National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-01-06
Farm, Garden and Household.

Farm, Garden and Household.
A VERY FINE SPONGE CAKE-The
weight of four eggs in sugar, and the
weight of two more in -four. Beat the
whites of the SIX eggs TO stIH IrOtn
stir the yolks and sugar to n frothy
cream put together, stir briskly, sift in
the flour little Mt a time, and stir just
enough to get the flour in and no more.
Put in a round cake tin with tube in the
centre bake in quick oven. 1t rises
very light
For RUsKs. -One pint of warm milk ;
one teacupful of yeast, or one yeast cake
half cupfull of butter one of white
sugar -four enough to make the dough
of the consistency of biscuit. After the
sponge Of milk, yeast, and -four, is light,
add the other ingredients. Let it rise
again, when mould into small round
cakes put in buttered tins and bake
half an hour. Beat tho yolk of an egg
in milk and rub over the top of each rusk
as soon rs baked.
A Coop PUDDING three ounces
OF flour, and the same weight of finely
grated bread crumbs six ounces of nice
beef suet kidney suet chopped up very
small, six ounces of raisins weigh the
raisins after they are stoned, six ounces
of well-cleaned currants, four ounces of
minced apples, five ounces of sugar, two
ounces of candied orange peel, half n
teaspoonful of nutmeg mixed with
pounded mace, little salt, and three
eggs Mix all these ingredients well to-
gether, tie them tightly in thickly-
Toured cloth, and boil for four hours
RENovATNa OLD ORcHARDs.-l am
experimenting with one of these :" old
settlers" l cut off all the branches, rs
smoothly as possible, close to the main
trunk. New shoots start and grow amaz-
ingly fast after such heading in.
When one year old, thin out and graft,
and by n free suckering, 1 get well
formed head. l mistrust such tree
will be short lived. Numerous shoots
will spring up about the roots of the
parent tree. l select one, graft it, and
keep the rest cut short, and should the
main trunk soon decay, expect to have
a thrifty young tree in it's stead. Why
not
APPLE BUTTER found Mrs. Jami-
son the other day making apple-butter
and got her recipe. She takes the
cider when not twenty hours from
the press, boils it half away, then
adds peeled and quartered apples, and
cooks them till they are reduced to
smooth Jelly, stirring them constantly.
The brass kettle is then removed from
the fire, and the butter dipped out at
once into two-gallon stone jars that are
used for nothing else. This will bring
sixty cents gallon and upward. She
says she often realizes as much profit
from the sale of her apple butter MS from
her turkeys, and with far less trouble
Apple sauce she makes from sweet apples
boiled in cider till they are done these
are removed and more boiled in the
same liquor, which is afterward poured
over the whole. ne showed me some
jelly made of cider simmered slowly
over the fire until quite thick. This,
she says, makes uery cooling drink for
invalids, and one of which they do not
tire.
STRAW HIv FOR WINTERINa BEES.
For the benefit of those using hives in
which the frames are supported by the
bottom board. l wish to say now that
they may be arranged for winter with
but very little trouble, and combine all
the advantages of the straw hive, with
many OIners, 1Or outdoor wlnterlng.
First, prepare the bottom board by Sc
curing ventilation through it in such n
manner that it will not become INSTRUCTED
by any dead bees that may happen to
drop then arrange passage way for
the bees from near the centre to the out
side entrance next get out strip, one
inch by an inch and half, one foot
long, and nail strip of hoop-iron on
one edge, projecting one-fourth of an
inch this will support the frames in the
same manner as usual lay this across
the bottom, and set one end of the 'rame
on it, hooking fast to the hoop-iron.
keeping the same relative position of
combs, and all the other frames will stand
inst the other way-across the hive-and
DO about four i,rol,as from, a~e.., sid Of
the hive cover the top of the frames
with canvas, and then fill with soft straw
or hay, or chaff, or even dry sawdust.
even full d.; open one of the ventilators
near the top, and all the moisture will
pass so very slowly through the straw
that most OF the heat will be retained
near the bees; and if they are in good
condition to start with, they will not
only he safe, but very comfortable all
winter.