The St. Mungo cookery book

Preservation of Meat. — Meat may be kept for several days in hot weather by wrapping round it a linen cloth moistened with vinegar. The acid keeps off the flies and the moisture occasions cold by evaporation. Test of Flour. — Knead a small quantity. If good, the result will be an adhesive elastic paste which will remain in any form into which it is made without liability to breakage. All Fruit should be gathered in dry weather. Cold Meat is best if not cut when warm. Fresh Vegetables will snap crisply if broken. Stale Vegetables will more readily bend than break. Nothing should be allowed to get cold in copper vessels. Leaden vessels render milk dangerously poisonous. “ Cynica,” Liverpool. How to choose Fish, Fowls, Vegetables, &c. Fish should be purchased as fresh as possible. If quite fresh it will have a firmness all over the body. It can be tested by pressing the finger in the flesh of the fish. If this rises under, the fish is good ; if not, it is stale. It is not wise to judge from the brightness of the eye or the colour of the gills. Fish can be cooked in the same manner as meat. The smaller kinds are better fried. Most fish can be purchased at any time, but it is better to buy them in proper season. Fowls. — In choosing poultry of any kind they ought to be firm and fleshy to the touch. Chickens are best when they are short-legged, small-boned, and white flesh. Blacklegged fowls are considered the best for roasting, white legged for boiling. Fowls are better for being killed one or two days before being dressed. Vegetables. — All vegetables should be purchased the day they are used ; if allowed to stand any time they lose their crispness and flavour. All green vegetables should be placed in a little water with salt ; this draws out the insects, also crisps the leaves. Vegetables should be served as soon as cooked; if allowed to remain longer in water than necessary they lose their flavour. Vegetables will keep best on a stone floor. Onions should be put into a net and hung. Chris. Murray, 20 Alexandra Street, Dowanhill, Glasgow. A few uses for old Newspapers. — For covering cupboard shelves. — Kindling fires.— Rubbing greasy dishes, pots, and pans before washing them, and use afterwards for fire. — Soak in water, then tear into small pieces and sprinkle on carpet before switching. — Soak in water, roll up in coal dross, and lay in heart of fire before putting on fresh coal. This keeps red a long time and saves coal. (Soak in water with a little ammonia in it, and clean lamp funnels by squeezing through. Polish with leather.) Mrs J. F. Lambie. Soft White Paper is good for polishing glass of all description. J.L. Preparation for cleaning all Varnished Wood, Paper, and Gilt Frames. Ifigredients. — lb. glue, \ lb. washing soda. Method. — Put glue and soda in a saucepan with 2 quarts of water and' boil until quite dissolved, then take a teacupful and put into 3 pints of water. Dust woodwork, &c., first, then take a sponge and wash over with preparation. It will dry a beautiful bright polish without any rubbing. For gilt frames, &c., make solution not too strong. Mrs Douglas Wilson, Edinburgh.