The national course in home economics

The best way to put down cucumbers for winter use, especially when a panful or so are gathered at a time, is to wash and put them in a crock or barrel. First, a layer of cucumbers, then one of rock salt (enough salt to make sufficient brine to cover them, no water), cover with a cloth; keep them under the brine with a heavy board and a weight on top; each time more fresh cucumbers are added take out those already in brine, putting the new ones at the bottom; rinse the cloth every time you put in fresh cucumbers, as a scum will rise and settle upon it. Use plenty of salt and the pickles will keep one year. To prepare pickles for use, soak in lukewarm water, changing it three times a day, and keep in a warm place until they are fresh enough, then pour plain or spiced vinegar over and let them stand twenty-four hours, then pour that off and put on fresh. In gathering cucumbers cut them off the vines with shears. Pulling or twisting them off injures the vines. Marion Miller. CUCUHBER PICKLES FOR 5UnnER USE. Take of small-sized fresh cucumbers as many as desired for summer use; put them in strong salted water over night; take out of the brine, wipe dry and cover with strong vinegar; in two or three days they are ready for use. Mrs. Sadie Webb. SPICED CUCUMBER PICKLES. Use only very small cucumbers, taking a peck, and washing them clean. Put in a stone jar and make a brine of two pounds of coarse dairy salt and pour over them. They should stand in this brine thirty-six hours Then take them out, throw away the brine, put cucumbers into a pan and cover them with boiling water. Let stand ten minutes in this water, take them out and drain them one hour. Put in jar, cut up four peppers, mixing them well through them. Boil one gallon of vinegar slowly fifteen minutes, adding whole peppers, mace and cloves, one-half ounce of each. Then skim out spices, and pour vinegar over cucumbers hot. Cover with a plate and a stone to weigh it down and cover jar with another plate. Don't disturb them for a week or so. Mrs. Maria Gillespie. SWEET CUCUMBER PICKLES. Take twelve large green cucumbers, cut in slices one-half inch thick and soak in weak salt water for an hour. Make a thick syrup of one coffee-cupful of granulated sugar, one teacupful of vinegar; tie up two teaspoonfuls each of cinnamon and cloves in a piece of muslin; boil all to a thick syrup, then drain the cucumbers; rinse well in clear water and add to the syrup; set them back on the range and simmer gently for three hours. A. R. Hornsworth. RIPE CUCUMBER PICKLE5 (SOUR). Take twelve large, ripe, yellow cucumbers, cut in halves, take out all the seeds and pulp; then cut in oblongs, stand over night in salt water, next morning rinse them well in clear water, drain and wipe as dry as possible, placing them in jar. Have one-half dozen red peppers prepared by removing seeds and cut in small, narrow pieces; have also one fresh horseradish, prepared in same way, in small pieces, and about one pound of mustard seed, sprinkle all these in between the slices of cucumbers; have enough boiling hot vinegar to cover same and pour over. On the third morning scald vinegar again, adding an extra quantity if it seems weak, and they are ready for use when cold. They can be put away in glass bottles on the third morning. Belle Locke.