The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-20
AGRICULTURAL.
THE HOUSEHOLD.
Domestic Receipts.

OYSTER FRrTTERs.-Wipet the oysters dry.
Beat six eggs light, and stir into them six
table-spoonfuls -four, one and one-half pint
rich milk. Beat to smooth batter. Have in
pan some butter and lard; when 1t begins
to froth, put in small ladleful of the batter,
with an oyster in the middle, into it to fry.
Ii too thin, add flour, but if too thick. milk.
PARKER House MUFFINs.-Boil one
quart OF milk. When nearly cool, stir in one
quart sifted flour, one tea-spoonful salt, one
half cup of yeast. Then stir in three we'll
beaten eggs. Let it rise in warm place in
winter and cool one in summer, eight or
ten hours. When risen light, stir in one
tablespoonful of melted butter and bake in
iron muffin-moulds.
EXCELLENT LIGHT BIsCUIT.-Boil four
large Irish potatoes. While hot, mash them
with piece of lard the size of an egg. Add
one teacup of milk and one of yeast. Stir in
enough Hour to make good batter and set it
to rise. 1t will take about two quarts of
flour. When light, make up the dough.
You generally have to add more water or
milk. Roll thin, let them rise slowly, but
bake them quickly.
LEMON PIcKLE.-Rasp the lemons little
and nick them at one end; lay them in dish
with very dry salt, let them be near the fire,
and covered. They must stand seven or
eight days; then put in fresh salt, and remain
the same time; then wash them well, and
pour onIboiling vinegar, grated nutmeg, mace,
and whole pepper. Whenever the salt be-
comes damp, it must be taken out and dried
The lemons will not be tender for nearly a
year. The time to pickle them Is about Feb
ruary.
Home-Made Fertilizers.
The winter is the season when those farm
eTs who are intelligent and progressive enough
TO compound their own fertilizers should en-
gage in the work. While it is true that small
farmers who cultivate but a few acres of land
cannot well or profitably prepare their plant
food, it is equally true that large land owners
should be independent of manufacturers at
distance.
1t is too late to assume that fertilizers suit
ed to all the cereal and grass crops cannot be
of domestic production; they can be, and
with much profit to the soil cultivator. 1t
Is not necessary for farmers or their sons to 60
through course of study in any of our agri-
cultural colleges, Ito fit themito intelligently
prepare and use the new forms of plant food
which modern Chemistry has devised. All the
processes are simple, and adequate practical
knowledge ought to be within the reach of
every one. We wish we could have the eye
and ear OF every farmer in our country for the
space of forty-eight hours. In that brief
period, on our farm premises at Lakeside. we
are confident we could impart all the knowl-
edge necessary to fit them to be easy and sue
cessful manipulators with acids and phos-
pilates, heterogeneous and potash combina-
tions.
The school for practical. profitable farm in
structions is yet to be established; we may
not live to see it, but it will come. 1t is a
Law of nature that the simple is born of the
complex, and SO, after all the state expert
menting is over, the simple winter school in
which the farmers themselves, of all ages and
conditions, may meet, for one week or SIX,
and receive practical instructions from prac
tical men. will be found to be the only true
method of advancing agricultural knowledge.
During the same autumn, and thus far in
the winter, our farm superintendent, with
the help of one man, has prepared many tons
of very superior superphosphate
and grsss fertilizers. The superphosphate
gives by analysis from fifteen to seventeen
per cent. of soluble phosphoric acid, and this
comes about as near perfection as is possible
or necessary. The corn, wheat and grass
fertilizers are combinations of the superphos-
phate with nitrate of soda, nitrate of potassa,
muriate of potassa and dried animal product,
suited in quantity to the wants of each spec
ial crop. This is our method Eof preparing
plant food, first set forth in addresses before
the State Beard of Agriculture many years
ago, and for period OF sixteen years the one
pursued on our farm premses.-Boston
journal of ChemiStrq,