How to Cure White Swelling.—Draw a blister on the inside of the leg below the knee; keep it running with ointment made of hen manure, by simmering it in hog's lard with onions; rub the knee with the following kind of ointment: Bits of peppermint, oil of sassafras, checkerberry, juniper, one drachm each; simmer in one-half pint neatsfoot oil, and rub on the knee three times a day.
How to Cure Wounds.—Catnip steeped, mixed with fresh butter and sugar.
How to Cure Whooping-Cough.—Take a quart of spring water, put in it a large handful of chin-cups that grow upon moss, a large handful of unset hyssop; boil it to a pint, strain it off, and sweeten it with sugar-candy. Let the child, as often as it coughs, take two spoonfuls at a time.
How to Cure Worms in Children.—1. Take one ounce of powdered snake-head (herb), and one drachm each of aloes and prickly ash bark; powder these, and to one-half teaspoonful of this powder add a teaspoonful of boiling water and a teaspoonful of molasses. Take this as a dose, night or morning, more or less, as the symptoms may require. 2. Take tobacco leaves, pound them up with honey, and lay them on the belly of the child or grown person, at the same time administering a dose of some good physic. 3. Take garden parsley, make it into a tea and let the patient drink freely of it. 4. Take the scales that will fall around the blacksmith's anvil, powder them fine, and put them in sweetened rum. Shake when you take them, and give a teaspoonful three times a day.
Scalding of the Urine.—Equal parts of the oil of red cedar, and the oil of spearmint.
Urinary Obstructions.—Steep pumpkin seeds in gin, and drink about three glasses a day; or, administer half a drachm uva ursi every morning, and a dose of spearmint.
Free Passage Of Urine.—The leaves of the currant bush made into a tea, and taken as a common drink.
Venereal Complaints.—Equal parts of the oil of red cedar, combined with sarsaparilla, yellow dock and burdock made into a syrup; add to a pint of this syrup an ounce of gum guiaicum. Dose, from a tablespoonful to a wine-glass, as best you can bear.
How to Cure Sore Throat.—"One who has tried it" communicates the following sensible item about curing sore throat: Let each one of your half million readers buy at any drug store one ounce of camphorated oil and five cents' worth of chloride of potash. Whenever any soreness appears in the throat, put the potash in half a tumbler of water, and with it gargle the throat thoroughly; then rub the neck thoroughly with the camphorated oil at night before going to bed, and also pin around the throat a small strip of woolen flannel. This is a simple, cheap and sure remedy.
Language of Flowers
Acacia—Concealed love.Adonis Vernalis—Sorrowful remembrances.Almond—Hope.Aloe—Religious superstition.Alyssum, Sweet—Worth beyond beauty.Ambrosia—Love returned.Apple Blossom—Preference.Arbor Vitæ—Unchanging friendship.
Bachelor's button—Hope in love.Balsam—Impatience.Begonia—Deformity.Bellflower—Gratitude.Belvidere, Wild (Licorice)—I declare against you.Blue Bell—I will be constant.Box—Stoical indifference.Briers—Envy.Burdock—Touch me not.
Cactus—Thou leavest not.Camellia—Pity.Candytuft—Indifference.Canterbury Bell—Gratitude.Cape Jessamine—Ecstasy; transport.Calla Lily—Feminine beauty.Carnation (Yellow)—Disdain.Cedar—I live for thee.China Aster—I will see about it.Chrysanthemum Rose—I love.Cowslip—Pensiveness.Cypress—Mourning.Crocus—Cheerfulness.Cypress and Marigold—Despair.
Daffodil—Chivalry.Dahlia—Forever thine.Daisy (Garden)—I partake your sentiment.Daisy (Wild)—I will think of it.Dandelion—Coquetry.Dead Leaves—Sadness.Dock—Patience.Dodder—Meanness.Dogwood—Am I indifferent to you?
Ebony—Hypocrisy.Eglantine—I wound to heal.Elder—Compassion.Endive—Frugality.Evening Primrose—Inconstancy.Evergreen—Poverty.Everlasting—Perpetual remembrance.
Fennel—Strength.Filbert—Reconciliation.Fir-tree—Elevation.Flux—I feel your kindness.Forget-me-not—True love; remembrance.Fox-glove—Insincerity.Furze—Anger.Fuchsia—Taste.
Gentian—Intrinsic worth.Geranium, Ivy—Your hand for the next dance.Geranium, Nutmeg—I expect a meeting.Geranium, Oak—Lady, deign to smile.Geranium, Rose—Preference.Geranium, Silver leaf—Recall.Gilliflower—Lasting beauty.Gladiolus—Ready; armed.Golden Rod—Encouragement.Gorse—Endearing affection.Gass—Utility.
Harebell—Grief.Hawthorn—Hope.Hazel—Recollection.Hartsease—Think of me.Heliotrope—Devotion.Henbane—Blemish.Holly—Foresight.Hollyhock—Fruitfulness.Hollyhock, White—Female ambition.Honeysuckle—Bond of Love.Honeysuckle, Coral—The color of my fate.Hyacinth—Jealousy.Hyacinth, Blue—Constancy.Hyacinth, Purple—Sorrow.Hydrangea—Heartlessness.
Ice plant—Your looks freeze me.Iris—Message.Ivy—Friendship; matrimony.
Jessamine, Cape—Transient joy; ecstasy.Jessamine, White—Amiability.Jessamine, Yellow—Grace; elegance.Jonquil—I desire a return of affection.Juniper—Asylum; shelter.Justitia—Perfection of loveliness.
Kalmia (Mountain Laurel)—Treachery.Kannedia—Mental beauty.
Laburnum—Pensive beauty.Lady's Slipper—Capricious beauty.Larch—Boldness.Larkspur—Fickleness.Laurel—Glory.Lavender—Distrust.Lettuce—Cold-hearted.Lilac—First emotion of love.Lily—Purity; modesty.Lily of the Valley—Return of happiness.Lily, Day—Coquetry,Lily, Water—Eloquence.Lily, Yellow—Falsehood.Locust—Affection beyond the grave.Love in a Mist—You puzzle me.Love Lies Bleeding—Hopeless, not heartless.Lupine—Imagination.
Mallow—Sweetness; mildness.Maple—Reserve.Marigold—Cruelty.Marjoram—Blushes.Marvel of Peru (Four O'clocks)—Timidity.Mint—Virtue.Mignonette—Your qualities surpass your charms.Mistletoe—I surmount all difficulties.Mock Orange (Syringa)—Counterfeit.Morning Glory—Coquetry.Maiden's Hair—Discretion.Magnolia, Grandiflora—Peerless and proud.Magnolia, Swamp—Perseverance.Moss—Maternal love.Motherwort—Secret love.Mourning Bride—Unfortunate attachment.Mulberry, Black—I will not survive you.Mulberry, White—Wisdom.Mushroom—Suspicion.Musk-plant—Weakness.Myrtle—Love faithful in absence.
Narcissus—Egotism.Nasturtium—Patriotism.Nettle—Cruelty; slander.Night Blooming Cereus—Transient beauty.Nightshade—Bitter truth.
Oak—Hospitality.Oats—Music.Oleander—Beware.Olive-branch—Peace.Orange-flower—Chastity.Orchis—Beauty.Osier—Frankness.Osmunda—Dreams.
Pansy—Think of me.Parsley—Entertainment; feasting.Passion-flower—Religious fervor; susceptibility.Pea, Sweet—Departure.Peach Blossom—This heart is thine.Peony—Anger.Pennyroyal—Flee away.Periwinkle—Sweet remembrances.Petunia—Less proud than they deem thee.Phlox—Our souls are united.Pimpernel—Change.Pink—Pure affection.Pink, Double Red—Pure, ardent love.Pink, Indian—Aversion.Pink, Variegated—Refusal.Pink, White—You are fair.Pomegranite—Fully.Poppy—Consolation.Primrose—Inconstancy.
Rhododendron—Agitation.Rose, Austrian—Thou art all that's lovely.Rose, Bridal—Happy love.Rose, Cabbage—Ambassador of love.Rose, China—Grace.Rose, Damask—Freshness.Rose, Jacqueminot—Mellow love.Rose, Maiden's Blush—If youdolove me, you will find me out.Rose, Moss—Superior merit.Rose, Moss Rosebud—Confession of love.Rose, Sweet-briar—Sympathy.Rose, Tea—Always lovely.Rose, White—I am worthy of you.Rose, York and Lancaster—War.Rose, Wild—Simplicity.Rue—Disdain.
Saffron—Excess is dangerous.Sardonia—Irony.Sensitive Plant—Timidity.Snap-Dragon—Presumption.Snowball—Thoughts of Heaven.Snowdrop—Consolation.Sorrel—Wit ill (poorly) timed.Spearmint—Warm feelings.Star of Bethlehem—Reconciliation.Strawberry—Perfect excellence.Sumac—Splendor.Sunflower, Dwarf—Your devout admirer.Sunflower, Tall—Pride.Sweet William—Finesse.Syringa—Memory.
Tansy—I declare against you.Teazel—Misanthropy.Thistle—Austerity.Thorn Apple—Deceitful charms.Touch-me-not—Impatience.Trumpet-flower—Separation.Tuberose—Dangerous pleasures.Tulip—Declaration of love.Tulip, Variegated—Beautiful eyes.Tulip, Yellow—Hopeless love.
Venus' Flytrap—Have I caught you at last.Venus' Looking-glass—Flattery.Verbena—Sensibility.Violet, Blue—Love.Violet, White—Modesty.
Wallflower—Fidelity.Weeping Willow—Forsaken.Woodbine—Fraternal love.
Yew—Sorrow.
Zennæ—Absent friends.
Masterpieces of Eloquence
The following masterpieces of elegiac eloquence are unsurpassed in the repertory of the English classics, for lofty and noble sentiment, exquisite pathos, vivid imagery, tenderness of feeling, glowing power of description, brilliant command of language, and that immortal and seldom attained faculty of painting in the soul of the listener or reader a realistic picture whose sublimity of conception impresses the understanding with awe and admiration, and impels the mind to rise involuntarily for the time to an elevation out of and above the inconsequent contemplation of the common and sordid things of life.
The following grand oration was delivered by Hon. Robert G. Ingersoll on the occasion of the funeral of his brother, Hon. Eben C. Ingersoll, in Washington, June 2:
"My friends, I am going to do that which the dead oft promised he would do for me. The loved and loving brother, husband, father, friend, died where manhood's morning almost touches noon, and while the shadows were still falling towards the west. He had not passed on life's highway the stone that marks the highest point, but being weary for a moment he lay down by the wayside, and using his burden for a pillow fell into that dreamless sleep that kisses down the eyelids. Still, while yet in love with life and raptured with the world, he passed to silence and pathetic dust. Yet, after all, it may be best, just in the happiest, sunniest hour of all the voyage, while eager winds are kissing every sail, to dash against the unseen rock and in an instant to hear the billows roar, 'A sunken ship;' for whether in mid-sea or among the breakers of the farther shore, a wreck must mark at last the end of each and all, and every life, no matter if its every hour is rich with love, and every moment jeweled with a joy, will at its close become a tragedy as sad and deep and dark as can be woven of the warp and woof of mystery and death. This brave and tender man in every storm of life was oak and rock, but in the sunshine he was vine and flower. He was the friend of all heroic souls. He climbed the heights and left all superstitions far below, while on his forehead fell the golden dawning of a grander day. He loved the beautiful, and was with color, form and music touched to tears. He sided with the weak, and with a willing hand gave alms. With loyal heart, and with the purest hand he faithfully discharged all public trusts. He was a worshiper of liberty and a friend of the oppressed. A thousand times I have heard him quote the words, 'For Justice all place temple, and all seasons summer.' He believed that happiness was the only good, reason the only torch, justice the only worshiper, humanity the only religion, and love the priest. He added to the sum of human joy, and were everyone for whom he did some loving service to bring a blossom to his grave, he would sleep to-night beneath a wilderness of flowers. Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry. From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word, but the light of death. Hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustic of a wing, lie who sleeps here when dying, mistaking the approach of death for the return of health, whispered with his latest breath, 'I am better now.' Let us believe, in spite of doubts and dogmas, and tears and fears, that these dear words are true of all the countless dead. And now, to you who have been chosen from among the many men he loved to do the last sad office for the dead, we give his sacred dust. Speech cannot contain our love. There was, there is, no gentler, stronger, manlier man."
Colonel Ingersoll upon one occasion was one of a little party of sympathizing friends who had gathered in a drizzling rain to assist the sorrowing friends of a young boy—a bright and stainless flower, cut off in the bloom of its beauty and virgin purity by the ruthless north winds from the Plutonian shades—in the last sad office of committing the poor clay to the bosom of its mother earth. Inspired by that true sympathy of the great heart of a great man, Colonel Ingersoll stepped to the side of the grave and spoke as follows:
"My friends, I know how vain it is to gild grief with words, and yet I wish to take from every grave its fear. Here in this world, where life and death are equal king, all should be brave enough to meet what all the dead have met. The future has been filled with fear, stained and polluted by the heartless past. From the wondrous tree of life the buds and blossoms fall with ripened fruit, and in the common bed of earth the patriarchs and babes sleep side by side. Why should we fear that which will come to all that is? We cannot tell; we do not know which is the greater blessing—life or death. We cannot say that death is not a good; we do not know whether the grave is the end of this life or the door of another, or whether the night here is not somewhere else a dawn. Neither can wewhich is the more fortunate, the child dying in its mother's arms, before its lips have learned to form a word, or he who journeys all the length of life's uneven road, taking the last slow steps painfully with staff and crutch. Every cradle asks us 'whence,' and every coffin 'whither?' The poor barbarian, weeping above his dead, can answer these questions as intelligently and satisfactorily as the robed priest of the most authentic creed. The tearful ignorance of the one is just as good as the learned and unmeaning words of the other. No man, standing where the horizon of life has touched a grave, has any right to prophesy a future filled with pain and tears. It may be that death gives all there is of worth to live. If those we press and strain against our hearts could never die, perhaps that love would wither from the earth. May be this common fate treads from out the paths between our hearts the weeds of selfishness and hate, and I had rather live and love where death is king, than have eternal life where love is not. Another life is naught, unless we know and love again the ones who love us here. They who stand with breaking hearts around this little grave need have no fear. The larger and the nobler faith in all that is and is to be, tells us that death, even at its worst, is only perfect rest. We know that through the common wants of life, the needs and duties of each hour, their grief will lessen day by day, until at last these graves will be to them a place of rest and peace, almost of joy. There is for them this consolation, the dead do not suffer. If they live again, their lives will surely be as good as ours. We have no fear; we are all the children of the same mother, and the same fate awaits us all. We, too, have our religion, and it is this: 'Help for the living; hope for the dead.'"
In 1492 America was discovered.
In 1848 gold was found in California.
Invention of telescopes, 1590.
Elias Howe, Jr., invented sewing machines, in 1846.
In 1839 envelopes came into use.
Steel pens first made in 1830.
The first watch was constructed in 1476.
First manufacture of sulphur matches in 1829.
Glass windows introduced into England in the eighth century.
First coaches introduced into England in 1569.
In 1545 needles of the modern style first came into use.
In 1527 Albert Durer first engraved on wood.
1559 saw knives introduced into England.
In the same year wheeled carriages were first used in France.
In 1588 the first newspaper appeared in England.
In 1629 the first printing press was brought to America.
The first newspaper advertisement appeared in 1652.
England sent the first steam engine to this continent in 1703.
The first steamboat in the United States ascended the Hudson in 1807.
Locomotive first used in the United States in 1830.
First horse railroad constructed in 1827.
In 1830 the first iron steamship was built.
Coal oil first used for illuminating purposes in 1836.
Looms introduced as a substitute for spinning wheels in 1776.
The velocity of a severe storm is 36 miles an hour; that of a hurricane, 80 miles an hour.
National ensign of the United States formally adopted by Congress in 1777.
A square acre is a trifle less than 209 feet each way.
Six hundred and forty acres make a square mile.
A "hand" (employed in measuring horses' height) is four inches.
A span is 10-7/8 inches.
Six hundred pounds make a barrel of rice.
One hundred and ninety-six pounds make a barrel of flour.
Two hundred pounds make a barrel of pork.
Fifty-six pounds make a firkin of butter.
The number of languages is 2,750.
The average duration of human life is 31 years.
Soups.—Chicken, 3 hours; mutton, 3-1/2 hours; oyster, 3-1/2 hours; vegetable, 4 hours.
Fish.—Bass, broiled, 3 hours; codfish, boiled, 2 hours; oysters, raw, 3 hours; oysters, roasted, 3-1/4 hours; oysters, stewed, 3-1/2 hours; salmon (fresh), boiled, 1-3/4 hours; trout, fried, 1-1/2 hours.
Meats.—Beef, roasted, 3 hours; beefsteak, broiled, 3 hours; beef (corned), boiled, 4-1/4 hours; lamb, roast, 2-1/2 hours; lamb, boiled, 3 hours; meat, hashed, 2-1/2 hours; mutton, broiled, 3 hours; mutton, roast, 3-1/4 hours; pig's feet, soused, 1 hour; pork, roast, 5-1/4 hours; pork, boiled, 4-1/2 hours; pork, fried, 4-1/4 hours; pork, broiled, 3-1/4 hours; sausage, fried, 4 hours; veal, broiled, 4 hours; veal, roast, 4-1/2 hours.
Poultry and game.—Chicken, fricasseed, 3-3/4 hours; duck (tame), roasted, 4 hours; duck (wild), roasted, 4-3/4 hours; fowls (domestic), roasted or boiled, 4 hours; goose (wild), roasted, 2-1/2 hours; goose (tame), roasted, 2-1/4 hours; turkey, boiled or roasted, 2-1/2 hours; venison, broiled or roasted, 1-1/2 hours.
Vegetables.—Asparagus, boiled, 2-1/2 hours; beans (Lima), boiled, 2-1/2 hours, beans (string), boiled, 3 hours; beans, baked (with pork), 4-1/2 hours; beets (young), boiled, 3-3/4 hours; beets (old) boiled, 4 hours; cabbage, raw, 2 hours; cabbage, boiled, 4-1/2 hours; cauliflower, boiled, 2-1/2 hours; corn (green), boiled, 4 hours; onions, boiled, 3 hours; parsnips, boiled, 3 hours; potatoes, boiled or baked, 3-1/2 hours; rice, boiled, 1 hour; spinach, boiled, 2-1/2 hours; tomatoes, raw or stewed, 2-1/2 hours; turnips, boiled, 3-1/2 hours.
Bread, Eggs, Milk, etc.—Bread, corn, 3-1/4 hours; bread, wheat, 3-1/2 hours; eggs, raw, 2 hours; cheese, 3-1/2 hours; custard, 2-3/4 hours; eggs, soft-boiled, 3 hours; eggs, hard-boiled or fried, 3-1/2 hours; gelatine, 2-1/2 hours; tapioca, 2 hours.
Following are one hundred and fifty topics for debate. The more usual form in their presentation is that of a direct proposition or statement, rather than that of a question. The opponents then debate the "affirmative" and "negative" of the proposition. It is well to be very careful, in adopting a subject for a debate, to so state or explain it that misunderstandings may be mutually avoided, and quibbles on the meaning of words prevented.
Which is the better for this nation, high or low import tariffs?
Is assassination ever justifiable?
Was England justifiable in interfering between Egypt and the Soudan rebels?
Is the production of great works of literature favored by the conditions of modern civilized life?
Is it politic to place restrictions upon the immigration of the Chinese to the United States?
Will coal always constitute the main source of artificial heat?
Has the experiment of universal suffrage proven a success? Was Grant or Lee the greater general?
Is an income-tax commendable?
Ought the national banking system to be abolished?
Should the government lease to stockgrowers any portion of the public domain?
Is it advisable longer to attempt to maintain both a gold and silver standard of coinage?
Which is the more important to the student, physical science or mathematics?
Is the study of current politics a duty?
Which was the more influential congressman, Blaine or Garfield?
Which gives rise to more objectionable idioms and localisms of language, New England or the West?
Was the purchase of Alaska by this government wise?
Which is the more important as a continent, Africa or South America?
Should the government interfere to stop the spread of contagious diseases among cattle?
Was Caesar or Hannibal the more able general?
Is the study of ancient or modern history the more important to the student?
Should aliens be allowed to acquire property in this country?
Should aliens be allowed to own real estate in this country? Do the benefits of the signal service justify its costs?
Should usury laws be abolished?
Should all laws for the collection of debt be abolished?
Is labor entitled to more remuneration than it receives?
Should the continuance of militia organizations by the several States be encouraged?
Is an untarnished reputation of more importance to a woman than to a man?
Does home life promote the growth of selfishness?
Are mineral veins aqueous or igneous in origin?
Is the theory of evolution tenable?
Was Rome justifiable in annihilating Carthage as a nation?
Which has left the more permanent impress upon mankind, Greece or Rome?
Which was the greater thinker, Emerson or Bacon?
Which is the more important as a branch of education, mineralogy or astronomy?
Is there any improvement in the quality of the literature of to-day over that of last century?
Should the "Spoils System" be continued in American politics?
Should the co-education of the sexes be encouraged?
Which should be the more encouraged, novelists or dramatists?
Will the African and Caucasian races ever be amalgamated in the United States?
Should the military or the interior department have charge over the Indians in the United States?
Which is of more benefit to his race, the inventor or the explorer?
Is history or philosophy the better exercise for the mind?
Can any effectual provision be made by the State against "hard times"?
Which is of the more benefit to society, journalism or the law?
Which was the greater general, Napoleon or Wellington?
Should the volume of greenback money be increased?
Should the volume of national bank circulation be increased?
Should the railroads be under the direct control of the government?
Is the doctrine of "State rights" to be commended?
Is the "Monroe doctrine" to be commended and upheld?
Is the pursuit of politics an honorable avocation?
Which is of the greater importance, the college or the university?
Does the study of physical science militate against religious belief?
Should "landlordism" in Ireland be supplanted by home rule?
Is life more desirable now than in ancient Rome?
Should men and women receive the same amount of wages for the same kind of work?
Is the prohibitory liquor law preferable to a system of high license?
Has any State a right to secede?
Should any limit be placed by the constitution of a State upon its ability to contract indebtedness?
Should the contract labor system in public prisons be forbidden?
Should there be a censor for the public press?
Should Arctic expeditions be encouraged?
Is it the duty of the State to encourage art and literature as much as science?
Is suicide cowardice?
Has our Government a right to disfranchise the polygamists of Utah?
Should capital punishment be abolished?
Should the law place a limit upon the hours of daily labor for workingmen?
Is "socialism" treason?
Should the education of the young be compulsory?
In a hundred years will republics be as numerous as monarchies?
Should book-keeping be taught in the public schools?
Should Latin be taught in the public schools?
Do our methods of government promote centralization?
Is life worth living?
Should Ireland and Scotland be independent nations?
Should internal revenue taxation be abolished?
Which is of greater benefit at the present day, books or newspapers?
Is honesty always the best policy?
Which has been of greater benefit to mankind, geology or chemistry?
Which could mankind dispense with at least inconvenience, wood or coal?
Which is the greater nation, Germany or France?
Which can support the greater population in proportion to area, our Northern or Southern States?
Would mankind be the loser if the earth should cease to produce gold and silver?
Is the occasional destruction of large numbers of people, by war and disaster, a benefit to the world?
Which could man best do without, steam or horse power?
Should women be given the right of suffrage in the United States?
Should cremation be substituted for burial?
Should the government establish a national system of telegraph?
Will the population of Chicago ever exceed that of New York?
Should the electoral college be continued?
Will the population of St. Louis ever exceed that of Chicago?
Should restrictions be placed upon the amount of property inheritable?
Which is more desirable as the chief business of a city—commerce or manufactures?
Which is more desirable as the chief business of a city—transportation by water or by rail?
Should the rate of taxation be graduated to a ratio with the amount of property taxed?
Will a time ever come when the population of the earth will be limited by the earth's capacity of food production?
Is it probable that any language will ever become universal?
Is it probable that any planet, except the earth, is inhabited?
Should the State prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors?
Should the government prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors?
Should the guillotine be substituted for the gallows?
Was Bryant or Longfellow the greater poet?
Should the jury system be continued?
Should the languages of alien nations be taught in the public schools?
Should a right to vote in any part of the United States depend upon a property qualification?
Can a horse trot faster in harness, or under saddle?
Should the pooling system among American railroads be abolished by law?
Is dancing, as usually conducted, compatible with a high standard of morality?
Should the grand jury system of making indictments be continued?
Which should be the more highly remunerated, skilled labor or the work of professional men?
Which is the more desirable as an occupation, medicine or law?
Should the formation of trade unions be encouraged?
Which has been the greater curse to man, war or drunkenness?
Which can man the more easily do without, electricity or petroleum?
Should the law interfere against the growth of class distinctions in society?
Which was the greater genius, Mohammed or Buddha?
Which was the more able leader, Pizarro or Cortez?
Which can to-day wield the greater influence, the orator or the writer?
Is genius hereditary?
Is Saxon blood deteriorating?
Which will predominate in five hundred years, the Saxon or Latin races?
Should American railroad companies be allowed to sell their bonds in other countries?
Should Sumner's civil rights bill be made constitutional by an amendment?
Does civilization promote the happiness of the world?
Should land subsidies be granted to railroads by the government?
Which is the stronger military power, England or the United States?
Would a rebellion in Russia be justifiable?
Should the theater be encouraged?
Which has the greater resources, Pennsylvania or Texas?
Is agriculture the noblest occupation?
Can democratic forms of government be made universal?
Is legal punishment for crime as severe as it should be?
Should the formation of monopolies be prevented by the State?
Has Spanish influence been helpful or harmful to Mexico as a people?
Which is of more importance, the primary or the high school?
Will the tide of emigration ever turn eastward instead of westward?
Should the art of war be taught more widely than at present in the United States?
Was slavery the cause of the American civil war?
Is life insurance a benefit?
How to Make 32 Kinds of Solder.—1. Plumbers' solder.—Lead 2 parts, tin I part. 2. Tinmen's solder.—Lead 1 part, tin 1 part. 3. Zinc solder.—Tin 1 part,lead 1 to 2 parts. 4. Pewter solder. Lead 1 part, bismuth 1 to 2 parts. 5.Spelter's solder.—Equal parts copper and zinc. 6. Pewterers' soft solder.—Bismuth 2, lead 4, tin 3 parts. 7. Another.—Bismuth 1, lead I, tin 2 parts. 8. Another pewter solder.—Tin 2 parts, lead 1 part. 9. Glaziers' solder.—Tin 3 parts, lead 1 part. 10. Solder for copper.—Copper 10 parts, zinc 9 parts. 11. Yellow solder for brass or copper.—- Copper 32 lbs., zinc 29 lbs., tin 1 lb. 12. Brass solder.—Copper 61.25 parts, zinc 38.75 parts. 13. Brass solder, yellow and easily fusible. —Copper 45, zinc 55 parts. 14. Brass solder, white.—Copper 57.41 parts, tin 14.60 parts, zinc 27.99 parts. 15. Another solder for copper.—Tin 2 parts, lead 1 part. When the copper is thick heat it by a naked fire, if thin use a tinned copper tool. Use muriate or chloride of zinc as a flux. The same solder will do for iron, cast iron, or steel; if the pieces are thick, heat by a naked fire or immerse in the solder. 16. Black solder.—Copper 2, zinc 3, tin 2 parts. 17. Another.—Sheet brass 20 lbs., tin 6 lbs., zinc 1 lb. 18. Cold brazing without fire or lamp. —Fluoric acid 1 oz., oxy muriatic acid 1 oz., mix in a lead bottle. Put a chalk mark each side where you want to braze. This mixture will keep about G months in one bottle. 19. Cold soldering without fire or lamp.—Bismuth 1/4 oz., quicksilver 1/4 oz., block tin filings 1 oz., spirits salts 1 oz., all mixed together. 20. To solder iron to steel or either to brass.—Tin 3 parts, copper 39-1/2 parts, zinc 7-1/2 parts. When applied in a molten state it will firmly unite metals first named to each other. 21. Plumbers' solder.—Bismuth 1, lead 5, tin 3 parts, is a first-class composition. 22. White solder for raised Britannia ware.—Tin 100 lbs., hardening 8 lbs., antimony 8 lbs. 23. Hardening for Britannia.—(To be mixed separately from the other ingredients.) Copper 2 lbs., tin 1 lb. 21. Best soft solder for cast Britannia ware.—Tin 8 lbs., lead 5 lbs. 25. Bismuth solder.—Tin 1, lead 3, bismuth 3 parts. 26. Solder for brass that will stand hammering.—Brass 78.26 parts, zinc 17.41 parts, silver 4.33 parts, add a little chloride of potassium to your borax for a flux. 27. Solder for steel joints.—Silver 19 parts, copper 1 part, brass 2 parts, Melt all together. 28. Hard solder.—Copper 2 parts, zinc 1 part. Melt together. 29. Solder for brass.—- Copper 3 parts, zinc 1 part, with borax. 30. Solder for copper.—- Brass 6 parts, zinc 1 part, tin 1 part, melt all together well and pour out to cool. 31. Solder for platina—Gold with borax. 32. Solder for iron.—The best solder for iron is good tough brass with a little borax.
N. B.—In soldering, the surfaces to be joined are made perfectly clean and smooth, and then covered with sal. ammoniac, resin or other flux, the solder is then applied, being melted on and smoothed over by a tinned soldering iron.
COOKERY RECIPES
Ale to Mull.—Take a pint of good strong ale, and pour it into a saucepan with three cloves and a little nutmeg; sugar to your taste. Set it over the fire, and when it boils take it off to cool. Beat up the yolks of four eggs exceedingly well; mix them first with a little cold ale, then add them to the warm ale, and pour it in and out of the pan several times. Set it over a slow fire, beat it a little, take it off again; do this three times until it is hot, then serve it with dry toast.
Ale, Spiced.—Is made hot, sweetened with sugar and spiced with grated nutmeg, and a hot toast is served in it. This is the wassail drink.
Beef Tea.—Cut a pound of fleshy beef in thin slices; simmer with a quart of water twenty minutes, after it has once boiled and been skimmed. Season if approved.
Beef Tea.—To one pound of lean beef add one and one-half tumblers of cold water; cut the beef in small pieces, cover, and let it boil slowly for ten minutes, and add a little salt after it is boiled. Excellent.
Beef Tea.—Cut lean, tender beef into small pieces, put them into a bottle, cork and set in a pot of cold water, then put on the stove and boil for one hour. Season to taste.
Black Currant Cordial.—To every four quarts of black currants, picked from the stems and lightly bruised, add one gallon of the best whisky; let it remain four months, shaking the jar occasionally, then drain off the liquor and strain. Add three pounds of loaf sugar and a quarter of a pound of best cloves, slightly bruised; bottle well and seal.
Boston Cream (a Summer Drink).—Make a syrup of four pounds of white sugar with four quarts of water; boil; when cold add four ounces of tartaric acid, one and a half ounces of essence of lemon, and the whites of six eggs beaten to a stiff froth; bottle. A wine-glass of the cream to a tumbler of water, with sufficient carbonate of soda to make it effervesce.
Champagne Cup.—One quart bottle of champagne, two bottles of soda-water, one liqueur-glass of brandy, two tablespoons of powdered sugar, a few thin strips of cucumber rind; make this just in time for use, and add a large piece of ice.
Chocolate.—Scrape Cadbury's chocolate fine, mix with a little cold water and the yolks of eggs well beaten; add this to equal parts of milk and water, and boil well, being careful that it does not burn. Sweeten to the taste, and serve hot.
Coffee.—Is a tonic and stimulating beverage, of a wholesome nature. Use the best. For eight cups use nearly eight cups of water; put in coffee as much as you like, boil a minute and take off, and throw in a cup of cold water to throw the grounds to the bottom; in five minutes it will be very clear.
Or, beat one or two eggs, which mix with ground coffee to form a ball; nearly fill the pot with cold water, simmer gently for half an hour, having introduced the ball;do not boil, or you will destroy the aroma.
Coffee.—The following is a delicious dish either for summer breakfast or dessert: Make a strong infusion of Mocha coffee; put it in a porcelain bowl, sugar it properly and add to it an equal portion of boiled milk, or one-third the quantity of rich cream. Surround the bowl with pounded ice.
Currant Wine.—One quart currant juice, three pounds of sugar, sufficient water to make a gallon.
Egg Gruel.—Boil eggs from one to three hours until hard enough to grate; then boil new milk and thicken with the egg, and add a little salt. Excellent in case of nausea.
Lemon Syrup.—Pare off the yellow rind of the lemon, slice the lemon and put a layer of lemon and a thick layer of sugar in a deep plate; cover close with a saucer, and set in a warm place. This is an excellent remedy for a cold.
Lemonade.—Take a quart of boiling water, and add to it five ounces of lump-sugar, the yellow rind of the lemon rubbed off with a bit of sugar, and the juice of three lemons. Stir all together and let it stand till cool. Two ounces of cream of tartar may be used instead of the lemons, water being poured upon it.
Raspberry Vinegar.—Fill a jar with red raspberries picked from the stalks. Pour in as much vinegar as it will hold. Let it stand ten days, then strain it through a sieve. Don't press the berries, just let the juice run through. To every pint add one pound loaf sugar. Boil it like other syrup; skim, and bottle when cold.
Summer Drink.—Boil together for five minutes two ounces of tartaric acid, two pounds white sugar, three lemons sliced, two quarts of water; when nearly cold add the whites of four eggs beaten to a froth, one tablespoonful of flour and half an ounce of wintergreen. Two tablespoonfuls in a glass of water make a pleasant drink; for those who like effervescence add as much soda as a ten-cent piece will hold, stirring it briskly before drinking.
Blackberry Syrup.—To one pint of juice put one pound of white sugar, one-half ounce of powdered cinnamon, one-fourth ounce mace, and two teaspoons cloves; boil all together for a quarter of an hour, then strain the syrup, and add to each pint a glass of French brandy.
Tea.—When the water in the teakettle begins to boil, have ready a tin tea-steeper; pour into the tea-steeper just a very little of the boiling water, and then put in tea, allowing one teaspoon of tea to each person. Pour over this boiling water until the steeper is a little more than half full; cover tightly and let it stand where it will keep hot, but not to boil. Let the tea infuse for ten or fifteen minutes, and then pour into the tea-urn, adding more boiling water, in the proportion of one cup of water for every teaspoon of dry tea which has been infused. Have boiling water in a water-pot, and weaken each cup of teaas desired. Do not use water for tea that has been boiled long. Spring water is best for tea, and filtered water next best.
Iced Tea a la Russe.—To each glass of tea add the juice of half a lemon, fill up the glass with pounded ice, and sweeten.
General Directions for Making Bread.—In the composition of good bread, there are three important requisites: Good flour, good yeast, [and here let us recommend Gillett's Magic Yeast Cakes. They keep good for one year in any climate, and once used you will not do without it. All grocers keep it] and strength to knead it well. Flour should be white and dry, crumbling easily again after it is pressed in the hand.
A very good method of ascertaining the quality of yeast will be to add a little flour to a very small quantity, setting it in a warm place. If in the course of ten or fifteen minutes it raises, it will do to use.
When you make bread, first set the sponge with warm milk or water, keeping it in a warm place until quite light. Then mold this sponge, by adding flour, into one large loaf, kneading it well. Set this to rise again, and then when sufficiently light mold it into smaller loaves, let it rise again, then bake. Care should be taken not to get the dough too stiff with flour; it should be as soft as it can be to knead well. To make bread or biscuits a nice color, wet the dough over top with water just before putting it into the oven. Flour should always be sifted.
Brown Bread,for those who can eat corn-meal: Two cups Indian meal to one cup flour; one-half teacup syrup, 2-1/2 cups milk; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 teaspoons of Gillett's baking powder. Steam an hour and a half. To be eaten hot. It goes very nicely with a corn-beef dinner.
Brown Bread.—Stir together wheat meal and cold water (nothing else, not even salt) to the consistency of a thick batter. Bake in small circular pans, from three to three and a half inches in diameter, (ordinary tin pattypans do very well) in a quick, hot oven. It is quite essential that it be baked in this sized cake, as it is upon this that the raising depends. [In this article there are none of the injurious qualities of either fermented or superfine flour bread; and it is so palpably wholesome food, that it appeals at once to the common sense of all who are interested in the subject.]
Brown Bread—Take part of the sponge that has been prepared for your white bread, warm water can be added, mix it with graham flour (not too stiff).
Boston Brown Bread.—To make one loaf:—Rye meal unsifted, half a pint; Indian meal sifted, one pint; sour milk, one pint; molasses, half a gill. Add a teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little hot water; stir well, put in a greased pan, let it rise one hour, and steam four hours.
Boston Brown Bread.—One and one-half cups of graham flour, two cups of corn meal, one-half cup of molasses, one pint of sweet milk, and one-half a teaspoon of soda; steam three hours.
Corn Bread.—One-half pint of buttermilk, one-half pint of sweet milk; sweeten the sour milk with one-half teaspoon of soda; beat two eggs, whites and yolks together; pour the milk into the eggs, then thicken with about nine tablespoons of sifted corn meal. Put the pan on the stove with a piece of lard the size of an egg; when melted pour it in the batter; this lard by stirring it will grease the pan to bake in; add a teaspoon of salt.
Excellent Bread.—Four potatoes mashed fine, four teaspoons of salt, two quarts of lukewarm milk, one-half cake Gillett's magic yeast dissolved in one-half cup of warm water, flour enough to make a pliable dough; mold with hands well greased with lard; place in pans, and when sufficiently light, it is ready for baking.
French Bread.—With a quarter of a peck of fine flour mix the yolks of three and whites of two eggs, beaten and strained, a little salt, half a pint of good yeast that is not bitter, and as much milk, made a little warm, as will work into a thin light dough. Stir it about, but don't knead it. Have ready three quart wooden dishes, divide the dough among them, set to rise, then turn them out into the oven, which must be quick. Rasp when done.
Graham Bread.—For one loaf, take two cups of white bread sponge, to which add two tablespoons of brown sugar, and graham flour to make a stiff batter; let it rise, after which add graham flour sufficient to knead, but not very stiff; then put it in the pan to rise and bake.
Italian Bread.—Make a stiff dough, with two pounds of fine flour, six of white powdered sugar, three or four eggs, a lemon-peel grated, and two ounces of fresh butter. If the dough is not firm enough, add more flour and sugar. Then turn it out, and work it well with the hand, cut it into round long biscuits, and glaze them with white of egg.
Rice and Wheat Bread.—Simmer a pound of rice in two quarts of water till soft; when it is of a proper warmth, mix it well with four pounds of flour, and yeast, and salt as for other bread; of yeast about four large spoonfuls; knead it well; then set to rise before the fire. Some of the flour should be reserved to make up the loaves. If the rice should require more water, it must be added, as some rice swells more than others.
Sago Bread.—Boil two lbs. of sago in three pints of water until reduced to a quart, then mix with it half a pint of yeast, and pour the mixture into fourteen lbs. of flour. Make into bread in the usual way.
Steamed Bread.—Two cups corn meal; 1 cup graham flour; 1/2 cup N. O. molasses; salt and teaspoonful of soda. Mix soft with sour milk, or make with sweet milk and Gillett's baking powder. Put in tight mold in kettle of water; steam three hours or more. This is as nice as Boston brown bread.
Use this receipt with flour instead of graham; add a cup of beef suet, and it makes a nice pudding in the winter. Eat with syrup or cream.
Biscuits.—Mix a quart of sweet milk with half a cup of melted butter; stir in a pinch of salt, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder and flour enough for a stiff batter. Have the oven at a brisk heat. Drop the batter, a spoonful in a place, on buttered pans. They will bake in fifteen minutes.
Cream Biscuits.—Three heaping tablespoons of sour cream; put in a bowl or vessel containing a quart and fill two-thirds full of sweet milk, two teaspoons cream tartar, one teaspoon of soda, a little salt; pour the cream in the flour, mix soft and bake in a quick oven.
French Biscuits.—Two cups of butter, two cups of sugar, one egg (or the whites of two), half a cup of sour milk, half a teaspoon of soda; flour to roll; sprinkle with sugar.
Rye Biscuits.—Two cups of rye meal, one and a half cups flour, one-third cup molasses, one egg, a little salt, two cups sour milk, two even teaspoons saleratus.
Soda Biscuits.—To each quart of flour add one tablespoon of shortening, one-half teaspoon of salt, and three and a half heaping teaspoons of Gillett's baking powder; mix baking powder thoroughly through the flour, then add other ingredients. Do not knead, and bake quickly. To use cream tartar and soda, take the same proportionswithout the baking powder, using instead two heaping teaspoons cream tartar and one of soda. If good they will bake in five minutes.
Tea Biscuits.—One cup of hot water, two of milk, three tablespoons of yeast; mix thoroughly; after it is risen, take two-thirds of a cup of butter and a little sugar and mold it; then let it rise, and mold it into small cakes.
Bannocks.—One pint corn meal, pour on it boiling water to thoroughly wet it. Let it stand a few minutes; add salt and one egg and a little sweet cream, or a tablespoon melted butter. Make into balls and fry in hot lard.
Breakfast Cakes.—One cup milk, one pint flour, three eggs, piece butter size of an egg, two teaspoons cream tartar, one teaspoon soda, one tablespoon butter.
Buckwheat Cakes.—One quart buckwheat flour, four tablespoons yeast, one tablespoon salt, one handful Indian meal, two tablespoons molasses, not syrup. Warm water enough to make a thin batter; beat very well and set in a warm place. If the batter is the least sour in the morning, add a little soda.
Quick Buckwheat Cakes.—One quart of buckwheat flour, one-half a teacup of corn meal or wheat flour, a little salt, and two tablespoons of syrup. Wet these with cold or warm water to a thin batter, and add, lastly, four good-tablespoons of Gillett's baking powder.
Spanish Buns.—Five eggs well beaten; cut up in a cup of warm new milk half a pound of good butter, one pound of sifted flour, and a wineglassful of good yeast; stir these well together; set it to rise for an hour, in rather a warm place; when risen, sift in half a pound of white sugar, and half a grated nutmeg; add one wineglass of wine and brandy, mixed, one wineglass of rose-water, and one cupful of currants, which have been cleaned thoroughly. Mix these well, pour it into pans, and set it to rise again for half an hour. Then bake one hour. Icing is a great improvement to their appearance.
Bath Buns.—- Take 1 lb. of flour, put it in a dish, and make a hole in the middle, and pour in a dessert spoonful of good yeast; pour upon the yeast half a cupful of warm milk, mix in one-third of the flour, and let it rise an hour. When it has risen, put in 6 ozs. of cold butter, 4 eggs, and a few caraway seeds; mix all together with the rest of the flour. Put it in a warm place to rise. Flatten it with the hand on a pasteboard. Sift 6 ozs. of loaf sugar, half the size of a pea; sprinkle the particles over the dough; roll together to mix the sugar; let it rise in a warm place about 20 minutes. Make into buns, and lay on buttered tins; put sugar and 9 or 10 comfits on the tops, sprinkle them with water; bake in a pretty hot oven.
Graham Gems.—One quart of sweet milk, one cup syrup, one teaspoon soda, two teaspoons cream tartar, little salt; mix cream tartar in graham flour, soda in milk, and make it as stiff with the flour as will make it drop easily from the spoon into muffin rings.
Brown Griddle Cakes.—Take stale bread, soak in water till soft, drain off water through colander, beat up fine with fork, to one quart of the crumb batter, add one quart each milk and flour, and four eggs well beaten. Mix, bake in a griddle.
Wheat Gems.—One pint milk, two eggs, flour enough to make a batter not very stiff, two large spoons melted butter, yeast to raise them, a little soda and salt. Bake in gem irons.
Johnnie Cake.—- One pint of corn meal, one teacup of flour, two eggs, one pint of sweet milk, one tablespoon of molasses, one tablespoon of melted butter, a little salt, one teaspoon of soda, one teaspoon of cream of tartar; bake in square tins.
Mush.—Indian or oatmeal mush is best made in the following manner: Put fresh water in a kettle over the fire to boil, and put in some salt; when the water boils, stir in handful by handful corn or oatmeal until thick enough for use. In order to have excellent mush, the meal should be allowed to cook well, and long as possible while thin, and before the final handful is added.
Fried Mush.—When desired to be fried for breakfast, turn into an earthen dish and set away to cool. Then cut in slices when you wish to fry; dip each piece in beaten eggs and fry on a hot griddle.
Muffins.—One tablespoonful of butter, two tablespoons sugar, two eggs—stir altogether; add one cup of sweet milk, three teaspoons of baking powder, flour to make a stiff batter. Bake twenty minutes in a quick oven.
English Pancakes.—Make a batter of two teacups of flour, four eggs, and one quart of milk. Add, as a great improvement, one tablespoonful of brandy with a little nutmeg scraped in. Make thesizeof frying pan. Sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the pancake, roll it up, and send to the table hot.
Pop Overs.—Three cups of milk and three cups flour, three eggs, a little salt, one tablespoon melted butter put in the last thing; two tablespoons to a puff.
Rolls.—To the quantity of light bread-dough that you would take for twelve persons, add the white of one egg well beaten, two tablespoons of white sugar, and two tablespoons of butter; work these thoroughly together; roll out about half an inch thick; cut the size desired, and spread one with melted butter and lay another upon the top of it. Bake delicately when they have risen.
French Rolls.—One quart flour, add two eggs, one half-pint milk, tablespoon of yeast, kneed it well; let rise till morning. Work in one ounce of butter, and mold in small rolls. Bake immediately.
Rusks.—Milk enough with one-half cup of yeast to make a pint; make a sponge and rise, then add one and a half cups of white sugar, three eggs, one-half cup of butter; spice to your taste; mold, then put in pan to rise. When baked, cover the tops with sugar dissolved in milk.
Waffles.—One quart of sweet or sour milk, four eggs, two-thirds of a cup of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, three teaspoonfuls of baking-powder; flour enough to make a nice batter. If you use sour milk leave out the baking-powder, and use two teaspoons soda. Splendid.
Yeast.—In reference to yeast, we advise the use of Magic Yeast Cakes; it keeps good a year, and works quicker and better than other yeasts.
Suggestions in Making Cake.—It is very desirable that the materials be of the finest quality. Sweet, fresh butter, eggs, and good flour are the first essentials. The process of putting together is also quite an important feature, and where other methods are not given in this work by contributors, it would be well for the young housekeeper to observe the following directions:
Never allow the butter to oil, but soften it by putting in a moderately warm place before you commence other preparations for your cake; then put it into an earthen dish—tin, if not new, will discolor your cake as you stir it—and add your sugar; beat the butter and sugar to a cream, add the yolks of the eggs, then the milk, and lastly the beaten whites of the eggs and flour. Spices and liquors may be added after the yolks of the eggs are put in, and fruit should be put in with the flour.