Connecticut western news., 1874-10-02
Farm, Garden and Household.
Housekocping Department.

BEEF PATTIEs.-Chop fine rare roas peer, season with pepper, salt and little onion. Make a plain paste on into shape like an apple puff. fiji witl the mlnce, and bake quickly.
 POTATOES PRESERVED BY SoA1DING, Potatoes have been we'll preserved by simply scalding them for two or three minutes, and then we'll drying them They will keep well and store well also on shipboard.
 PLAIN PUDDING. pint of milh or water, one-haH pint of molasses, one tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonfu of soda, and one pound of raisins add flour enough to make tolerably thick batter. Steam three hours,
 To CLEAN TNwARE. exnerienced housekeeper says the best thing fol cleaning tinware is common soda, Dampen a oloth and dip in soda and rub the ware briskly, after which wipe dry and 1t will look equal to new.
 PLUM PUDDING. four eggs stir in them one-half pound of flour and one-half pint of new milk add one. fourth pound of beef suet chopped Sne, one-half pound stoned raisins well shoured, and few entrants, with tea spoonful of salt. Boil the pudding four hours briskly, and serve with wine sauce.
 SAUCE FOR BAKED PUDDNas.- one pint of water, large teacup of su- gar, piece of butter size of large egg, little nutmeg and essence of lemon, and bring to boil. Now take a little flour, or corn starch (which is best), well beat into paste and thinned, and stir gradually till of the consistency of cream, or as thick as you like; then add large tablespoonful of vinegar or brandy.
 LEMON CUsTARD PH.-For two pies. mix together the yolks of six eggs 1well beaten), four heaping tablespoonfuls of white coffee sugar, the grated rinds of three large lemons, and about one pint ot milk. Bake in one crust put on 8 frosting made of the whites of four eggs, four tablespoonfnls of white sugar and the juice of three lemons :: bake till the frosting is pale brown.
 Sandy Knous.
 Talking of making barren sandy knolls and lands productive of clover, the editor of the FaTnsers' Union says he once s0wed a barren sandy knoll over with plaster and ashes, and to his astonlshment 8 good crop of clover can1e h, though he did not SOW a seed ot clover. Then he topdressed his pas lures with plaster and ashes, with such marked success that he recommended the practice to his neighbors whose pastures were thin in three years the pastures of his neighborhood would feed nearly double the stock they fed before, and to-day the farmers in the neighborhood buy all the ashes they can get, paying 60 to 75 cents per bush el therefor. This is by no means an exceptional instance. Any farmer who can buy good unleached wood-ashes at 90 to 75 cents per bushel and does not do 1t, and apply them to his land, fails to use one of the surest sources of fer tlllty that can be named. Salt also is undervalued. Salt, ashes, and plaster applied to potato ground are exceed Ingly valuable-especi cially on old lands. The salt and ashes may be mixed and applied to the soil before planting. Some apply it in the h1ll, as they ma nure in the hill. The plaster is then 1sed as topdressing on the hill, soon alter the plants appear above the ground. We should prefer sowing the salt and ashes broadcast after the ground is prepared and before planting not with view of benefitting the uo- tato crops so much as to secure perma- nent advantage to after crops and dis tribute it more thoroughly.
 Using Nails.
 fors drive nail into seasoned oak posts. knows its liability to bend and break. !f the point be moistened in the mouth It will usually drive more kindly. Oil IS better, but then it is inconvenient to dip each nail separately into it. An other point IS, that boards become loose eventually from the rusting of nails, which, communicating in the wood, causes not only enlargement of nail itself, rendering the fence or build. Ing shaky or insecure. This may be prevented by heating any rough grease until 1t smokes, and then pouring it over the nails to be used, The grease will penetrate the pores of the iron. and cause the nails to last without rust ing for an indefinite period. Besides this no difficulty will then be expe- rienced in driving them into the hard estwood. The reason is that the coat ing of grease prevents contact by air, and consequently oxidation. Oxygen IS the destroyer of iron, and moisture IS the inducing cause. Anything which IS kept from air is preserved indefi- n1tely, and If it is kept dry the effect IS measurably the same. Paint upon buildings prevents the contact of air and moisture. If the whole fence cans not be painted, the heads at least of the nails therein should be touched.
 Dressing Black Hogs.
 A correspondent of the Michigan -FGrnaer says: The principal objection to the Essex and Berkshire breed of hogs find to be their color. Now. as Youatt justly observes, this is not skin deep. The coloring matter will be found to be secreted between the true skin and the epidermis or outer skin, If care is taken in scalding black hogs they can be dressed as white as any white hog. It IS well-known principle that all black substances absorb heat. Hence in dressing black hogs the water should not be so hot as in scalding white ones. Instead of this color being an objection, I regard it as an advan- tage, for the skin of black hog will always be found to be smooth and glossy, free from cutaneous eruptions, and always clean.