The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-23
THE HOME.
The Canary.

The canary is hardy little creature.
Cleanliness, and even temperature, regu-
lar food, sunlight and daily bath are
all he requires. Like all other house,
hold pets, the canary suffers from over
feeding. The best rule, according to a
writer in the New York Observer, is TO
find out as nearly AS possible the exact
amount of seed the bird eats daily; when
this IS determined, add trifie over the
amount required, and regularly feed as
nearly that quantity as possible. The
best seed only should be purchased, and
that should be procured from reliable
bird store, and not from a druggist or
grocery. The most popular bird food is
German summer rape, or canary and
ste pies should be occasionally added a
bit of apple and paste made Of equal
parts OF grated hard boiled eggs and
bread crumbs. A piece of cutie bone
should be hung within pecking distance
SO as to whet the appetite of the little
songster. The perch should be twice the
circumference of an ordinary lead pen
Gil, and the floor of the cage should be
sprinkled with clean sand.
Birdie loves his bath, and daily provis-
ion must be made for it by placing the
cage over shallov bowl of water. A
mistake is often made by keeping the
bird for hours in the glazing sunlight.
An hour of sunshine day is sufficient,
and there should be caution against ex-
posing the cage to the draughts of the
sunniest window. The canary sings
readily, and thrives in any temperature
varying from forty to seventy five, but
he resents a sudden change and sue
cum BIS TO she least suspicion of a
draught.
The greatest enemies of the canary are
the day and night lice which literally
annoy 1T to death. An excellent German
powder for his purpose perfectly harm
less to the bird, can he bought at any
reliable bird store, and should he busted
over the birds body. The cage. if of
brass, should be refnished, and the
perches renewed; if the cage be of wood,
it should be thoroughly washed with
warm water and soap; then it should be
coated with varnish and the crevices
treated with solution of bichloride of
mercury. At the first appearance of a
fine white deposit, varnish the spot i'm
mediately, and the larvae of the tiny
pests will be destroyed.
III the bird has the appearance of a
puff ball it is suffering from Indigestion.
A simple remedy is to let two or three
| drops OF castor oil float on the drinking
| water, and then feed the invalid on hemp
for two or three days. If he persistently
refuses to sing, he most probably has
been exposed to draughts and is suffering
| from a cold. Add to the drinking water
| ten drops OF paregoric, small teaspoon
full of glycerine and small piece of rock
candy, and add to his regular allowance
of food grated egg and cayenne pepper.
No bird should be victim to sore feet
if the perches are properly cleaned. The
remedy, however, is to soak the feet in
warm water and rub with glycerine.
The glycerine should be applied until
healed.
Points on Cake Making.
| Use small brush for buttering pans,
| but when it begins to shed bristles
| throw it away, as there is no economy
in trying to use it longer. Use palette
knife for scraping the cake bowl be-
cause it is SO pliable as to take out every
atom OF the mixture. When putting a
cake mixture in the pan be sure to
spread it we'll into the corners, even if
there is depression in the centre, as
this will keep the loaf from rising too
much in the centre.
IL cake bakes too rapidly on the bot
tom slip an abestos plate under.
Inc plan OF setting a cup of water in
the oven to lessen the heat is not to be
commended. 1t would be even better to
set the oven door slightly aiar.
When cake is taken out of the ban do