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1902

Page 523 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Many pin a clean sheet on to a car- pet, in an unoccupied, airy room, and pin the curtains on to the sheet. Every point and scallop should be pulled out and pinned on to the sheet evenly. But that is a very hard way for any one who finds stooping and bending-over painful ; and we don't think the lace looks as clear, because when pinned on to a carpet there can be no free circula- tion of air from underneath. It is easier, and in every way better, to keep on hand four strips of thin boards, about three inches wide, made very similar to quilting-frames, with holes at suitable distances, to increase or diminish the length and breadth to suit the size of the curtains, and strong wooden pins put through the holes to fasten the frames firmly together. Tack, closely, strips of cloth, selvage edge out, or wide tape, the whole length of the bars. Then place them on chairs so that they will stand firm and steady — out-doors, if a still, bright, sunny day — and pin or baste the curtains to the WAS 415 WAT tape, pulling out and fastening every point in the lace. WASPS and FLIES to Des- troy.— Dip a feather in a little sweet oil, and touch them with it between their wings ; this renders their breathing impossible. WATERS, Distilling simple. — Tie a piece of muslin, or gauze, over a glazed earthen pot, whose mouth is just large enough to receive the bottom of a warming-pan ; on this cloth lay your herb, clipped, whether mint, laven- der, or whatever else you please ; then place upon them the hot warming-pan, with live coals in it, to cause heat just enough to prevent burning, by which means, as the steam issuing out of the herb cannot mount upwards, by reason of the bottom of the pan just fitting the brim of the vessel below it, it must necessarily descend, and collect into water at the bottom of the receiver, and that strongly impregnated with the essential oil and salt of the vegetable thus distilled ; which, if you want to make spirituous, or compound water of, is easily done, by simply adding some good spirits, or French brandy to it, which will keep good for a long time, and be much better than if the spirits had passed through a still, which must of necessity waste some of their strength. Care should be taken not to let the fire be too strong, lest it scorch the plants ; and to be made of charcoalDistilling Simple Waters, for con- tinuance and better regulation, which must be managed by lifting up and lay- ing down the lid, as you want to increase or decrease the degrees of heat. The deeper the earthen pan, the cooler the season ; and the less fire at first (after- wards to be gradually raised), in the greater perfection will the distilled water be obtained. As the more moveable, or volatile parts of vegetables, are the aqueous, the oily, the gummy, the resinous, and the saline, these are to be expected in the waters of this process ; the heat here employed being so great as to burst the vessels of the plants, some of which con- tain so large a quantity of oil, that it may be seen swimming on the surface of the water. Medical waters thus procured will afford 11s nearly all the native virtues of