The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-01
THE HOME.
Gossip About window observation-disclosures
make RaR Carpets--IIearty BreakEaSt----
How To Know Fresh Meat and FisIl----AI-
um Baskets.


GOSSIP ABOUT WINDOW GARDENING.
\ correspondent of the Ladies' Floral
Cabinet says: / have some hints on win
dow gardening which will probabls prove
OF some value to those that are always
trying to find out different ways of grow
ing and arranging flowers. First, pro-
cure wooden box, quite shallow, and
about twelve inches long and eight inches
wide, and if convenient line it through
the inside with zinc, and punch about
four holes in the bottom of the box for
drainage. Then proceed as follows: Fill
the box with rich dirt think what is
called chip dirt is very good, as ] have
used it for growing plants and they
seemed to thrive STANDARDIZATION mix
with this chip dirt some leaf mold, if it
can be procured, and if not. Just little
sand and dirt will do; now you have
your box ready to plant your flowers
80 you may choose lust what flowers you
like. | have a box i'm which is planted
coeuls, ivy, verhcnas, portulaca, Wan
dcrlng Jew, and thus they form mini
allure window garden. / think that if
one would plant in a box a row Of hya-
Cinths, a row Of tulips, and a row Of GRO
CuScs, and have them all bloom at the
sJmc time, it would be a beautiful sight,
and in winter who would not enjoy
them | think 1t is 80 cheerful to see
flowers in winter-Cven green leaves are
pretty in winter. | would advise every
one To grow the green Wandering
Jew, and keep it through the winter, as
it is quite easily kept if watered occa-
sionally with ammonia water it will keep
green and grow luXuriantiv through the
winter. We have some growing in a
hanging basket that has grower to the
length of six feet and nine inches, and
every one that secs it admires it; it Is
the longest one / have ever seen.
When you have your box all filled with
plants you can ornament it on the out
side 10y covering it with rough bark,
which can he procured 10y taking a wall
IN the country around the woods and then
when it Is covered vaniSh it with Damar
varnish and it will be quiet pretty. An
other pretty ornament is to take q bowl
of water and put in two sweet potatoes,
and in several weeks they will sprout and
throw out their green leaves, and it Will
bc beautiful vine, and can be trained
in any manner which the taste of a per
son may desire.
And still another beautiful window Orna-
mcnt Is to have a War4ian case filled with
Caila lilies and lilies and lycupodium.
\ good way to make Wardian case Is
oprocUre common table and then to take
off the top and turn it up (the wrong
side up and line itwith zinc; then get four
window SaShcS, one fOrcach side and one for
each end, and also one for the top. and it
makes a very cheap ward case; and is
ward cases are very expensive this will
not exceed, ! do not think, more than
live dollars, if it does that much; and
You cannot get one already made for less
than twenty-five or thirty dollars so |
think this information will be priced
very highly. Another ornament is to
get large white sponge and plant in il
wheat, grass, faNsccd, or rice, and place
it in a saucer or plate filled with water,
and immerse it daily. and i'm week or
two il Will become green, and then it can
he suspended in a window with picture
or common cord run through it.
HOW To MAKE RAG CARPETS.
If you want something for YOUR kitch-
en- floor, firm, warm, and durable, from
which spots can lie easily removed. which
can he shaken, turned and be as good as
new again for several years, Use rag car
pets. They can generally be obtained Of
carpet dealers ut from sixty cents to one
dollar a yard but often a smoother and
handsOmcr article can be made at home,
at least ready for the loom. For this
purpose save the old Clothcs-old flannel.
sheets, and Undcrgarmcnts. old dresses.
in fact, everything which will make long
strips. Old clothes Of good colors are
doubly valuable. Calicocs not too much
worn are excellent material Cut into
strips about an inch wide. sew end to
end, and wind smoothly into balls of
about one pound weight Allow from
one and onc-lOurth to one and one-half
pounds of rags to a square yard of carpet
ing. Collect all odd pieces of any color
for the Mosaic or hit-and-miss stripe.
Cut and mix these Thoroughly before
sewing, 50 as to make this stripe as UNI
form as possible. \ few pounds of rem
nants from wooden factory OF soft list
ingS, of any needed color, make a nice
stripe, and require little sewing. Do not
put too much black into 4 kitchen car
pet, a. II Is not q strong color and shows
the dust more than other ColOrS 4
stripe of several shades of red brightenS
up Il carpet wondCrtully-and who objects
to Il little brightness in the kitchen ?
W hIte WOODEN rags take nice cOchineai
red, white cotton a durable green from
tuStic and logwood set with blue vitrioI.
y cinnamon color may bc dyed copper
rs. Select Il coarse strong warp of some
dark color-brown and slate colors are
good-allowing one pound of warp for
every three and onc-f0urth yards of car
Pcting. Keep the exact weight of rags
and warp, to compare with weight of
carpet when returned, and employ a
good weaver. Many prefer a Kitchen
carpet put down with rings, as it can
thus he easily taken up and shaken.
HEARTY BREAKFASTS.
In large majority of eases, says the
Journal of Health, il will be found that
the best and hcartiest meal of the day
should he eaten in the morning. If the
closing rcspast of the day has not been
too late, or has not been excessive in
quantity or indigcstiblc in quality. the
stomach will be rested and active in the
morning after the individual has cnioved
a cool bath. The stomach will then re-
spond quickly with the necessary gastric
juice for the solution of food, and, if a
fair amount of exercise Is taken during
the day, Il large mass of food will be as
simulated and converted into blood and
tissue. With a good substantial break
ldSI no great amount OF 1000 VIII he re-
quircd during the remainder of the dav.
One further meal will he ample, and that
might better he taken at from two to
three o'clock in the afternoon than ut
any period. if business engagements only
permitted it.
The breakfast may be made from any
kind of wholesome food, and the fewer
kinds the better. The dinner should he
light and readily digcstcd, if sound sleep
is desired and strong appetite and perfect
powers of digestion next day. If hunger
comes, 4 bowl of sweet milk and well
cooked mush of Indian meal, or other
unholtcd grain, will allay it, and will di-
gcst quickly. One square meal in ev-
cry twCnty-iUur hours is all that can he
taken care of 10y many weak stomachs
and more than this is an excess and in
duccs headache, nausea, and distress If
dinners are abandoned and especially late
and heavy dinners, myriads of dyspeptics
would be cured. But under the exigcn-
cies of city life late dinner cannot
well be avoided. This need not he the
tremendous meal it is customary to make
it, If the breakfast be substantial and