The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-06-08
THE HON e.
HOW TO BOIL TEA.

20" oiiouiu always be Iud''e, do every
body knows nowadays, with boiling
water and stepped, not boiled. tits not
necessary only that it should be water in
an actual state of ebullition, but that it
should be water at it's first boiling-water
that had never been boiled before. The
Russians, who are nation OF tea drink
ers, and are hear enough to the Chinese to
nave received something OF their methods
| in teamakingp are yery particular to use
fresh-bolied water. They use the samo-
var invariably in making tea, but the tea
is not made in the samovar, as many sup
pose. 1t is simply the utensil which
taxes the place and serves the purpose of
teakettle. No Russian lady trusts her
servant to make the tea. She makes it
herself at the table. Therefore she must
have a utensil which will boil the water
Tor the tea at the table, and this is what
the samovardoes. 1t is usually of brass
though 1T may be of other metal. 1t is
tlrn-like IN shape, but, unlike an ordinary
urn, IL mas an inner compartment, which
may be filled with burning charcoal to
heat the water in the other part. The
charcoal is not lighted till the samovar is
placed ON the table. The boiling water
is poured on to the tea, which is put in a
porcelain or earthenware teapot. The
first water is thrown off the tea as soon
as 1t is put on. 1t is used merely to
rinse off the dust
The second water is used for drawing
the tea, and sufficient to make strong
tea is put on at once. Then the teapot is
covered, and an ample tea-cosey is fitted
over 1t. 1t is allowed to draw till the tea
ground SinL ho 80
hive minutes. Sufficient of this strong tea
is poured into each cup or tea glass, as
the tea is drunk in glasses set in metal
frames in Russia. and not in cups and
saucers, and the glass is then filled with
boll1ng water from the samovar.v
BY this means all the delicate aroma
and refreshing qualities of the tea are re-
tanned IN the drink, and none the rank
hayor, which makes it a dangerous az
Icle Tor nervous people to use. Russians
do not drink strong tea, and we would do
we'll TO initiate them in this respect. No
metal teapot, not even one of silver, is
Mt to make boiling water in. Nothing is
better for this purpose than the old tea
pots OF heavy glazed brown earthenware.
1t is to be regretted that we do not use
tea cosey ordinarily on our tables. This
is tufted cushion in cap shape, which
envelops the teapot and keeps the tea
warm. No tea of any kind that has been
boiled is fit for drink. The longest time
that any tea should be allowed to steep is
from five to seven minutes. AS soon as
it is stepped this length of time, it should
be served. If it waits even a few minutes
on the stove after sleeping it is ruined.
New York Tribune.
sEASoNABLE FLORAL NOTES.
There is very little gained by being in
too great haste in putting out plants. 1t
is good plan to bring plants from the
cellar if they have been wintered there
and put them on some sheltered corner
of the porch, where blanket may be
thrown over them on cold night. The
seeds of delicate plants. should not be
sown in the ground until the season has
so far advanced that the warmth will
cause the seeds to terminate almost i'm
mediately, otherwio they are very likely
not to come up. Seeds of this kind
ought to be sown in window boxes or in
warm corners of the garden, and covered
with glass. Poppies, calliopsis. pansies
and nasturtiums are very easily grown
and with an abundance of rose geraniums
and verbenas will make a beautiful dis
play in the garden during the entire sea-
son. A rich soil and plenty of light are
necessary to grow peoples successfully:
nasturtiums also require sunlight, but a
richness OF soil is not SO essential. Pan
sizes require a rich soil, and the ground
about them should be kept mellow.
Nothing destroys pansies more quickly
than the glare of sunshine and a dry soil.
Another very charming flower is found
in sweet peas, and nothing better repays
the time and pains bestowed upon them.
Care should be taken to cut the blossoms
as soon as they open, allowing none to
pressly for this purpose. When the
seeds begin to form the vitality of the
Liant is turned in that direction, and
there will be few if any blossoms after
this occurs. Verbenas are very satisfac-
tory, furnishing continuous display of
beautiful flowers andtheyshould be found
in every garden, however small. Yer
benas should be set some distance apart,
and should never be permitted to crowd.
THE MEDICINAL USE OF WATER.
The human body is constantly under
going tissue changes. WORKOUT parti-
cles are cast aside eliminated from the
system, while the new are ever being
formed, from the inception of life to it's
close. Water has the power of increasing
these tissue changes, which multiply the
waste products, but at the same time
they are renewed by its agency, giving
rise to increased appetite, which, in turn
provides fresh nourishment.
Persons but little accustomed to drink
water are liable to have the waste pro-
ducts formed faster than they are re-
moved. Any obstruction to the free
working of natural laws at once produces
disease which if once firmly seated, re
quires both time and money to cure.
People accostumed to rise early in the
morning weak and languid will find
the cause is imperfect secretion
of waste which many times
may be remedied by drink
inga full tumbler of water before retir-
ing. This very materially assists in the
process during the night, and leaves the
tissues fresh and strong, ready for the
ative work of the day.
Hot water is one of our best remedial
agents. A hot bath on going to bed
even in the hot nights of the summer
is a better relieyer of insomnia than many
drugs. Inflated parts will subside under
fhn &c l., -