The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-10-29
USEFUL HINTS.

USEFUL HINTS.
some Things not Generally Known, but
which Every Family Ought to Know.
Plants kept in the window should be
turned every morning, or the light,
striking one side Oily, will draw the
plant to that side SO that all IFS branch
es and leaves will turn toward the win
dow.
When color on fabric has been acct
dentally or otherwise destroyed by acid,
ammonia isappGed to neutralize the acid,
after which an application of chloroform
will, in almost all cases, restore the orig
inal color. The application of ammonia
is common, but that Of chloroform IS
but little known.
If the heat of the room occupied by
an invalid is oppressive, it may be great
! ly lessened by hanging in the open win
dows some towels or canvas well wetted.
Water passing from liquid to gaseous
state absorbs caloric. The chemical
process will lower in few minutes the
temperature of room by five or six de-
gress, and the humidity distributed
in the air makes the heat more support
able.
Moths will work in carpets in rooms
that are kept warm in the winter as well
rs III the summer. A sure method for
removing the pests is to pour strong
alum water on the floor to the distance
of half q yard around the edges before
laying carpets. Then once or twice du-
ring the season sprinkle dry salt over the
carpet before sweeping. Insects do not
like salt, and sufficient adheres to the
carpet to prevent their alighting upon
| it,
Those who are in the habit of scalding
their tomatoes before pairing them can
hardly think how much nicer they are
without scalding. 1t is not SO difficult to
pare fully ripe tomato without the
scalding when one gets in the habit of
doing it. If one is pairing those not fully
ripe they should have sharp, thin knife,
and pare from the blossom to the stem,
instead of round like an apple. II they
are not smooth one can cut them apart in
the creases, and thus get at the skin.
Washingday will insist upon making
it's unwelcome appearance once q week.
The linen for Mondays wash should be
collected on Saturday, sorted and put to
soak in cold water, according to the
various kinds. The body linen should
be put into one tub, the bed and table
linen into another, and the fine things
separately. Plain collars, cuffs, wrist
bands, should be strung through the
button-holes on n piece of bobbin long
enough for the articles to be easily di-
vided for rubbing, starching, etc. Col
ored muslins, prints and fiannels must
be laid aside to be washed in different
manner from white, calico or linen.
Properly boiled suds are far better than
soap for washing, particularly if a wash
ing machine be employed. The suds
should be employed in the following
manner Shred into an earthenware jar
the best yellow soap cut into very fine
shavings, and pour boiling water to the
quantity required. One pound of soap
is plenty for one gallon of water. Add
to this quantity half a pound of
Scotch soda, and set the jar (covered)
range till the soap is quite dissolved. If
this be done on Saturday evening, the
soap will be smooth jelly to use on
Monday morning.
Old mutton IS always a great intlic-
ton. Some of its horrors can be avoid
ed by using the following recipe: Mince
very finely some cold mutton with a
few oysters or n few mushrooms ; take
some strong stock well favored with
vegetables and highly seasoned, put it
in a stew-pan, and thicken it with roux
Ii. e., butter melted over slow fire,
well skinned, thickened to stiff paste
with baked, sifted -four, and left to cool
before use). Let the stock simmer,
and stir in the roux, taking care to
stir always in the same direction
when a nice and tolerably thick
sauce has been made, add the minced
mutton, ETC., to it, and let the mince
warm through, stirring it gently round
as it does so then put it on dish, and
leave it to cool for some hours. When
it is quite cold it should form jelly
like paste, just consistent enough to
make soft balls. These balls should be
of the shape and size of a large egg, and
then rolled in grated bread crumbs, then
fry them in boiling fat The boiling fat
should cover them entirely they must
be put into it one at time very care
fully and gently, and taken out with
! equal care, to prevent the risk of
breaking them. 1t is for this reason
that it is necessary TO egg and bread
crumb them twice over. Arrange
them round dish with boiled peas,
French beans or spinach piled up in the
center