The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-10-09
Farm, Garden and Household.
How to Keep Eggs.

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" For storing eggs very good plan
is to have a large board pierced with
holes in regular rows. Many breeders
keep them in bran; and this latter
method is, perhaps, best for those
meant only to be eaten, but for setting
hens the pierced board has many obvi-
GUS convenicnces. They should be al
ways kept with the large end downward.
This direction being exactly contrary to
that usually given, we should state that
our attention was first called specially
to the subject by most intelligent
lady, who advocated this plan, alleging
as the probable reason of its superiority,
keeping eggs on the small end appears
to me to cause the air-bubble to spread,
detaching it from the shell, or rather
from its membranous lining, and after
being so kept for fortnight the air.
bubble will be found to be much spread,
and the eggs to have lost much vitality,
though still very good for eating She
then described her success the other
way, adding, Owing to this method of
storing, such a thing as a stale egg has
never been known in my house and rs
regards success in Matching, for several
seasons, when l was able to attend to
my poultry myself, of many broods set
every egg produced q chick We were
by no means hasty in adopting or rec
ommending this plan, but after careful
observation and comparison for two
seasons, have proved indisputably, that
both for eating or setting, eggs do keep
much better the large end down. There
is, after a week, marked difference in
eggs kept in the two positions as re-
CARDS the spreading of the air-bubtle-
which is we'll known to affect both the
freshliness for eating, and vitality
for setting, of stored eggs-and after
three weeks the difference can be dis
cerned even by the taste alone. 1t will,
of course, matter little which mode is
adopted, provided the eggs are used
for either purpose withina short time
but the longer kept, the more the diff
ference from the two positions increases,
and while eggs stored away with the
small end down cannot be depended
upon after fortnight to produce more
than a proportion of chickens, those
kept in the way we now advocate will
keep perfectly. good for Matching
month, or even more.
Fried Potatoes.
The name fried potatoes, of course,
means potatoes that are fried, but how
different the article in different places.
The elements, SO to speak, potatoes
and lard, are the same everywhere, but
in one case we get a disagreeable fat
soaken slice, and at another a real deli
cacy. Certain hotels and restaurants
make a speciality of fried potatoes, and
every one has heard of Moons Saratoga
potatoes that are eaten as luxury as
one would eat popcorn or bon-bons.
The Saratoga and other choice fried
potatoes are apparently without grease,
with n crisp surface, a mealy interior,
and altogether delicious. "Why can't
we have such ?" asks paterfamilias when
he returned from a visit to the city or
watering-place. The good wife might
answer that he could have just such if
he would go to the trouble and expense.
The first essential is to have all the po-
tatoes sliced of an even thickness.
This is thus accomplished: A board
has knife fastened in it after the man.
ner of sourkrout-cutter, or dried
beef slicer, the edge of the knife placed
far enough above the level of the board
to give the required thickness. The
peeled potatoes are put in a frame which
slides back and forth over the knife,
and this has follower to keep the po-
tatoes in place. By means of this a
large quantity can be rapidly sliced,
and with the greatest uniformity.
The next requisite is a kettle with an
abundance of very hot lard, and the
next wire cage, shaped like common
dipper. The sliced potatoes are placed
in the cage, pumped into the hot lard,
and at the proper instant, which can
only be learned by experience, they, by
means of the cage, are all withdrawn at
once. A few shakes free them from all
adhering fat, and if the operation is
properly done the potatoes may be
served on a napkin without greasing it.
All these are necessary in order to have
fried pototoes in perfection. We have
had satisfactory results from carefully
slicing the potatoes with knife and
letting them drop into ice-water ta-
king out handful at time, putting
them into towel, and giving it few
jerks to dry them, and then popping
them into fat, from which as soon as
done they were removed by a large
skinner. Then another portion was
done. The use of ice-water tends greatly
to preserve the crispness of the potatoes.
Strawberry Growing.
The profits of the strawberry trade
on Long Island may be judged of by
the following figures, showing the opera
tions of one firm near Bayport. They
began in 1869, with two acres planted,
from which they sold 1900 quarts, net
ting S504. In 1870, from three acres,
they sold $1,000 quarts, netting $3.50 !;
in 1871, from six acres, they sold %, 200
quarts, netting So, 14O in 1872, from
twelve acres, they sold 10000 quarts,
netting $1,000; in 1873, from twelve
acres, they sold, notwithstanding the
dro season, 10000 quarts, netting
$2,660--most of the crop being grown
on five acres of new ground, which
stood the drouth better than the old
ground. The lrries were sent to New
York and thence shipped to Boston and
other Eastern markets. Could they
have sent them direct their returns
would have been at least $4,000. Their
estimate of the cost and returns of an
acre of strawberries for two years,
counting upon two-thirds of a crop, is
as follows Plants and manure, each
$40 setting out, $40 cultivation, $50
mulching, $40 total cost, Sl40 Yield
first year. $500 quarts, at twelve cents,
$500; second year, 1000 quarts, $l20
total, 1920; net profit, $272.