The Farmers Own Book 17

The Farmers Own Book 17

TO PICKEL CUCUMBERS.

 

Let your cucumbers be small, fresh gathered and free from spots; then

make a pickel of salt and water, strong enough to bear up an egg; boil

the pickel in a copper kettle if convenient; and skim it well; then pour

it upon the cucumbers and tie them down for 24 hours, strain out through

a colander and dry off well with a cloth.

 

Take the best wine or cider vinegar, cloves, mace, nutmegs, pepper and

race ginger, boil them together and put the cucumbers in with a little

salt, as soon as they begin to turn their color, put them into jars,

crocks or tight barrels; when cold tie on a bladder or leather. This is

excellent and worthy attention.

 

 

SOFT GINGER BREAD.

 

Four cups of molasses, 2 of butter, 2 of milk, eight eggs, two

teaspoonsful of pearlash, ginger, and sufficient flour to make it stiff

as pound cake.

 

 

TO PRESERVE PEACHES.

 

Take ripe free stone peaches--pare, stone and quarter them; to six pounds

of the cut peaches allow three pounds of the best brown sugar; stew the

sugar and peaches together, and set them away in a covered vessel; next

morning put them into a preserving kettle and boil it slowly about an

hour and three quarters, skimming it well.

 

 

TO PRESERVE PLUMBS, &c.

 

A pound of sugar to a pound of fruit; the sugar should be melted over a

fire, moderate enough not to scorch it when melted. It should be skimmed

clean and the fruit dropped in to simmer until it is soft. Put them in

jars and cover carefully from the air. Glass is much better than earthen

for preserves--they are not so apt to ferment.

 

 

SOAP TO TAKE GREASE OUT OF CLOTH, SATINS, SILKS, &c.

 

Take 4 pounds of white bar soap, 1½ pints 95 per cent. alcohol, 1½ ounces

of nitric acid, 2 do. of saltpetre, 2 ounces soda, ¾ ounce camphor; cut

the bar soap into thin shavings, put all the above ingredients in a

crock, then boil over a slow fire, with very little blaze; pulverize your

camphor as fine as possible and when all is properly dissolved, which

will take 1 hour or so then take the pot off the fire and when cooled add

1½ ounces spirits of amonia, pour in slowly stirring all the time; should

it catch on fire smother it with a cover or by throwing a cloth over

the pot. Stir while boiling, and scent with ½ ounce of oil of cinnamon.

This will remove grease spots from cloth, silks, &c., by taking a tooth

brush--dip into water and make a lather with the soap, rub the grease

spot well with the brush and lather, then wash it out twice in cold

water, rinsing and squeezing the soap out as clean as possible--let it be

clean water each time. This will take grease, paint, tar, oil, &c., out

of any kind of goods when properly applied. By pouring it in a flat pan

you can cut your soap into cakes of any size.

 

 

SOAP FOR GREASE, TAR, PAINT, &c.

 

Take 1 quart 95 per cent. alcohol, 2¾ pounds best home made soap; cut

the soap into thin shavings, then put the soap and alcohol into a pan

or vessel over a slow fire, and let all dissolve before it boils; when

dissolved boil a few minutes, then pour the soap into a pan, and when

cooled off cut into cakes. This preparation is excellent for washing

dirty clothes and will not require near the labor that the common soap

does. For cloth, silks, &c., you may take less soap. It may be used in

the same manner directed for the other soap.

 

 

REMEDY FOR ITCH No. 1

 

Take broad dock roots and lard sufficient to form a mixture, boil it

until it forms a salve.--Bury the salve in the ground for 24 hours, then

grease 2 or 3 times every evening before going to bed, dry in by the

stove and shift the clothes. It never fails. Take sulphor of brimstone

several days before applying the salve. This plant is not the burdock nor

the narrowdock, which it resembles, except that the leaves of the broad

dock are broader and the stocks do not grow near so high.

 

 

REMEDY FOR ITCH No. 2.

 

Take 4 ounces of venice turpentine, 4 ounces of red precipitate, 1 pound

of unwashed butter. The turpentine must be washed 9 times in fresh spring

water, then mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Apply several times of an

evening before going to bed and dry in at the stove, after which put on

clean clothes. Avoid getting wet while using this salve. Take sulphor and

cream of tartar 2 or 3 days before applying.

 

 

REMEDY FOR ITCH No. 3.

 

Take narrow dock and grate it, then add sweet milk or cream and fry them

together and grease with it 3 or 4 times every evening, drying in at the

stove, then dress with clean clothes. Take ½ tea spoonful of sulphor

twice a day several days before and after. This is a certain cure.

 

 

PILLS BY DR. W. B. YOUNG.

 

Take calomel, jalap, aloes and rhubarb, equal portions, mix all together

and add a little water at a time, and mix until you cannot see the

calomel grains, roll in powdered helebore or epicac. Dose from 1 to 3

pills once a day in the evening. Roll the mixture out in rolls and cut up

to make the regular sizes. These are an excellent domestic pill.

 

 

FRENCH PATENT OIL VARNISH.

 

For Boots, Shoes, Harness and Carriages:--Take 1 gallon alcohol, 1¼

pounds gum shellac, 8 ounces of white turpentine, 4 ounces of rosin, 4

ounces of venice turpentine, 4 ounces oil of lavender, 1 ounce lamp black

to color with; put the gum shellac and alcohol into a jug and shake, let

it stand a day or two to dissolve, then add the other ingredients and

shake well until all is dissolved, when it is ready for use. In applying

this polish use a sponge or brush, lightly and briskly, and it will make

a beautiful polish. It will render leather water proof, but if used

regularly a small quantity of oil should be applied occasionally.

 

 

COX’S HIVE SYRUP.

 

Take of bruised squills 10 drachms, seneca snake root 10 drachms; add the

squills and snake root to 1 pint of water that has been first boiled,

settled and poured off and simmer slowly until you have but half a pint

of water, then strain it off and add clarified sugar 1 pound, and simmer

until all are well mixed, then add tartar emetic 22 grains, salts of

tartar 22 grains, stir and mix properly while the fluid is warm, stop

it up tight for use. This syrup is good in coughs, croup or bad colds

in children, in 10 or 15 drop doses--no family should do without it one

day. If you do not wish to be troubled making it, buy some and always

keep it in your house. It is a sure and safe remedy for croup, in which

little larger doses should be administered often until it vomits pretty

freely--continue with the syrup until the tightness is broken, then use

occasionally, not enough to vomit so often. By keeping this remedy at

hand you may save some one of your family, and a large amount of trouble

and expense. In croup put a mustard plaster on the breast and throat

immediately, as no time is to be lost. Mustard plaster is made with

ground mustard and wheat flour equal parts; mix them together and wet

with warm vinegar, greasing the throat and breast with turpentine or good

liniment; putting flannel around the neck is very good.--Young parents

should be on their guard when not acquainted with the disease.

 

 

DOMESTIC COUGH SYRUP.

 

Take of cumfrey root one ounce, elecampane root 1 ounce, nettle root

1 ounce, hoarhound leaves 1 ounce, spikenard root ½ ounce, pulverize

all fine and boil them in a quart of water down to a pint, strain the

liquor off and when settled pour off again; add to it 1 pint of strained

honey, and simmer down slowly to a pint and a half; add to it scant ½

ounce juice of indian turnip; take a green turnip and beat and squeeze

the juice out, add to the syrup when milk warm; if put in while hot

it will lose its medical properties. A table spoonful or less may be

taken from 4 to 6 times a day, in cases of bad cough, it is healing and

strengthening to the lungs; it may be made with or without the indian

turnip juice. The indian turnip is an excellent of itself.

 

 

GREAT SALVE FOR WOUNDS, &c.

 

Take 1 pound sheep tallow, 1 pound beeswax, ½ pound rosin elder inside

bark, 1 pound balm of gillead leaves or flowers, put into a pan and fry

over a slow fire to a salve, spread thin on a linen rag and apply 2 or 3

times a day.

 

 

SODA POWDERS.

 

To make these powders put 1 tea spoonful of carbonate of soda into a

glass nearly half full of water, and ½ tea spoonful of tartaric acid in

the other, and add enough sugar and lemon syrup or lemon juice to suit

the taste; stir and dissolve the powders and sugar, then pour one into

the other and drink while effervescing. This is a very pleasant and

cooling drink.

 

 

PATENT BLACK JAPAN.

 

For iron or wood carriages, &c. Take 1 gallon of turpentine, 2¼ pounds

asphaltum, put them into an iron pot over a charcoal fire and let remain

until dissolved, then strain it--if it becomes too thick when cold add

spirits of turpentine. For wood or canvass add while hot, to every gallon

1 pint of copal varnish and ½ pint of linseed oil. This is a good and

cheap paint or varnish, used by a great many coach-makers, blacksmiths,

&c.

 

 

TO MAKE SOFT SOAP.

 

Take 10 pounds of common yellow or rosin soap, such as is purchased here

for 4 or 6 cents per pound, 6 pounds sal-soda, 10 gallons soft or rain

water; cut the soap into small thin pieces and put the whole over a fire,

bring the water nearly to a boiling point and allow it to remain at that

temperature until the soap is thoroughly dissolved; it may then be taken

off. If the soap made with these ingredients is found to be too strong

add cold water until it becomes of the proper consistency and strength.