eggs, packing on end

and keeping the air from them. Keep in a dry, cool place."

tember.

3.

Fresh.

Eggs, to Keep from September to April, as Good as

is from J. B. Strathnairn, who says: " I take a tub -^f any size

—This

and put a layer of common salt about an inch deep in the bottom; then grease

the eggs with butter (of course salted butter), and place them in the salt with

the small end down, so that they will not touch the wood of the tub near each

other; then fill the vacancies with salt, and cover them again about an inch

deep as before; then place another layer of eggs as before; then salt alternately

till the tub is filled

then cover the top with salt, and put them where they will

not freeze. I have kept eggs in this manner from September until April as

good as fresh. The grease on the shell keeps the salt from penetrating, thereby

keeping the eggs fresh, while the saving qualities of the salt keep them from

becoming putrid. This recipe is both cheap and good, as the salt can be fed to

;

cattle afterward.

4.

Eggs— To Keep Two Years Perfectly Good.— This is from

Emily Audinwood, Stanstead Plains, P. Q,:

''I have tried several experiments,

but find none to answer so well as the following: I have kept eggs for two

Two pounds of coarse salt

years, and found them perfectly good when used.

boiled 10 minutes in 1 gal. of rain water; pour off into an earthen jar.

When

nearly cool, stir in 5 table-spoonfuls of quick lime; let it stand till next day;

then put in the eggs and keep them tightly covered until wanted for use."

Remarks. I formerly understood "quick lime" to signify slacked lime,

but it is more generally conceded to mean unslacked, which has been powdered

so it can be measured, about three times the strength of slacked, as by slacking

it increases nearly, if not quite, this much in bulk.

To be certain of having

good lime, I should always obtain it unslacked and slack it only when I was

ready to use it. The above, and the next item, I have quoted as reported in

—

the F)'ee Press, of London, Ont.

It was sent to me by my oldest daughter,

Mrs. Dr. Mills, who lives there, and knowing they must be valuable I give

them. The Free P-ess closed by saying:

5.

Eggs — To Keep Nine Months. — "Wright, in his poultry book,

recommends the following method for preserving eggs: To 4 gals, of boiling

water add i^ a peck of new lime, stirring it some little time. When cold,

remove any hard lumps there may be with a sieve, add 10 ozs. of salt, 3 ozs. of

cream of tartar, and mix thoroughly. The mixture should stand a fortnight

before using. The eggs to be packed as closely as possible, and to be closely

put in when new laid, he says they will keep nine months."

is something of the character of the old English patented

recipe, except in that it recommends the mixture to stand a fortnight (two weeks)

before using, which will temper it nicely, as the plasterer says of his mortar

Were it not that Mr. Wright says "remove any hard lumps," etc., I should

suppose he meant slacked lime, but this would have no lumps in it which need

be put in, hence he, too, means "quick," or unslacked lime, which is pretty

covered up.

Remarks.

If

—This

MISCELLANEOUS.

551

certain to have lumps, and which, if left in, is liable to break the eggs that

might settle upon them, if not removed.

Eggs, Preserving Six Months, Equal to Fresh.— A writer

6.

in the English MecJianic sajs,: " In the year 1871-3, 1 preserved eggs so perfectly

that after six months they were mistaken when brought to the table for fresh

laid eggs, and I believe they would have kept equally good for a twelve-month.

My mode of preservation was to varnish the eggs as soon after they were laid as

possible with a thin coat of varnish, taking care that the whole of the shell was

covered with the varnish

I afterwards found that

by painting the eggs with

fresh albumen (whites of eggs), beaten up with a little salt, they were preserved

equally well, and for a long period.

After varnishing with albumen I lay the

till dry upon

eggs on soft blotting-paper, as I found that when allowed to rest

the table the albumen or varnish stuck so fast to the table as to take a chip out

of the

shell.

This is entirely prevented by the use of the blotting-paper.

I

pack the eggs in dry bran."

7. The following is from a lady writer who does not boil salt, as in No. 4,

nor cream of tartar as in No. 5. I can see no special advantages from the

cream of tartar, only to make it look a little more formidable to obtain a patent

upon in England, where first obtained some 75 years ago.

her name, but says:

She does not give

Eggs, To Preserve Two Years. —To each patent pail (the com-

8.

mon wooden pail), add 1 pt. freshly slacked lime and 1 pt. of common salt mix

;

well.

Fill your barrel half full with fluid of this strength

;

put your eggs down

in it any time after June, and they will keep two years if desired.

9.

Eggs, To Keep all the Year— Never Failing.—Put perfectly

them in boiling water

down, in dry salt, and keep

fresh eggs into a net, willow or wire basket, and hold

while you count 20; then pack in

from frost.

jars, little end

Put up in the fall for winter use.

Mrs. Tillie Wales, Detroit, Mich.

—

Remarks. The author is well acquainted with this lady, and knows her

to be practical and reliable.

An Iowa lady pursues the same plan, except

that she dissolves sugar in the water and packs them in charcoal and bran, as

follows:

10. Eggs, To Preserve.— Select perfectly fresh eggs (this must always

be done, as old eggs or those exposed to heat or cold can not be preserved), put

them, a dozen or more, into a small basket and dip for 5 seconds (20, as above,

I consider not too long a time,) into boiling water, having 5 lbs. of sugar to

1 gah of water.

Next place them immediately on trays to dry. The scalding

water causes the formation of a thin skin of albumen next the inner surface

of the shell, the sugar eflfectually closing the pores of tlie latter. The cold eggs

are then packed, small end down, in a mixture of 1 part charcoal finely

powdered and 2 parts of dry bran. Eggs so treated have been found perfectly

fresh and unaltered after six months.

Mrs. A. Noyes, Volga County, Jowa,

in Blade.

11. Egg Preservatives, from Experiments at the Agricultural College of Iowa. Eggs packed in dry, pulverized charcoal at the

—

"

—

—

,

DR. CHASE'S RECIPES.

552

bad November 20th.

Eggs packed in finely pulEggs kept in a refrigerator

at 54 degrees remained fresh and sweet from July to November, seeming to

college, June 25th, were all

verized gypsum in June were good in December.

prove that unaided cold air is a good preservative.

Remarks. Thus, it seems that dry gypsum (plaster of Paris), is an excellent

preservative.

I should expect it would so prove for it is, when dried ir a kettle

over the fire, a very fine powder, perfectly excluding the air, and if kept in a

cool place no evaporation of the moisture of the eggs would escape.

—

12.

Eggs packed in boxes or barrels in dry oats, little end down, and the

covers nailed if boxes are used, and headed

up if barrels are used, then the

boxes or barrels turned bottom up every week or 10 days, has proved successful;

and the eggs were ready for shipment. Salt has been used in the same way,

and the plaster of Paris might be, except from its being so fine it will run out of

very small cracks or holes.

13.

Preserving Eggs

Two Years, The Swiss Plan.—Prof.

Sace, of Switzerland, reports having kept eggs

method.

He says

'

:

'

Cover the eggs

3 ozs., avoirdupois, to 3,000 eggs.

kept them two years.

lbs.

They do not lose weight or freshness.

Has

Stops the pores, but if not fresh and decomposition has

commenced, it does not stop it."

Remarks.

two years by the following

—fresh ones—with a coat of parafflne, 2

Druggists' Circular.

— have seen a report in some of the papers that this plan failed;

I

but I honestly believe that it was not the fault of the plan, but from not having

fresh eggs; because it not only fills the pores, but moisture can not go out

through tlie coat of paraffine.

Still, some of the other methods may be

equally good; for family use, the boiling in sugar water of No; 10, or the gypsum (plaster of Paris) of No. 11, would be less trouble, packing away and keeping cool, as in a refrigerator or cold room, also mentioned in No. 11. Any of

these plans properly done will not fail.

14. Eggs — To Determine the Sex of— Tested.—In "Navln's

Work on Poultry" he gives a test made by A. T. Newell, of Philadelphia, Pa.,

who says: " Pullet eggs, or those which will produce pullets, are smooth on the

ends; while those which produce the roosters have a zig-zag mark or quirl on

one end.

In selecting 200 for roosters, only 1 produced a pullet; and out of 50

for pullets he got 50 pullets.

—

Remarks. See " Positive Remedy for Hog Cholera" for further knowledge of Navin's reliability. I have no doubt of the facts stated in that, as well

as in this case.

1.

GRAFTING WAX— To Make.— Eosin, 4 lbs.; tallow and bees-

wax, each, 1 lb.

until pliable.

2.

Melt, mix well and work, after cooling a little in cold water,

May be used at once, or will keep for years.

Grafting Wax.

Blade.

—A cousin of mine, Jerry Lawrence, of Strykers-

N. Y., who has followed grafting over 25 years, uses rosin, 1 lb. beeswax, 6 ozs., and mutton tallow 4 ozs., claiming that, with the mutton tallow, it

is a good salve for cuts and bruises, which are often received in climbing and

sawing among the trees. Using these proportions, and keeping a ball or two of

ville,

;

MISCELLANEOUS.

553

the wax in a covered pail with blood- warm water during the coldest part of the

spring, when the wax would otherwise crack in spreading, saves the trouble of

He keeps a little lard on the back of the hand to use occa-

making two kinds.

sionally to prevent the wax from sticking to the fingers.

%

Make into balls of 3^

pouring from the kettle into the water only so much of the wax mixture as can be worked at a time, keeping the balance warm until all is worked,

No. 1, it

or pulled to whiteness. Melt the rosin first, then add the others.

will be seen, is softer, and if anyone chooses they can make both kinds, the

first for the coldest weather and this for the warmer, as the season advances

to

lbs.,

3.

Sealingwax, Red, for Bottling Medicine.— Rosin, l}i lbs.;

tallow, lard

and beeswax, each, 1 oz.

Melt together and add American ver-

—Dip while hot.

nice for druggists,

milion, 1 oz.

Remarks.

It is

who dip their vial

corks, to have ready for use, or for bottles after the cork is cut off closely.

4.

Sealingwax for Fruit Jars. — Best orange (gum) shellac and bees-

wax, each, 1 lb.

;

rosin, 4 lbs.

Melt and dip or paint the corks with a brush.

more if desired, any color. [See No. 3

'Tis a red shade, but may be colored

for a bright red.

1.

Druggists' Circular.

DOGS—Mange Upon— Sure Remedy.— Powdered aloes, i^oz.;

flour of sulphur, 1 oz.

Mix to a consistence of porridge, with spirits of tur-

pentine, and apply with a brush or swab.

Remarks.

had

tested

— " Cures every time," said a citizen of Ann Arbor to me, who

it.

The word "mange" undoubtedly comes from

the

French

demanger, to itch, as it causes such a degree of itching as to cause dogs and

other animals to rub themselves almost constantly against whatever they can

What will cure it in one animal will do the same with others.

find.

Probably

arises from the acarus scabies, or itch mite, affecting children, and is, therefore,

"catching," or contagious.

2.

Dogs Poisoned by Strychnia, Antidote for. — Salad oil (which

%

is pure sweet or olive oil),

pt.,

has saved them; so, also, has lard.

Journal

of Applied Chemisti'y.

Remarks. The lard was used by the late James F. Reed, of San Jose, CaL,

as they use strychnia there largely to kill gophers hence the dogs are often

poisoned.

And as my books have always sold as readily in California as in the

East, I deem it an important recipe, and add: 'Tis very important to give the

oil when a person is thus poisoned, or warm lard if no oil is at hand

)4, ?*•• ^.t

—

;

—strong coffee,

least

3.

etc. ,

as directed under that head.

Dogs, Cats, Hogs and Horses, To Drive OflT Pleas on.— The

Scientific American gives

us the following for

this purpose.

The pennyroyal

flavor is very strong and offensive to these "gentry," although many people, of

which I am one, are very fond of it.

The herb makes an effective tea, drank

break-up colds, by starting perspiration. It says, under the head of

' Pennyroyal for Fleas: "

" The oil of pennyroyal will drive these insects off;

but a cheaper method, where the herb flourishes, is to throw your dogs and cats

hot, to

into a decoction of

it once

a week.

Mow the herb, and scatter it in beds of

—

I>R-

554

pigs once a month.

CHASE'S RECIPES.

I have seen this done for many years in succession.

"Where

In this case, saturate strings

the herb cannot be got, the oil may be procured.

with it, and tie them around the necks of dogs and cats pour a little on the

;

back and about the ears of hogs troubled -with fleas, which you can do while

they are feeding, without touching them. By repeating this application every

12 or 15 days the fleas will flee from every quadruped, to their relief and

improvement, and your relief and comfort in the house. Strings saturated

with the oil of pennyroyal, and tied around the necks and tails of horses, will

drive off lice; the string should be saturated once a day,"

Bread, Why We Butter It.— The layers of the wheat berry, as we

proceed towards the center, become more and more completely starchy, and at

the center but little else is found, and this portion makes our finest flour (superfine).

The finer the flour the less fit it is for nutrition. In its natural state,

all its components present, is not fitted for perfect human

There is a deficiency in the potential heat-producing materials,

the wheat, with

development.

especially for cooler climates, there being only 2 per cent, of fat in wheat.

We

instinctively supply this deficiency by the addition of fatty bodies.

"We spread

butter upon bread, we mingle lard or butter with our biscuits or cake, and the

The starch, being

fat meat and bread are taken alternatively or coincidentally.

a carbon hydrate, can afford, comparatively, but little heat in consumption, and

United States

fhe fats (butter) are demanded by the wants of the system.

—

Miller.

Remarks.— Tins, is perfectly philosophical; we need fat in some form to

keep up the heat of the body, and now-a-days so few persons will eat fat meats

we must have butter; and it is only from eating too large an amount of it, or

eating that which has become rancid or " strong, " and therefore almost absoA little nice butter is as

lutely indigestible, that harm may arise from its use.

necessary as it is desirable to almost every person.

POSTS, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE

1. FENCE

POLES, ETC. — To Prevent Decay. — Among the various methods hereto 'fore practiced for preserving the ends of

fence posts, telegraph poles, ties and

other timber to be placed in the ground, has been charring, or coating with

coal tar, but it is said that while neither of these modes is sufficient alone, the

two combined answers every purpose. The tar filling the pores of the charred

surface, which in itself is indestructible, prevents absorption of moisture

from the ground into the interior unaltered portion of the wood. In time the

tar is converted into a

2.

kind of rosin, wliich is very durable.

Harpers' "Weekly.

The Science, Best and Cheapest Way of Preserving Wood.

—The Journal of Forestry thus explains what

is necessary to preserve wood:

" The primary cause of decay in wood is the fermentation and the decomposi-

Wood, pure and by itself, is not easily

destroyed by the ordinary agencies of nature, namely, wet and dry weather,

If the sap within the pores can either be removed or renheat and cold, etc.

tion of the sap that is within the pores.

dered inactive, the wood may be preserved.

There are several methods of doing

this, such as saturating the wood with mineral salts, creosote, etc.

The cheap-

MISCELLANEOUS.

555

method seems to be to charge the wood with

Pine (if seasoned), for example, is made almost waterproof

by saturating it with this simple material, and, therefore, made much more

Crude petroleum is very cheap, and maybe applied with a brush until

lasting.

the wood will soak up no more.

In the application care should be taken to

avoid accidents by fire, and not approach the work with a flame until it is dry.

An application of petroleum is especially valuable to much exposed woodwork."

Remarks. For fence posts, it is well known to be important to place the

butt end of the timber upwards, from the greater difficulty that water finds in

ascending against the natural course of sap, in the pores. This done, then, and

the posts painted with the crude petroleum, or by the charring and painting

with the coal tar, it would appear they should become almost everlasting; and

why our railroad men do not try this on sections of their ties, is almost unaccountable.

"With the great destruction of our forests, yearly, for this and all

other purposes for which timber is used, must soon compel them to resort to

this practice, else to be compelled to use iron or steel ties, at a much greater

expense. Of course this is a free country, and they have a right to use unpainted and unprotected timber, so long as they can buy it; still, the painting

with the petroleum would be far cheaper than such constant changing, as is

now the necessary custom. "Were not only the whole of the posts, but also

fence boards, petroleumed thoroughly, it would pay big. Try it a few times,

as the fellow said about cedar rails, they would last a thousand years, for he

had tried it several times! Of course this man's disregard to truth was very

great; but not so great as these railroad men and timber speculators disregard

In some parts of Europe, iron ties have

to the destruction of our forests.

already been tested, hence correct information could easily be obtained upon

Probably, in the United States, with the improvements

this important subject.

in the manufacture of steel, this would take the place of iron for ties; but the

importance of protecting fence posts is too great to be so generally neglected

!St.

easiest and therefore the best

crude petroleum.

—

as it is.

3.

Fence Posts, the Importance of Seasoning, etc. — An experi-

mental writer upon this subject very sensibly says: " To have a fence that will

last we must have good posts, for that is the part that gives out first by rotting

off at the surface of the soil.

Then the fence has to come down, new posts be

set, and the boards replaced.

Sixteen years ago I experimented with fences,

and find seasoned oak posts, oiled and then tarred with boiling coal tar, last the

longest.

I took green posts that were sawed 5 inches square at one end and

I tarred half as many as would

build my fence, and the other half I put into the ground green with nothing

2 by 5 inches at the other, and 7 feet long.

done to them. In 5 years after, the tarred posts were notlnng but a shell under

the ground, all the inside being decayed.

Some of the other posts were rotted

off, and some were about half rotten.

Two years after, I built another fence,

with seasoned oak posts, same size as the first, giving them all a good coat of

oil, and in a few days after tarred them, as I did before, with coal tar, heated

in a can made for the purpose, 4 feet deep and large enough to hold 4 posts set

on end, I left them in the boiling tar for about 10 minutes, then took them out

Z>i2.

556

and ended them up to dry.

CHASE'S EEGIPE8.

And now, after 14 years, not 1 in 10 needs replac-

I shall never build another fence for myself requiring posts without first

ing.

thoroughly seasoning, then oiling, and then tarring them.

If they are tarred

when green, the tar does not penetrate the wood, and in a short time will all

When the wood is seasoned the oil penetrates the wood, and the

scale off.

coating of coal tar keeps out the moisture, thereby preserving the wood from

decay."

—A

correspondent

4. Pence Posts, Importance of Tamping, etc.

of the Country Oentleman gives the following as his plan, which the author

fully endorses, of setting fence posts, except that when the hole is dug 2 feet

deep to be tamped with stone I should not cut back in sharpening more than

6 inches, while he cuts back 12 to 15. If only to be driven 1 foot, or even

18 inches, 6 is enough in gravelly or any soil except hard-pan or hard clay.

He says:

I.

" I first sharpen my posts, cutting back from 12 to 15 inches, according

to the size.

I then dig good sized holes, say 15 inches across

and 2 feet deep;

then take a crowbar and punch a hole in the bottom 10 or 12 inches deeper,

making it large at the top by working the bar back and forth. I then drive the

post with a heavy iron maul tmtil the post

[The

is fully 3 feet in the ground.

author can not think he means 3 feet below the hole dug for the stones; if he

does it would require a 9 foot post not at all probable.] I then fill the hole

—

with small stones well tamped with the head of the bar. Posts set in this way

will be sound and serviceable when those set at the same time in the ordinary

way and tamped with earth will be decayed and xiseless. A neighbor tells me

that he made a piece of board fence over 30 years ago, in part of which he set

the posts with stones, and the rest were tamped with earth. Those set with

stone remained sound when the others had rotted away.

Straight Post and Bail Fence.

He continues: "The best and most

II.

economical fence I can make is a straight fence of posts and rails. I set the

posts in a line, 11 feet apart, using 12 foot rails, nailed on alternate sides of the

—

posts, which gives them a small lap.

I drive a good stake

by the side of each

post, held to the post by a wire placed above the bottom rails and a second wire

below the top rails. Fence built in this manner is firm and strong, taking much

less room than an ordinary rail fence, and is more serviceable in restraining

unruly stock than board fence. One strand of barbed wire across the top of

the posts, 8 or 10 inches above the top rail, will cause unruly stock to keep at

a respectful distance after one trial."

Remarks, There is not a doubt but what rails, properly nailed upon the

posts, are more economical than boards, yet, I think, more expensive, especially

on our western prairies, and there, too, almost absolutely impossible to get the

rails at any price.

There is no doubt, either, but what the barbed wire along

Now, if

the top would be respected, even by iinruly stock, after a single trial.

the seasoned, oiled, and tarred oak posts of No. 3 are preferred, then set by

tamping stones around them, as in this last recipe, and no dirt put on top of the

stones, you will have a post that will last much longer than any other way, and

well worth adopting especially where timber is scarce.

—

MISCELLANEOUS.

557

ADVICE—