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HOU SEHOLD ECONOMY.
Keeping Ii a ms. —.»ir. A. (iriilith, of Greenville, Ala.,
informs us that ho keeps iiis hams from the fly in the fol
lowing manner : The hams arc supported on two slats,-bo
ing laid thereon flesh-side up. r i he upper or flesh side is
then co\ ered thickly with pea meal, made from the , >m
mon corn-field pea. It forms a sort of crust in a little
time, and is a perfect protection from the fiv. V. T e trust
ours to the protection of a perfectly dark house, in which
tiic) are suspended by hooks from the cell wig. to k< op
them secure from rats, and the flesh side is coated with
Col. \\ ilkerson’s preparation of syrup, made thick with
black pepper.
Sieaks ;* ni. 11 PitKSERi iNGSolutiox.—W hen a sample
bottle of bpear’s bruit Preserving Solution was sent us
last autumn, there were, in regard to it, two points on
which we wished to be satisfied, viz : whether it would
preserve the fruit as claimed, and if so, whether its pre
serving properties, if they existed, might not be owing to
some ingredient detrimental to health.
\\ e have tested the matter in our household, and are
now ready to say that the solution will preserve h ut;,- per
fectly, when used as directed, either with or without su
gar, and that simply corking the jars, without sealing, is
no that is necessary. It is equally useful in keeping v. ine
and eider. Being also fully ponied as to its composition,
we can state that it is quite tree trom objection on the
score of healthlulncss. V* r e therefore autfise its use by
all who intend to put up fruits this season. Its introduc
tion will enable us to preserve and market thousands of
bushels of perishable fruit now wasted, consumed by hogs
or distilled.
Pin ixo Clothes.— By observing the treatment which
clothes receive after they have been washed and are ready
to be rinsed, we are led to affirm that while few under
stand the best method of making clothes clean, fewer st,ii!
know how to rinse and dry them properlv. Abundance of
water should be used, and the clothes moved about in it
lieel), and lifted up and down, so that water may reach
alike all portions of a garment, it is better to have the
rinsing water warm, especially where a clothes wringer is
not used, as warm water softens the fabric and makes it
more pliable.
If clothes have not been well washed, do not try to con
ceal the tact under a cover of indigo. Half washed clothes,
, mu< -' ll biued > have an intolerable look of falshood about
t.iem ; we would rather see them hung up to tell their own
* l ? x \y nf uncleanliness. If the weather is favorable, clothes
Mill bleach in the process of diving. Pays when wc have
sunshine vvpon snow, the light is most intense, and there
fore clothes bleach the best on such days. Every woman
accustomed to observe these things, knows that she need
not expect clothes to look well, ifdiied in a strong wind ;
it it is convenient to do so, leave them lvin rr in tb<» water
until the air is quiet. If at any time it i'sfound necessary
to hang them up when the wind is blowing, let them be
taken from the line as soon as dry
Nothing wears clothes more than the whipping and
snapping they get on a windy day ; yet it is not uncommon
to see clothes chafing away at the line and tearing away at
the pins, after all the moisture has been taken away in
exchange for loreign particles which the wind has brought,
perhaps, trom some distant sand bank. Linen wristbands
sunei particularly, and the housekeeper may expect to re
place them oiten who leaves the si arts to be streamed hor
izontal to the earth s surface, and fretted by a gab*.—
Western Rural.
SOUTH KRN C U LT f\ ’ AT< ML
HINTS ON THIS VAT|O\ OF THIS
PIANO FOBTB.
The Now York Home Journal has the following valua
ble hints on this subject.;
ll.e piano should be closed when not in use, in order to
prevent the collection of dust, pins, Ac., on the hoard,
■md also to prevent the strings and “action” from all the
etieets of sudden changes of temperature. Nothing in
jures a piano so much as extreme heat, whether arising
h'otn a bright fire m front of it, or what is worse, the hot
air from the furnaces in such general use; few pianos can
resist the injurious action of the latter. Cure should bo
taken to prevent any kind from getting be
tween the Keys, particularly when cleaning them, as it will
cause them to stick. Moths are very destructive to pian
os, aid should be kept out of them by placing a lump of
camphor, wrapped in a paper to prevent evaporation, in
hue inside corner. Any hard substance placed on a piano,
will cause a jarring noise, and if the top partis unprotec
ted by a cloth cover, that also will often rattle. Young
pianists would injure the piano less, if they would refrain
from striking the keys with sueh force; a light touch, with
a judicious use of the loud pedal, will yield a far better and
equally as full atone, as if they exerted all the force at
their command. Were this fact more generally attended
to, fewer strings would he broken, one cause of the piano
not, remaining in tune would be removed, and less injury
would result to the “action'’ of the piano. These various
annoyances are often attributed to inferior tuning or de
tective make, when neither are the cause.
t lew are aware ot the benefit to be derived from having
their piano regularly tuned and kept in order; every new
piano should be tuned at least once a month, and none
should hi allowed to remain untuned over throe. When
a piano is half a note below “concert pitch,” and it is re
quired to be drawn up, it should be tuned twice; the sec
ond tuning about a month after the first, or it will not
stand well in tune. Always employ the same tuner, un
ie.--j of course, he prove glaringly incompetent; but should
his first .efforts fail to give satisfaction, give him another
trial, as he may noi be in fault. As each music store has
one or more tuners, it would save annoyance, if, when the
order is left; the name of the person required be mention*
cd ; and if the order is left two or three days before the
tuner is actually wanted, it would insure more prompt at
tention.
Many act, in this respect, as if there were half a dozen
tuners eagerly awaiting the first order that came; where
as a good tuner always has as many ord< rs as he can well
attend to. Jt would be well to remember that the tuning
of a piano consists only of tightening and relaxing tho
strings to the requisite degree, and does not include the
regulation of tho “action,” the replacing of strings, and—
as, many actually suppose—a general renovation of the in
strument.
———* -<> «-SRw—
Pastry. —You can make pie crust or pastry tender and
flaky in the following manner. To a quart of flour add a
third of a pound of lard, a fourth of a pound of butter, and
a teaspoonful of salt. Mix lightly with a spoon—don’t
think of kneading it, for the more you work it the tougher
it will be—then add enough cold water to moisten it.—
Take out what you require for one pie, and sprinkle
enough flour over it to roll it, line and fill your dish; then
for the top repeat the above process spreading on a piece
of butter as large as a hickory nut, then dust on flour, and
fold the dough togethe r before rolling it. This recipe
never fails to make excellent piecrust. The secret lies in
not kneadinrpil. Pastry should be manipulated as little
as possible.
Cisterns.— A correspondent of the Country Oentleman
writes to that paper on the way to have pure cisterns, as fol
lows : This spring my eist< ingot quite fdthv, and a great
many angleworms in it, and we could i-carcely u.-e the water.
1 procured a couple ol nw fish and put them in the eis
ern, hiid since that time it has been free from worms, and
dirt, and smell. The fish will live and grow finely.
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