The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-05-22
Farm, Garden and Household.
To Clean Feathers.


Feathers may be cleaned of theirannual
Oil as follows: Take for every gallon of
clean water one pound of quicklime
mix them well together, and when the
undissolved lime is percipitated in fine
powder, pour off the clear lime-water
for use. Put the feathers to be cleaned
into another tub, and add to them q
portion of the clear lime water, suffi.
cient to cover them about three inches
when well immersed and stirred about
therein. The feathers, when thorough
ly moistened, will sink down, and
should remain in the lime-water three
or four days, after which the foul liquor
should be separated from them by lay
ing them in a sieve. The feathers
should afterward be well washed in
clean water and dried upon nets, the
meshes of which may be about the
fineness of cabbage nets. The feathers
must be from time to time shaken in
the nets and as they become dry, they
will fall through the meshes and may
be collected for use. The admission O
air will be serviceable in drying. The
process will be completed in three
weeks and after being thus prepared,
the feathers will only require to be
beaten to rid them of the dust.
To clean white, brown or fawn-color-
ed feathers, dissolve some fine white
soap in boiling soft water, and add a
small piece of pearlash. When the
water is just cool enough for the hand
to bear it, pass the feathers several
times through it, squeezing them gently
with the hand. Repeat the same pro-
cess with weaker solution of soap,
and then rinse the feathers in cold
water, beating them across the hand, to
expel the water. When they are nearly
dry, draw each fibre over the edge of a
small blunt knife, turning it round in
the direction you wish the curl to lake
Then, if the feather is to be fiat. nIoce
it between the leaves of 6, book to press
it. N W pl'''
Black feathers may be cleaned with
water and Some gall, proceeding as
above.
Domestic Receipts.
CREAM FOR COFFEE. BEAT we'll one
egg, with one spoonful of sugar; pour
pint of scalding hot milk over this,
stirring it briskly. Make it the night
previous.
COMPOSITION PUDDING.-One and a half
cups OF molasses, one cup of shred sEet.
Two cups of milk, two teaspoGnfuls of
soda, and flour to make pretty stiff
batter. Boil steadily one and a half
hours; ginger may be added if desired.
GERMAN WAFFLEs. Press half a
pound OF butter in cloth until soft,
and beat it with large fork in a
cream; beat the yolks of six eggs to a
thick cream, and sift in, stirring all the
time, half a pound of flour add half a
pint OF rich sweet milk, and the beaten
butter; beat all well together: beat
the whites of the eggs till stiff. and add
to the other ingredients beat all well
together, and bake at once. in well but
tered ,waffle-irons butter each waffle
"hen oaked sprinkle it with powder
eu "hlge sugar and cinnamon mixed (;
Pile on hot plate, and serve hot.
A GooD FISH CHowDER.-Cut some
slices of pork very thin, and fry it out
dry III the dinner pot then put in a
layer of fish, cut in slices, on the pork
and fat, then layer of potatoes, cut in
thin slices, then fish and potatoes again,
TIL your materials are all in ; putting
salt and pepper on each layer of fish,
and put in water enough to cover
split some crackers, and after dipping
them IN water put around the sides and
over the top boil about half an hour,
or until the potatoes are done; add
about pint of sweet cream with a lit
tie flour stirred in, five minutes before
taking it up. Many people (myselt
among them) prefer butter to the pork
and fat; you can put in onions if you
like them.
New Potato Disease.
II. Hallier describes, in the Zeitschrih
JUr PdraSitenkun9e, n new potato dis
ease which has appeared in the crop at
Apolda, near Jena. The disease differs
from the one ordinarily known in this
country in attacking at once the tubers
and not the leaves. The tuber is found
to be covered by purplish felt, which
is the mycelium of fungus; the skin
of the potato is in some cases apparently
not penetrated by this mycelium, while
IN others close examination with the
microscope shows that it is, the skin
being in these cases covered by a nun.
Der of black spots having the appear
ance of the perithecia Of pyrenomy
cetous fungus, the tuber becoming tbel
completely destroyed by a cancerou'
disease; the fungus, which probably
belongs to the genus scterOtiu,a, ap
pearing always to accompany the dis
ease. Professor Hallier thinks tina
the remedy will probably be the same
as in the ordinary potato disease: selec
ting early kinds, using only minera
and no vegetable manures, and care
ful selection of the best adapted soil.
Potatoes without Bugs.
E. P. F. Brauder, Redfeld, Mich.
gives the following mode of planting
potatoes, in the Western Rural: "pre
pare the ground as usual--the drye
and richer the better. When warm
plant your potatoes the usual depth, a
thick as the soil will warrant | thin
one, or at most two, good eyes in
place best, but if the soil is rich the
may be thick enough so that the Who'll
ground may fill with tubers, and cove
with straw sufficient to keep down al
weeds, say from three to five inches
and your potatoes will need no NOR
care until they are ready for the harvest
Do not plant till the ground is warm
as the mulch keeps out heat. Cove
with earth before mulching, or tn
tubers will be ill-favored.