On habits and manners

One cup molasses; one-half cup butter; tablespoonful ginger, one teaspoonful saleratus, dissolved in half a cup warm water ; flour enough to roll. HARRISON CAKE. Two cups molasses, heated, with half a cup butter and lard and one cup sugar ; one teaspoonful cloves ; two teaspoonfuls saleratus ; one cup sour cream, if you have it, if not, one cup sour milk and a little more butter ; flour to thicken, as gingerbread ; raisins. MISCELLANEOUS. BEEF TEA. Cut the beef in small pieces ; put in a saucepan, with just enough water to cover. Set it back on the stove, and let it steep, not boil, for six or seven hours. Strain it, and flavor with a little celery, onion or anything you like and the doctor approves. INDIAN MEAL GRUEL. Two quarts boiling water ; one cup Indian meal ; a little salt. Wet the meal to a smooth paste, and stir it into the water when actually boiling, and boil slowly half an hour, stirring all the time. Oatmeal gruel is made in the same way. t86 MILK AND RICE GRUEL. Wet two heaping tablespoonfuls ground rice with cold milk and stir into one quart boiling milk. Boil ten minutes, and add a little salt. Sago and arrowroot are made in the same way. APPLE WATER. Take one large juicy apple, pare and quarter, but do not core it. Add three cups cold water and boil (closely covered) until the apple stews to pieces. Strain at once, squeezing the apple through the cloth ; strain this again through a finer cloth ; sweeten and drink with ice, and, if you like it, a little lemon juice. This is excellent in fevers and colds, as are also drinks made from acid jellies dissolved in water. SOFT SOAP. Two bars common yellow soap ; two lbs. washing soda; two oz. borax. Dissolve in eight quarts warm water. The water must be kept warm (without boiling) until the ingredients are thoroughly dissolved. POISONS. For any poison, drink, at once, a glass of cold water, in which has been dissolved a teaspoonful of ground mustard, and one of common salt. This is an emetic, and should, after its action, be followed by the white of two raw eggs. A physician should always be sent for at once. STAINS. Iron rust can usually be taken out with fresh currant juice, but is very troublesome. Mildew, by oxalic acid. Ink, while wet, by milk : when dry (from anything white), by oxalic acid. Grease can be removed sometimes by French chalk ; sometimes by borax, dissolved in warm water ; sometimes (as in the case of candle grease) by laying thin paper on the spot, and pressing with a hot iron ; sometimes by benzine, and sometimes not at all. MEASURES. One heaping quart, sifted flour, weighs one pound ; one quart fine sugar and one quart softened butter, weighs one pound ; one quart brown sugar, or one quart Indian meal, weighs one lb. two oz. INSECTS. Cockroaches and beetles may be got rid of by sprinkling powdered borax on the shelves, sinks, etc., which they frequent. Ants, by putting almond kernels on the shelves, etc. The ants will leave anything else for these, and you can brush them off into hot water, destroying hundreds at once. Bedbugs will yield to nothing but perfect cleanliness. Moths will not eat anything in a chest or trunk in which there is a strong odor of camphor. Brush all woollens and furs carefully, and sprinkle with camphor gum. SALT PORK.