DOMESTIC ECONOMY, AND OTHER MATTERS WORTH KNOWING.
_Of the different kinds of Tea, Coffee, &c.--Preserving Fruits,
Flowers, &c.--Care of Fires--and other Hints._
TEAS.
739.--The names of the different kinds of tea, relate to the time of
their being gathered, or to some peculiarity in their manufacture.
It is a general rule, that all tea is fine in proportion to the
tenderness and immaturity of the leaves. The quality and value of the
different kinds diminish as they are gathered later in the season.
BLACK TEAS.--As soon as the leaf-bud begins to expand, it is gathered
to make _Pekoe_. A few days' later growth produces black-leaved
Pekoe. The next picking is called _Souchong_; as the leaves grow
larger and more mature, they form _Congou_; and the last picking is
_Bohea_.
_Bohea_ is called by the Chinese, _Ta-cha_ (large tea), on account of
the maturity and size of the leaves; it contains a larger proportion
of woody fibre than other teas, and its infusion is of a darker color
and coarser flavor.
_Congou_, the next higher kind, is named from a corruption of the
Chinese _Koong-foa_ (great care, or assiduity). This forms the bulk
of the black tea imported, and is mostly valued for its strength.
_Souchong--Seaou-choong_ (small, scarce sort), is the finest of the
stronger black tea, with a leaf that is generally entire and curly.
It is much esteemed for its fragrance and fine flavor.
_Pekoe_ is a corruption of the Canton name, _Pak-ho_ (white down),
being the first sprouts of the leaf-buds; they are covered with a
white silky down. It is a delicate tea, rather deficient in strength,
and is principally used for flavoring other teas.
740. GREEN TEAS.--The following are the principal kinds: _Twankay_,
_Hyson-Skin_, _Hyson_, _Gunpowder_, and _Young Hyson_.
_Young Hyson_ is a delicate young leaf, called in the original
language, _Yu-tsien_ (before the rains), because gathered in the
early spring.
_Hyson_, from the Chinese word _He-tchune_, which means, flourishing
spring. This fine tea is gathered early in the season, and prepared
with great care and labor. Each leaf is picked separately, and nipped
off above the footstalk, and every separate leaf is rolled in the
hand. It is much esteemed for its flavor.
_Gunpowder Tea_ is only Hyson rolled and rounded, to give it the
_granular_ appearance whence it derives its name. The Chinese call it
_Choo-cha_ (pearl tea).
_Hyson-Skin_ is so named from the Chinese term, in which connection
_skin_ means the refuse, or inferior portion. In preparing Hyson,
all leaves that are of a coarse yellow, or imperfectly twisted
appearance, are separated, and sold as _skin-tea_, at an inferior
price.
_Twankay_ is the last picking of green tea, and the leaf is not
rolled or twisted as much as the dearer descriptions. There is
altogether less trouble bestowed on the preparation.
COFFEE.
741.--The infusion or decoction of the roasted seeds of the
coffee-berry, when not too strong, is a wholesome, exhilarating, and
strengthening beverage; and, when mixed with a large proportion of
milk, is a proper article of diet for literary and sedentary people.
It is especially suited to persons advanced in years. People who are
bilious and liable to costiveness, should abstain from it. When drank
very strong, it proves stimulating and heating in a considerable
degree, creating thirst and producing watchfulness. By an abusive
indulgence in this drink, the organs of digestion are impaired, the
appetite is destroyed, nutrition is impeded, and emaciation, general
debility, paralytic affections, and nervous fever, are brought on.
742. _Proper method of making Toast and Water, and the advantages
resulting therefrom._--Take a slice of fine and stale loaf-bread,
cut very thin--as thin as toast is ever cut--and let it be carefully
toasted on both sides, until it be _completely browned all over_, but
nowise blackened or burned in any way. Put this into a common deep
stone or china jug, and pour over it, from the tea-kettle, as much
clean boiling water as you wish to make into drink. Much depends on
the water being actually in a boiling state. Cover the jug with a
saucer or plate, and let the drink cool until it be quite cold; it is
then fit to be used. The fresher it is made the better, and of course
the more agreeable. The above will be found a pleasant, light, and
highly-diuretic drink. It is peculiarly grateful to the stomach, and
excellent for carrying off the effects of any excess in drinking.
It is also a most excellent drink at meals, and may be used in the
summer-time, if more agreeable to the drinker.
743. _Baked Milk._--Put half a gallon of milk into a jar, and tie it
down with writing-paper. Let it stand in a moderately warm oven about
eight or ten hours. It will then be of the consistence of cream. It
is used by persons who are weak or consumptive.
744. _Substitute for Cream, in Tea or Coffee._--Beat the white of an
egg to a froth, put to it a very small lump of butter, and mix well.
Then turn the coffee to it gradually, so that it may not curdle. If
perfectly done, it will be an excellent substitute for cream. For
tea, omit the butter, using only the egg. This might be of great use
at sea, as eggs can be preserved fresh in various ways.
745. _Economical use of Nutmegs._--If a person begin to grate a
nutmeg at the _stalk_ end, it will prove hollow throughout; whereas
the _same_ nutmeg, grated from the _other_ end, would have proved
sound and solid to the last. This circumstance may thus be accounted
for:--The centre of a nutmeg consists of a number of fibres issuing
from the stalk, and its continuation through the centre of the fruit;
the other ends of which fibres, though closely surrounded and pressed
by the fruit, do not adhere to it. When the stalk is grated away,
those fibres, having lost their hold, gradually drop out, and the
nutmeg appears hollow: as more of the stalk is grated away, others
drop out in succession, and the hollow continues through the whole
nut. By beginning at the contrary end, the fibres above-mentioned are
grated off at their core end, with the surrounding fruit, and do not
drop out and cause a hole.
746. _To ascertain the quality of Nutmegs._--Oil of nutmegs being of
great value, it is often extracted from the nuts which are exposed
to sale, and which are thereby rendered of very little value. To
ascertain the quality of nutmegs, force a pin into them; and if good,
however dry they may appear, the oil will be seen oozing out all
round the pin.
747. _Essence of Nutmeg._--Is made by dissolving one ounce of the
essential oil in a pint of rectified spirits. It is an expensive but
invaluable mode of flavoring, in the arts of the cook or confectioner.
748. _To make Essence of Celery._--Soak for a fortnight half an ounce
of the seeds of celery in one gill of brandy. A few drops will flavor
a pint of soup or broth equal to a head of celery.
749. _Tincture of Lemon-peel._--Fill a wide-mouthed pint bottle half
full of brandy; when a lemon is used, pare off the rind very thin,
and put it into the brandy. In two weeks the spirit will be strongly
impregnated with the flavor of the lemon.
750. _To test the purity of Spirits._--See if the liquor will burn
away entirely: or, place a hollow ivory-ball in it; the deeper the
ball sinks, the lighter the liquor, and consequently more spirituous.
751. _To purify Olive Oil._--Turn the oil into a crock or bottle, and
pour in a quantity of pure water; shake the vessel vigorously, and
let it stand two hours. The mucilaginous matter which is the cause of
rancidity, will be separated from the oil, and remain in the water.
The oil can be decanted, and re-bottled for use.
752. _To preserve Eggs._--The most simple and easy mode of preserving
eggs, is to rub the outside of the shell, as soon as gathered from
the nest, with a little butter, or any other grease that is not
fetid. By filling up the pores of the shell, the evaporation of
the liquid part of the egg is prevented; and either by that means,
or by excluding the external air, which Fourcroy supposes destroys
the milkiness which most people are fond of in new-laid eggs, that
milkiness will be preserved for mouths, as perfect as when the egg
was taken from the nest.
753. _Cream preserved in Long Voyages._--Mix with a quantity of fresh
rich cream half its weight of white sugar in powder; stir the whole
well together, and preserve it in bottles well corked. In this state
it is ready to mix with tea or coffee, and has continued in good
condition during a voyage to America.
754. _To preserve Hazel Nuts in great perfection for many
months._--Hazel nuts may be kept a long time in full kernel by
burying them in earthen pots, well closed, a foot or two in the
ground. They keep best in gravelly or sandy places.
755. _Easy Method of preserving Animal Food._--Fresh meat may be kept
for nine or ten days perfectly sweet and good, in the heat of summer,
by lightly covering the same with bran, and hanging it in a high
and windy room; a cupboard full of small holes, or a wire safe, is
recommended to be placed in such a room, to keep away the flies.
756. _To purify Lemon-juice._--Add one ounce of pulverized, well
burnt charcoal, to a quart of lemon-juice; after standing twelve
hours, filter the juice through white blotting-paper; it will keep
good several years in a cellar, in a bottle, well corked; a thick
crust will form beneath the cork, and the mucilage will fall to the
bottom.
757. _To detect Copper in Liquids._--Spirit of hartshorn mixed with
them, turns them blue. Therefore tea is not dried on copper, as an
infusion of it is not turned blue by this mixture. Cider, being
passed through brass pots, is detected by this experiment.--_Dr.
Moyes' Lectures._
758. _To detect the Mixture of Arsenic._--A solution of blue vitriol
dropped into any liquid in which arsenic has been put, will turn it
green.
759. _To test Mushrooms._--Rub the upper skin with a gold ring or any
piece of gold: the part rubbed will turn yellow if it is a _poisonous
fungus_.
760. _To prepare Salt._--Set a lump of salt in a plate before the
fire, and when dry, pound it in a mortar, or rub two pieces of salt
together; it will then be free from lumps, and in very fine powder.
761. _To make Cheap and Good Vinegar._--To eight gallons of clear
rain water, add three quarts of molasses; turn the mixture into a
clean tight cask, shake it well two or three times, and add three
spoonsful of good yeast, or two yeast cakes. Place the cask in
a warm place, and in ten or fifteen days, add a sheet of common
wrapping-paper, smeared with molasses, and torn into narrow strips,
and you will have good vinegar. The paper is necessary to form the
"mother," or life of the liquor.
762. _To prevent Mouldiness._--The best preventive is any of the
essential oils, as the oil of lavender, cloves, peppermint, &c.
Russia leather, which is scented with the tar of the birch-tree, is
not subject to mouldiness, and books bound in it will even prevent
mouldiness in other books bound in calf, near which they happen to
lie.
Aromatic seeds are not subject to mould, and gingerbread, or cakes
containing caraway seeds are far less liable to mouldiness than plain
bread. Children have been poisoned by eating mouldy bread.
763. _To keep Fruits._--To preserve fruits, you must keep them in
a room rather above the ground floor, sheltered alike from the sun
and damp; it is even prudent, in order to avoid opening the windows,
to let out the humid exhalations of the fruit, to have a stove in
the room, and light a fire in it now and then. The decaying fruit
should be carefully removed. Cherries, grapes, &c., are kept sound
by hanging them to threads, and then inclosing them in new boxes or
barrels; these are closed as tightly as possible, and deposited in a
dry place. Some preserve them by laying them in sawdust or bran.
764. _To preserve Apples._--Dry a glazed jar perfectly well, put a
few pebbles in the bottom; fill the jar with apples, and cover it
with a bit of wood made to fit exactly; and over that, put a little
fresh mortar. The pebbles attract the damp of the apples. The mortar
draws the air from the jar, and leaves the apples free from its
pressure, which, together with the principle of putrefaction which
the air contains, are the causes of decay. Apples, kept thus, have
been found quite sound, fair, and juicy, in July.
765. _To keep Potatoes from frost._--If you have not a convenient
store-place for them, dig a trench three or four feet deep, into
which they are to be laid as they are taken up, and then covered with
the earth taken out of the trench, raised up in the middle like the
roof of a house, and covered with straw, to carry off the rain. They
will be thus preserved from the frost, and can be taken up as they
are wanted.
766. _To dry Corn for winter use._--Sweet corn is the best. Husk it.
Have a pot of boiling water--put in your corn and let it boil three
minutes--then cut it from the cobs and put it in pans in a warm oven.
It must be stirred frequently; when perfectly dry put it away in
bags. When wanted for use, soak it all night, next day boil it an
hour with a little salt; before it is dished stir in flour, pepper,
and butter.
767. _To preserve Aromatic and other Herbs._--The boxes and drawers
in which vegetable matters are kept should not impart to them any
smell or taste; and more certainly to avoid this, they should be
lined with paper. Such as are volatile, of a delicate texture, or
subject to suffer from insects, must be kept in well covered glasses.
Fruits and oily seeds, which are apt to become rancid, must be kept
in a cool and dry, but by no means in a warm or moist place.
768. _To dry Herbs._--Dry the gathered crop, thinly spread out, and
shaded from the sun; tie the herbs in small bundles, and keep them
compactly pressed down and covered with white paper. Or, after drying
them, put each sort into a small box, and by means of boards, of the
size of the interior length and width of the box, and a screw-press,
press the herbs into cakes, or little trusses. These should be
afterwards carefully wrapped up in paper, and be kept in a dry place,
when they will retain their aroma as perfectly as when they were put
into the press, for, at least, three years. By the common mode of
hanging up herbs in loose bundles, the odor soon escapes.
769. _To dry Chamomile Flowers._--Pull them, from time to time, as
they are produced; for the plants continue to blossom in succession
for several months. When gathered, dry them gradually, partly in the
sun, and partly in the shade, by being spread upon a mat or sheet,
removed out of the sun in the heat of the day, and placed in it
mornings and evenings.
_Lavender Flowers_ should also be dried as chamomiles.
_Marigold Flowers_, dried, improve broths and soups, however much
they may have got into disuse.
770. _Winter Herbs._--The best time for gathering herbs for winter
use is when they are in blossom. If left till they are in seed, the
strength goes to the seed. They are best picked from the stocks,
dried quickly (but not burnt), before the fire, and rubbed into
powder, then bottled.
771. _Galvanism a Protector of Trees._--A German journal states that
the application of galvanism has been made in Austria for preserving
trees and plants from the ravages of insects. The process is very
simple, consisting only in placing two rings, one of copper, the
other of zinc, attached together, around the tree or plant. Any
insect that touches the copper receives an electric shock, which
kills it or causes it to fall to the ground.
772. _Moss on Trees._--The following is an excellent application to
the scraped trunk to prevent the growth of moss, and destroy eggs of
insects. One gallon of soft soap, one pound of flour of sulphur, and
one quart of salt, to be well stirred together and put on with a hard
brush.
773. _To destroy Caterpillars in Gooseberry Trees._--Gather dust
from any turnpike road, and shake it well among the trees, and the
caterpillars will immediately fall to the ground. It is an excellent
plan to dust the trees twice or three times a week, as it will
effectually prevent the lodgment of caterpillars.
774. _A neat method of Grafting._--Prepare the stock and the graft in
the same way as for grafting with clay in the common way. Then take
a long slip of India-rubber, three-quarters of an inch broad, and
about the thickness of a shilling. Tie one end of this elastic riband
with a thread, well prepared by rubbing with shoemakers' wax, to the
stock, a little below where it is cut for being joined to the graft;
then make the joint as neatly as possible, and wrap it round with the
riband, taking due care to keep the India-rubber fully stretched,
and to make it overlap at each turn fully one-half of the breadth of
the previous round, till the whole is covered, then tie the top with
a thread in the same manner as at the bottom, and the operation is
finished. After grafting the trees in the manner described, nothing
is done to them till they are completely set, when the India-rubber
slips are taken off to be ready again for the next year. When opened
up, there is scarcely any appearance of a joint, and altogether they
are much neater than when done with clay.
775. _To Kill Vermin on Plants._--Tobacco water is much used for the
above purposes; it is made by pouring a gallon of boiling water upon
a pound of tobacco leaves, and straining it in twenty minutes.
Or, syringe the plants with this mixture: put into a jar five gallons
of spring water and four ounces of chloride of lime, to which add
four ounces of vitriol; when the lime is precipitated, pour off the
clear solution, and keep it air-tight.
Or, mix coal tar and water, and sprinkle it over the infected plants.
776. _To Propagate Plants._--It may be received as a general
principle, that all plants which produce shoots may be propagated by
cuttings; though some plants are much more difficult to propagate
in this manner than others. Generally speaking, all the soft-wooded
plants which have abundance of sap, such as geraniums, fuchsias,
petunias, and verbenas, strike root readily. The usual mode for
striking cuttings is to put them in fine sand, and to cover them
with a bell-glass. Some cuttings which are difficult to strike are
directed to have bottom heat; that is, the pots in which they are
planted should be plunged into a hot-bed, that the stimulus afforded
by the heat may induce the cuttings to throw out roots.
777. _Plants watered by being placed in Dishes, improper._--The
practice of placing flats or saucers under plants, and feeding them
by the roots, that is, pouring the water continually into these
dishes, and never on the earth at top, is highly improper. The water
should always be poured on the surface of the earth, that it may
filter completely through it, to the benefit and refreshment of the
fibres.
778. _When to plant Annual and Perennial Flowers._--Many kinds of
annuals and perennials, sown in March and the beginning of April,
will be fit for transplanting about the end of May, and may either be
planted in patches about borders, or in beds, as fancy shall direct.
Of these, the kinds improved by transplanting are, amaranthuses,
China asters, columbines, French and African marigolds, fox-gloves,
hollyhocks, India pinks, love-lies-bleeding, mallows, mignonette,
prince's feather, scabious, stocks, sun-flowers, sweet-williams,
wall-flowers, and others. They should be planted out in a showery
time, if possible, or otherwise be frequently watered, till they have
struck root.
779. _To preserve Flower Seeds._--Those who are curious about saving
flower-seeds must attend to them in the month of August. Many kinds
will begin to ripen apace, and should be carefully sticked and
supported, to prevent them from being shaken by high winds, and so
partly lost. Others should be defended from much wet; such as asters,
marigolds, and generally those of the class Syngenesia; as from the
construction of their flowers they are apt to rot, and the seeds to
mould, in bad seasons. Whenever they are thought ripe, or indeed any
others, in wet weather, they should be removed to an airy shed or
loft, gradually dried, and rubbed or beat out at conveniency.
780. _Easy Method of discovering whether or not Seeds are
sufficiently ripe._--Seeds, when not sufficiently ripe, will swim,
but when arrived at full maturity, they will be found uniformly to
fall to the bottom; a fact that is said to hold equally true of all
seeds, from the cocoa-nut to the orchis.
HINTS TO FARMERS.
781. There are some things that all farmers ought to know.
Sheep put into fresh stubble are apt to be killed by eating too much
grain.
A bare pasture enriches not the soil, nor fattens the animals, nor
increases the wealth of the owner.
One animal well fed is of more value than two poorly kept.
The better animals can be fed, and the more comfortable they can be
kept, the more profitable they are--and all farmers work for profit.
Ground once well plowed is better than thrice poorly.
Bountiful crops are more profitable than poor ones. Make the soil
rich, pulverize it well, and keep it clean, and it generally will be
productive.
Weeds that grow unmolested around the fences, stumps, and stones,
scatter their seeds over the farm, and are very likely to increase.
Cows well fed in winter give more milk in summer. An ox that is in
good condition in the spring, will perform more labor, and stand the
heat of summer much better than one that is poor.
When you see the fence down, put it up: if it remains until
to-morrow, the cattle may get over.
What ought to be done to-day, do it; for to-morrow it may rain.
A strong horse will work all day without food, but keep him at it,
and he will not last long.
A rich soil will produce good crops without manure, but keep it at
it, and it will tire.
Farmers' sons had better learn to hold the plow, and feed the pigs,
than measure tape and count buttons.
Young ladies who have the good fortune to become farmers' wives will
find it more profitable to know how to make Johnny-cake, butter, and
cheese, than to play on the piano.
All who wish to be rich, must spend less than they earn.
MANAGEMENT OF A HORSE.
782. When a horse is brought in hot, loosen the girth, and allow the
saddle to remain on for five minutes. Let him be walked about in
summer, and, in the winter, be put directly in the stable.
A horse should not be permitted to drink cold water, whilst warm;
neither should the legs or feet of a horse be washed, until he gets
cold.
Horses prefer soft water, and it is best for them. If the water be
very hard and brackish, put a small piece of chalk into a pail of
water, some time before it is given to the horse.
Fourteen pounds of hay in one day, or one hundred pounds a week, with
three feeds of corn a day, are sufficient for a horse that is not
over-worked.
In travelling, after the principal feed, let a horse have not less
than two hours' rest, that his food may have time to digest.
After a hard day's work, give a horse about two gallons of gruel,
made with a quart of oatmeal, half a gallon of ale, half a quartern
of brandy, and the proper quantity of water. Wetted bran may be given
advantageously to lean horses.
783. _To dress a Horse._--On entering the stable, first give him
about a gallon of clean water in a clean pail; then shake up the
best litter under the manger, sweep out the stall, and clean out the
stable.
Whilst the horse is feeding, _dress_ him: first, curry him all over
with the currycomb, to loosen the dirt and dust on his skin; then
remove the dust with a whalebone brush; next, smooth and cleanse the
coat with a wisp of straw; and again use the brush and currycomb, to
take off what dust may remain; after which, whisk him again with a
damp lock of hay; and, finally, rub him down with a woollen or linen
cloth.
Then turn round the horse in the stall, brush his head well, and wisp
it clean and smooth with a damp lock of hay. Then wipe the dust and
filth from the inside of the ears with a damp sponge, and draw the
ears through the hands for a few minutes, until they are warm. Wash
out the sponge, and with it cleanse the dust, &c., from the eyes;
sponge the nostrils, and then rub the whole head with a cloth, in the
same manner as the body.
Next, turn the horse round into his proper situation, put on the
head-stall, and with a sponge wash the dirt and filth from under the
tail. Then, clean and lay the mane with a comb and water-brush, used
alternately with both hands; again wipe over the head and body, put
on the body-clothes, and fasten them with a surcingle.
Examine the heels, pick out the dirt from the feet, and wash the
heels with a brush and plenty of water. If the horse has bad feet,
they should be dressed and stuffed.
Lastly, shake hay into the rack; and then the horse will be
completely dressed.
784. _Horse Flies._--To prevent horses being teased with flies, take
two or three small handfuls of walnut leaves, upon which pour two or
three quarts of soft cold water; let it infuse one night; pour the
whole next morning into a kettle, and let it boil for a quarter of an
hour: when cold, it will be ready for use. Nothing more is required
than to moisten a sponge with the liquid, and, before the horse
goes out of the stable, let those parts which are most irritable be
smeared over with the liquor, namely, between and upon the ears, the
flank, &c.
785. _To milk Cows._--A cow should be milked _clean_. Not a drop, if
it can be avoided, should be left in the udder. It has been proved
that the half-pint that comes out _last_, has _twelve times_, I think
it is, as much butter in it, as the half-pint that comes out _first_.
The udder would seem to be a sort of milk-pan, in which the cream is
uppermost, and, of course, comes out last, seeing that the outlet is
at the bottom. But, besides this, if you do not milk clean, the cow
will give less and less milk, and will become dry much sooner than
she ought.--_Cobbett._
RAISING POULTRY.
786. There is scarcely any branch of farming operations more
productive than the raising of poultry for market; and yet, with a
large majority of our agriculturists, it is considered of but little
account. The proximity to a great market, and the facilities for
reaching it possessed by many of our farmers in this country, should
make the rearing of poultry an object of attention.
787. _To fatten Poultry._--Poultry should be fattened in coops, and
kept very clean. They should be furnished with gravel, but with no
water. Their only food, barley-meal, mixed so thin with water, as
to serve them for drink. Their thirst makes them eat more than they
would, in order to extract the water that is among the food. This
should not be put in troughs but laid upon a board, which should be
clean washed every time fresh food is put upon it. It is foul and
heated water which is the sole cause of the pip.
788. _Method of expeditiously fattening Chickens._--Take, for that
purpose, a quantity of rice, and grind or pound it into a fine flour;
mix sufficient for present use with milk and a little coarse sugar;
stir the whole well over the fire, till it makes a thick paste; and
feed the chickens, in the day-time only, by putting as much of it as
they can eat, but no more, into the troughs belonging to their coops.
It must be eaten while warm; and, if they have also beer to drink,
they will soon grow very fat. A mixture of oatmeal and treacle,
combined till it crumbles, is said to form a food for chickens, of
which they are so fond, and with which they thrive so rapidly, that
at the end of two months they become as large as the generality of
full-grown fowls fed in the common way.
789. _Method of fattening Geese and Ducks._--Geese, the more quiet
and undisturbed they are kept, the faster and better they fatten. Put
young geese into a place that is almost dark; feed them with ground
malt mixed with milk, and they will very soon, and at very little
expense, be fit to kill.
Another way is cheaper still:--Mix barley-meal, pretty thick, with
water, which they must constantly have by them, to eat as they
choose; in another part of the shed where they are, keep a pan with
some boiled oats and water, for them to resort to when they are
inclined to change their food. This variety is agreeable to them,
and they thrive apace, being so fattened at less expense than in any
other manner.
790. _Cobbett's method of fattening Geese._--Geese are raised by
_grazing_: but, to fat them, something more is required. Corn of some
sort, or boiled Swedish turnips, or carrots, or white cabbages, or
lettuces, make the best fatting. The modes that are resorted to by
the French for fatting geese, are, I hope, such as Englishmen will
never think of. He who can deliberately inflict _torture_ upon an
animal, in order to heighten the pleasure his palate is to receive in
eating it, is an abuser of the authority which God has given him, and
is, indeed, a tyrant in his heart. Who would think himself safe, if
at the _mercy_ of such a man?
791. _Swedish method of raising Turkeys._--As soon as the young
turkeys leave the shell, they are made to swallow one or two
pepper-corns, and returned to their mother. They are afterwards fed
with crumbs of bread and milk, and with common dock-leaves, chopped
small, and mixed with fresh buttermilk, and kept in a warm place or
sunshine, and guarded from the rain or from running among nettles.
Nothing, however, is more useful for them than the common garden
pepper-cress, or cut-leaved cress. They are very fond of it; and,
supplied with as much of it as they will eat, they will not be
delicate in their other food.
792. _To fatten Turkeys as they do in Norfolk._--The quality and size
of the Norfolk turkeys are superior to those of any other part of
England. They are fed almost entirely with buckwheat; and give them
with it boiled oats, boiled malt, or boiled barley, and sometimes,
for change, even boiled wheat and water.
793. _To fatten Ducks._--Feed them with the same food as the turkeys
or geese, and let them have a pan of water to dabble in.
794. _To make Hens lay perpetually._--Hens will lay perpetually, if
treated in the following manner:--Keep no roosters (cocks): give
the hens fresh meat, chopped up like sausage-meat, once a day; a
very small portion, say half an ounce a day to each hen, during the
winter, or from the time insects disappear in the fall till they
appear again in the spring. Never allow any eggs to remain in the
nest for what are called "nest eggs." When the roosters do not run
with the hens, and no nest eggs are left in the nest, the hens will
not cease laying after the production of twelve or fifteen eggs, as
they always do when roosters and nest eggs are allowed; but continue
laying perpetually. The only reason why hens do not lay in winter as
freely as in summer, is the want of animal food, which they get in
summer in abundance, in the form of insects.
HINTS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HUMAN LIFE FROM FIRE.
795. _Cautions._--Sweep chimneys regularly; sweep frequently the
lower part of the chimney within reach; the kitchen chimney should be
swept once a month.
796. _Fires in Chimneys._--When a chimney or flue is on fire, throw
into the fire-place handfuls of flour of sulphur, which will destroy
the flame. Or, apply a wet blanket, or old carpet, to the throat of
the chimney, or over the front of the fire-place. A chimney-board, or
register-flap, will answer the same purpose, by stopping the draught
of air from below.
Beware of lights near combustibles; of children near fires and
lights; and do not trust them with candles. Do not leave clothes to
dry by the fire unwatched, either day or night; do not leave the
poker in the fire; see that all be safe before you retire to rest.
797. _Persons in Danger._--When _a fire_ happens, put it out in
its earliest stage; if suffered to extend itself, give the alarm.
Beware of opening doors, &c., to increase the fire by fresh air.
Muster the whole family, see that none are missing. First save lives,
then property. Think of the ways of escape; by the stairs, if no
better way--creep along a room where the fire is, and creep down
stairs backwards on hands and knees--(heated air ascends); come down
stairs with a pillow before your face, and a wet blanket round the
body, and hold your breath; or try the roof of the adjoining house.
Throw out of the window a feather bed, to leap upon in the last
extremity--fasten fire-escapes to the bed-posts first--send children
down by the sack fastened to a rope, taking care of the iron spikes
and area; then lower yourselves.
798. _Means of Extinction._--The safety of the inmates being
ascertained, the first object at a fire should be the exclusion of
all fresh and the confinement of all burnt air--_suffocate_ the
flames--and remember that burnt air is as great, if not a greater
enemy to fire than water. For both purposes, of excluding the
one air, and confining the other, all openings should be kept as
carefully closed as possible. The prevailing practice of _breaking
windows_ is peculiarly mischievous. The only excuse for this is the
admission of water; but if the firemen were provided with self
supporting ladders, (that need not lean against the wall,) they might
direct the water-hose through a single broken pane, with ten times
more accuracy than by their random squirting from the street. Water
should be made to beat out the fire by its impetus; sprinkling is
useless.
799. _Neighbors and Spectators._--When a fire happens, let every
respectable neighbor attend. Send instantly for engines, both of
the parish and of the insurance companies, and the parish and
other ladder and fire-escapes. Look for the nearest fireplug--send
instantly for policemen, and see they attend, and are active.
800. _Method of escape from Fire._--The following simple machine
ought always to be kept in an upper apartment. It is nothing more
than a shilling or eighteen-penny rope, one end of which should
always be made fast to something in the chamber, and at the other
end should be a noose to let down children or infirm persons, in
case of fire. Along the rope there should be several knots, to serve
as resting places for the hands and feet of the person who drops
down by it. No family occupying high houses should ever be without a
contrivance of this kind.
801. _To make Water more efficacious in extinguishing Fires._--Throw
into a pump, which contains fifty or sixty buckets of water, eight
or ten pounds of salt or pearlashes, and the water thus impregnated
will wonderfully accelerate the extinction of the most furious
conflagration. Muddy water is better than clear, and _can_ be
obtained when salt and ashes cannot.
802. _To extinguish Fires speedily._--Much mischief arises from want
of a little presence of mind on these alarming occasions. A small
quantity of water, well and immediately applied, will frequently
obviate great danger. The moment an alarm of fire is given, wet some
blankets well in a bucket of water, and spread them upon the floor
of the room where the fire is, and afterwards beat out the other
flames with a blanket thus wet. Two or three buckets of water thus
used early, will answer better than hundreds applied at a later
period. Linen thus wet will be useful, but will not answer so well as
woollen.
803. _To escape from or go into a House on fire._--Creep or crawl
with your face near the ground, and, although the room be full of
smoke to suffocation, yet near the floor the air is pure, and may
be breathed with safety. The best escape from upper windows is by a
knotted rope; but, if a leap is unavoidable, then the bed should be
thrown out first, or beds prepared for the purpose.
804. _Hints respecting Women's and Children's Clothes catching
fire._--The woman and children in every family should be particularly
told and shown, that flame always tends upwards; and, consequently,
that as long as they continue erect, or in an upright posture, while
their clothes are burning, the fire generally beginning at the lower
part of the dress, the flames meeting additional fuel, as they rise,
become more powerful in proportion; whereby the neck and head, being
more exposed than other parts to the intense and concentrated heat,
must necessarily be most injured. In a case of this kind, where
the sufferer happens to be alone, and cannot extinguish the flames
by _instantly throwing the clothes over the head, and rolling or
lying upon them_, she may still avoid great agony, and save her
life, _by throwing herself at full-length on the floor, and rolling
herself thereon_. This method may not extinguish the flame, but, to
a certainty, will retard its progress, prevent fatal injury to the
neck and head, and afford opportunity for assistance; and it may be
more practicable than the other, to the aged and infirm. A carpet
or hearth-rug instantly lapped round the head and body, is almost a
certain preventive of danger.
805. _Method of rendering all sorts of Paper, Linen, and Cotton,
less combustible._--This desirable object may be, in some degree,
effected, by immersing these combustible materials in a strong
solution of alum-water; and, after drying them, repeating this
immersion, if necessary. Thus, neither the color nor the quality of
the paper will be in the least affected; on the contrary, both will
be improved: and the result of the experiment may be ascertained, by
holding a slip of paper, so prepared, over a candle.
806. _To extricate Horses from fire._--If the harness be thrown over
a draught, or the saddle placed on the back of a saddle horse, they
may be led out of the stable as easily as on common occasions.
Should there be time to substitute the bridle for the halter, the
difficulty towards saving them will be still further diminished.
807. _Method of rendering assistance to persons in danger of
Drowning._--This desirable object appears attainable by the proper
use of a man's hat and pocket-handkerchief, which (being all the
apparatus necessary) is to be used thus:--Spread the handkerchief on
the ground, and place a hat, with the brim downwards, on the middle
of the handkerchief; and then tie the handkerchief round the hat
as you would tie up a bundle, keeping the knots as near the centre
of the crown as may be. Now, by seizing the knots in one hand, and
keeping the opening of the hat upwards, a person, without knowing
how to swim, may fearlessly plunge into the water with what may be
necessary to save the life of a fellow-creature.
If a person should fall out of a boat, or the boat upset, by going
foul of a cable, &c., or should he fall off the quays, or indeed fall
into any water from which he could not extricate himself, but must
wait some little time for assistance--had he presence of mind enough
to whip off his hat, and hold it by the brim, placing his fingers
withinside the crown, and hold it so, (top downwards), he would
be able, by this method, to keep his mouth well above water till
assistance should reach him. It often happens that danger is descried
long before we are involved in the peril, and time enough to prepare
the above method; and a courageous person would, in seven instances
out of ten, apply to them with success; and travellers, in fording
rivers at unknown fords, or where shallows are deceitful, might make
use of these methods with advantage.
808. _To prevent excessive Thirst, in cases of emergency at Sea, in
the summer-time._--When thirst is excessive, as is often the case
in summer-time, during long voyages, avoid, _if possible, even in
times of the greatest necessity_, the drinking of salt water to allay
the thirst; but rather keep thinly clad, and frequently dip in the
sea, which will appease both hunger and thirst for a long time, and
prevent the disagreeable sensation of swallowing salt water.
809. _Best mode of avoiding the fatal Accidents of Open
Carriages._--Jumping out is particularly dangerous, (the motion of
the gig communicating a different one to the one you give yourself by
jumping), which tends very much to throw you on your side or head.
Many suppose it very easy to jump a little forward, and alight safe:
they will not find it so on trial. The method of getting out behind
the carriage, is the most safe of any, having often tried it when the
horse has been going very fast. Perhaps it is best to fix yourself
firm, and remain in the carriage.
810. _Recovery from Suffocation, &c._--There are many occasions of
danger, on which a person who can hold breath for a minute or two,
may save the life of another. The best preparation for rendering such
assistance is, by breathing deep, hard, and quick, (as a person would
do after running,) and ceasing with his lungs full of air; he will
then find himself able to hold his breath more than twice as long as
he would without such preparation.
If in a brewer's fermenting vat, or an opened cess-pool, one man
sinks senseless and helpless, from breathing the foul air, another
man of cool mind would, by the above preparation, have abundant time,
in most cases, to descend by the ladder or bucket, and rescue the
sufferer, without any risk to himself. In entering a room on fire, a
knowledge of this fact may be useful.
The following precautions should also be regarded. Avoid all
unnecessary exertion; go coolly and quietly to the spot where help is
required; do no more than is needful, leaving the rest to be done by
those in a safe atmosphere.
In case of _choke-damp_, as in a brewer's vat, hold the head as high
as may be: in case of a fire in the room, keep the head as low as
possible.
If a rope be at hand, fasten it to the person who is _giving_ help,
that he may be succored, if he venture too far. Many deaths happen
in succession in cess-pools, and similar cases, for want of this
precaution.
It is hardly needful to say, do not try to breathe the air of the
place where help is required. Yet many persons fail, in consequence
of forgetting this precaution. If the temptation to breathe be at all
given way to, the _necessity_ increases, and the helper himself is
greatly endangered. Resist the tendency, and retreat in time.
Be careful to commence giving aid with the lungs _full_ of air, not
empty; for the preparation consists chiefly in laying up for the
time, in the lungs, a store of that pure air which is so essential to
life.
811. _Thunder Storms._--The safest situation during a thunder-storm
is the cellar; for when a person is below the surface of the earth,
the lightning must strike it before it can reach him, and will
probably be expended on it. Dr. Franklin advises persons apprehensive
of lightning to sit in the middle of a room, not under a metal
lustre, or any other conductor, and to place their feet upon another
chair. It will be still safer, he adds, to lay two or three beds or
mattresses in the middle of the room, and to place the chairs upon
them. A hammock suspended with silk cords would be an improvement on
this apparatus. Persons out of doors should avoid trees, &c.
The distance of a thunder-storm and its consequent danger can easily
be estimated. As light travels at the rate of 192,000 miles in a
second of time, its effects may be considered as instantaneous within
any moderate distance. Sound is transmitted at the rate of only 1142
feet in a second. By observing, therefore, the time which intervenes
between the flash of lightning and the thunder which accompanies it,
a very near calculation may be made of its distance.
812. _Stroke of Lightning._--Throw cold water upon them as soon as
possible. It will often restore persons struck by lightning when
apparently insensible, or even dead.
813. _A few Concise Rules for the Recovery of Persons apparently
Drowned._--The body on being taken out of the water, should be
conveyed to the nearest house, _in the gentlest manner possible_; the
wet clothes must be removed, and the body well dried with a towel; it
must then be placed on a mattress, laid on a table of proper height
and length. Care must always be taken to lay the head considerably
higher than the extremities, and to place the body on the right side.
The lungs should be inflated with a pair of bellows, not forcibly,
but gradually, so as to imitate the action of respiration.
Do not place the body in a high degree of heat; (below 98 degrees of
Fahrenheit's scale is the best temperature,) clear the apartment of
all supernumerary persons, and let the windows and doors be open, to
admit a free circulation of air.
Apply friction, _after the lungs have been expanded_, with the hand
only, or with a little oil on the fingers.
No injections are necessary, nor emetics, except in particular cases:
bleeding is also a doubtful remedy: electricity, _in judicious
hands_, may prove highly beneficial.
Let no rolling of the body be used with a view of emptying it of
water; there is no water present, or scarcely any. The heart being
overloaded with blood, may be burst by this injudicious proceeding,
and more mischief has been done by tossing and rolling the body,
than by any other erroneous treatment. Hot water, in bottles, may be
applied to the feet and ankles, as soon as respiration commences:
when the blood begins to circulate, heat may be gradually increased,
and the patient removed to a warm bed, where he must be carefully
watched till the action of the heart be completely restored.
The following way is commended by those who have seen it tried: 1.
Lose no time. 2. Handle the body gently. 3. Carry the body with the
head gently raised, and never hold it up by the feet. 4. Send for
medical assistance immediately, and in the mean time act as follows:
1. Strip the body, rub it dry; then rub it in hot blankets, and
place it in a warm bed in a warm room. 2. Cleanse away the froth and
mucus from the nose and mouth. 3. Apply warm bricks, bottles, bags
of sand, &c., to the arm-pits, between the thighs and the soles of
the feet. 4. Rub the surface of the body with the hands enclosed in
warm dry worsted socks. 5. If possible, put the body into a warm
bath. 6. To restore breathing, put the pipe of a common bellows in
one nostril, carefully closing the other and the mouth; at the same
time drawing downward, and pushing gently backward, the upper part of
the windpipe, to allow a more free admission of air; blow the bellows
gently, in order to inflate the lungs, till the breast be raised a
little; then set the mouth and nostrils free, and press gently on
the chest; repeat this until signs of life appear. When the patient
revives, apply smelling-salts to the nose, give warm wine or brandy
and water. _Cautions._--1. Never rub the body with salt or spirits.
2. Never roll the body on casks. 3. Continue the remedies for twelve
hours without ceasing.