The Iola register., 1881-09-30
FARM AND PRESIDE.

Farm AND FIRES1DEs
Hens, as rule, lay about an equal
number of eggs in their firstand second
seasons, after which the produce rapidly
decreases.
"A Minnesota flock-master had great
trouble with wolves. They would get
into the folds at night and kill his sheep
in spite of all the watchfulness he could
exercise. He finally tried hanging Q
lighted lantern or two in the corral. and
the marauders kept aloof.
Grape Cordial.-Purple grapes,
sugar, water; wash and bruise the fruit
well; add little water and let it stand
ever night; strain through a cloth, and
to each gallon of juice add two pounds
of sugar; let it stand a week. then drain
off and bottle. This makes a very ac-
ceptable drink for invalids, with q little
water.
Potato Pudding.-One pound pota-
toes boiled and well mashed, one-quarter
pound of butter stirred in while warm,
two ounces of sugar, the rind of half q
lemon chopped fine with the juice, q
teacupful of milk; butter the tin, put in
the mixture. and bake in a moderate
oven for half an hour; two eggs may be
added.
An English farmer once told US that
he could catch as many rats as he want
ed by taking little oat meal and max
ing it into a dough with whisky and
fiayoring it with q little oil of roses;
fhnv, snk0 he o,n1 \
it where the rats frequent. They eat
it and the whisky makes them drunk.
and drunken rats are like drunken men,
simply fools. and lose all their cunning
and self control. You can pick them
up and kill them at leisure and throw
them out. This is far better than
poisoning them and allowing them to
return to their holes and die.-Iowa
State Register.
To Preserve Wild Grapes. s.-Gather
the grapes when they are very nearly
or quite ripe, take them from the stems.
put them in a preserving kettle, and
pouring boiling water over them, let
them stand one hour, or you may mash
them with a potato masher if they are
soft enough. Skim them out into a
wire sieve. and rub them through it,
this takes out the skins and seeds. Put
them over the fire and let them boil
fifteen minutes; add sugar to your
taste. Or you can take equal parts of
sugar and grapes, but adding the sugar
after the grapes are boiled. Put in air.
tight cans, and keep in a cool, dry
place.
-Our rule has been to pick out our
seed corn from the earliest husked be-
fore any very heavy freezes-when the
wagons come from the field; it has been
our practice to unload those wagons
ourselves, while the men are eating din
ner or supper. and then we can select
just such ears as we please, if they are
in that load. We pick for long, deep
kernels, small cobs, ends well covered.
and the ear heavy and solid. Such
corn, corded up in the kitchen cham
ber, where it is always dry. has never
failed to grow. By this way we can
constantly improve the character of the
corn. This is our way. If any one has
better way will he give it'll. 8.
Coffin, in I0Wa State Register.
Preserved Peppers.-FOr this p1r-
pose take small round peppers, while
they are green. With q sharp penknife
extract the cores and seeds, and put
them into kettle with vine leaves and
little alum to keep them green and
make them firm. Pour water over them
and cover them to keep in the steam,
which will help them to green. Let
them simmer (not boiD for two hours.
On taking them out of this water, if you
find they taste of the alum, simmer
them for three hours in weak ginger
tea. Make sirup of a pound of sugar
and little less than half a pint of
water. Let it boil until the scum ceases
to rise when put in the peppers, and
let them simmer one hour. Take them
out and spread on dish to cool. When
cold add them to the sirup and let them
stand until the next morning, then put
them over the fire and let them boil a
few moments, first adding the juice of
one lemon to one pound of the fruit and
sirup. Put up tight with paper over the
top of the preserve. Watermelon rinds
will be found very nice preserved this
same way, and cut in rings and dia-
monds. 1t is useful to ornament the
top of creams, jellies, jams. etc. Citron
may be preserved in the same manner,
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