Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-10
Useful Information.

HANGING BAsKET-This is indeed an
cage of progress" and am glad to see
that it comes home to us IN our domestic
arrangements and the adornment of our
homes. l was very much interested by
Miss Cranes description of rustic box, in
the November number of the Horticultural,
and expect to profit by her example. AL
low me to suggest very pretty hanging
basket, description of which l have never
seen in print Take large cocoanut shell
with the top sawed off, as is usually done
for eating the meat, and drill three small
holes at equal distance around the top
edge. After this, drill quite a number of
small holes in the bottom and sides. Into
each of the three holes first drilled insert
the end of piece of small wire, leaving
each piece two or three feet long; join
these, twisting them together at the end,
forming loop or ring, and the basket is
complete. The object of the holes in the
side and bottom is to prevent the shell
from cracking. Care should be taken to
thoroughly mcisten the dirt before putting
it in the basket, as the danger of cracking
will thereby be lessened. Owing to putting
the dirt in dry, my first effort resulted in
breaking the shell. Other adornments
llllRuU De duuSu III dCCOluduCC Will UuC
taste of the constructor S. Price, in
the Horticulturist.
USE OF THE PoTATo.-In France farina
is largely used for culinary purposes. The
famed gravies, sauces and soups are largely
indebted for their excellence to that
source, and it's bread and pastry equally
so, while great deal of the so-called
cognac, imported into England from
France, is the product of the potato
Throughout Germany the same uses are
common. In Poland the manufacture of
spirits from the potato is most extensive
trade "Stettin brandy" well known in
commerce. is largely imported into Eng
land, and is sent from thence to many of
her foreign possessions as the produce
of the grape, and is placed on many a table
of England as the same, while the fair Ia
dies of our country perfume themselves
with the spirit of potato, under the desig
nation of eau de Cologne. But there are
other uses which this esculent is turned to
abroad. After extracting the farina the
pulp is manufactured into ornamental arti-
cles, such as picture. frames, snuff boxes
and several descriptions of toys, and the
water that runs from it in the process of
manufacture is a most valuable scourer.
For perfectly cleansing woolens and such
like articles it is the housewives panacea,
and if the washerwoman happens to have
chilblains she becomes cured by the opera
ton.
SoUP.-Soupisuniversallyr egarded as the
indispensable beginning of every well-or-
dered dinner. In discussingits rationale Sir
FL. Thompson says "Some regard iii cal
a,,1,4al - J,ooo4,-o x.on-o. 80,
the theory that so much fluid taken at first
dilutes the gastric juices. But there ap-
pears to be no foundation for this belief
clear soup, or the fluid constitution of
puree, disappears almost Immediately after
entering the stomach, being absorbed by
the proper vessels, and in no way inter
feres with the gastric juice, which is stored
in its appropriate cells ready for action.
The habit of commencing dinner with soup
has, without doubt, its origin in the fact
that aliment in this fluid form-in fact,
ready digested-soon enters the blood and
rapidly refreshes the hungry man,
who, after considerable fast and
much activity, sits down with a sense of
exhaustion to commence his principal meal.
In two or three minutes after taking plate
of good warm coRsOmnle, the feeling of ex-
haustion disappears, and irritability gives
way to the gradually rising sense of good
fellowship with the circle. Some persons
have the custom of allaying exhaustion
with glass of sherry before food-a gas
tronomic no less than physiological blum
der, injuring the stomach and depraving
the palate The soup introduces at once
into the system small installment of
ready digested food, and saves the short
period of time which must be spent by the
stomach in deriving some portion of
nutriment from solid aliment, as well as
indirectly strengthening the organ of di-
gestion itself for its forthcoming duties
Nineteenth Century.