Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-15
The HOUSEHOLD.


thrown into cistern will render the foulest
water sweet and pure.
A mixture of oil and ink is good to clean kid
boots with; the first softens and the latter black
ems them.
To clean zinc-Rub on fresh lard with CLOTH
and wipe dry.
linseed Oil "a little goes good way; build a
slow fire at first till IL dries. Oil in the Sprin9
to prevent it from rustfng.
To give stoves good poliSh-Rub them with
a piece OF Brussels carpet after blackening
them.
TO crystalize grasses-one pound best alum,
dissolved; dip the grass in the solution, and
allow 1t to remain six or seven hours; remove
and dry In the sun. This is a reliable recipe.
Paint splaShed upon window glass can be
easily removed by strong solution OF soda
A flannel cloth dipped in warm soap sudS, then
into whiting and applied to paint, will instantly
To take Ink spots out Of linen-Dip the ink
spot in pure melted tallow, then wash out the
tallow and the ink will come out with it. This
TO clean raisins-Wipe them with q dry towel.
| Never wash them, for it will make cakes or pud-
dings heavy.
tepid If it is too hot the leaves will be full of
holes.
To boil potatoes so that they will be dry and
mealy.When the skins break pour of the water
and let them finish cooking In their own steam
In making crust OF any kind do not melt the
| 81 ortening. Let 1t be as cold as possible and
hnead 1t through the flour. Melting it Injuries
To make clothes line pliable-Boil it an hour
or two before using it. Let it dry In warm
room and do not allow it to "kink."
To remove iron taste from new kettleS-Boil
handful OF hay in them and repeat the process
| If necessary. Hay water Is great Sweetner OF
| tin, wooden and iron ware. In Irish diaries
everything used for milk is scalded with hay
water.
| To clean brass-Immerse or wash it several
times in sour milk or whey; this will brighten 1t
without securing; itsmay then be secured with q
woolen cloth dipped in ashes.
IL broOmS are wet In boiling SudS once week
| they will become very tough, will not cut car
| pet, Will last much longer, and always sweep
| like q new broom.
| New linen may be embroidered more easily by
| rubbing it over with fine white soap; it prevents
| the threads from cracking.
To remove starch or rust from flatirons-
| Have a piece Of yellow beeSwax tied in a
| coarse cloth; when the iron is almost hot
enough to use, but not quite. rub 1t quickly with
| the beeswaX and then with a clean coarse
cloth.
Oil cloths can be kept like new If washed once
| a month in skim milk and water, equal quanti-
ties of each; rub them once in three months with
nseed oil; put on very little, rub it in well, and
polish with an old silk cloth, and they will keep
| for years.
TOMATO CATsUP.-Eight quarts ripe tomatoes
| one quart sharp vinegar, boiled until it
can be strained through a cullender after
| straining, add to it two tablespoonful each OF
| salt, ground ginger and ground black pepper,
| one tablespoon each of ground allspice and
| ground cloves, two tablespoonful of garlic or
white onion chopped fine, one tablespoonful Of
| sugar. Boil and stir constantly four hours.
| Keep this till next season, then try it, and 1t
will be found to pay your trouble with capital
| table sauce.
| has just returned from Germany invited me to
| dinner party last week and at the close OF the
| d1nner-which was singularly good One-an
| unknown liqueur was handed round, which was
| particularly recommended by the host and
which no one could name. 1t turned out to be
new German notion" of applied science to
| gOurmandiSe The l1queur was a ''pepSin e5-
senz," invented by Prot Oscar Lubruck, of Ber-
| lin, capable of digesting cast-iron and with
| which the epicureans of the German empire
propose to insure that good digestion shall wait
upon appetite on this occasion it did so; but
| whether the cook or the professor must bear the
palm, cannot decide. l have seen an alderman
this the pepsn ASSEM-, which had the flavor of a
delicate hook, has some obvious advantages
| London Truth.
SELECTING FOULTRY.-I send the following
which have observed for some years in pur-
| chasing poultry, and which may be Of use to
! some OF your readers who may not be familiar
| with the age of poultry:
Few housekeepers, and fewer cooks, are as
| good judges OF the age OF poultry as they ought
| to be. We all know when poultry comes upon
the table, whether 1t is tender or tough; and
there should be no difficulty In knowing just as
| certainly whether chicken, duck, goose or tur-
key is old or young, when it Is offered for SALE
| Now the following is offered as a rule by which
poultry can be safely judged, which If read over
reference when needed, no person need purchase
| old, tough poultry unless from choice.
II hens spur Is hard and the scales on the
legs rough, she is old, whether you see her head
or not, but the head will cOrrOborate your obser-
walton. II the under bill is so stiff that you can
! not bend it down, and the comb thick and rough,
| leave her: no matter how fat and plump, for
some one less particular Ayoung hen has only
| the rud1mentS OF spurs; the scales on the legs
are smooth, glossy and fresh-colored, whatever
| the color may be; the claws tender and short,
the nails sharp, the under bill soft, and the comb
thin and smooth.
An old hen turkey has rough scales on the
legs, calosites on the soes OF the feet and long,
strong claws; ayoung one Is the reverse Of all
these marks. When the feathers are on and the
old turkey cock has long tuft OF beard, young
one has but sproutless one; and when they are
of the smooth scales on the legs decide the
point, besides the difference In size of the wat
ties OF the neck and the elastic shoot upon the
nose.
An old goose when alive is known by the rough
legs, the strength of the WINGS particularly at
the pinions, the thickness and strength of the
bill, and the fineness Of the feathers; and when
plucked, by the legs, the tenderness Of the skin
under the wings, by the pinions and the bill and
the coarsenesS Of the skin.
Ducks are distinguished by the same means,
but there is this diference-that duckling'S
Of its head than the old duck A young pigeon
is distinguished by its pale cOlorS, smooth scales
tender, collapsed feet, and the yellow long down
1nterspersed among its feathers. A pigeon that
can fly has always red-cOlored legs and no
down, and is then too old for -[GeineantOlvn
Telegraph.
To MAKE HooD-In answer to the request
how to make hood l send the following: The
materials necessary for medium-sized hood are
ske1n OF Germantown yarn and from " to 2
ounces OF split zephyr. The Germantown is for
the foundation, to make which crochet chain
of Is stitches; If your needle Is rather coarse,
more; II fine one crochet about 10 rows for the
head piece. Then, If you have IS stitches, take
is for the crown, crOcheting 1t n the center with
an equal number Of stitches on each side. II you
have more than Is stitches take it in the same
proportion, about one third. Crochet the crown
long enough to fit the head-piece when sewed
or crocheted together. Then around this crochet
cape of any length you please, Increasing one
stitch every time In the middle Of the back. Now
take your split zephyr and crochet row OF
scallops around the edge Of the hood for finish.
Then make loop of S or 10 chain stitches, and
put In every stitch of the foundation, taking it
row at time. When done, put draw string In
front and back, and finish off with bows and
ties OF ribbon. have tried to "boil 1t down" as
much as possible, and still be explicit, so that it
would not take up too much room. do not
wish my name published.-[Aollt anderson,
| bloomington, III.
EMBRoIDERY.-The passion for art embroidery
is developing many uses for table linen and tow.
| els outside of their legitimate line. Cream
tinted table nen such as sells for 65 or IS cents
| per yard Is bought for window curtains and en-