The new practical housekeeping

recipes in which the latter is named. Sauces may also be thickened with potato flour, ground rice, baked flour, arrowroot, etc. ; the - latter will be found far preferable to ordinary flour for white sauces. Milk or water may be used instead of stock in sauces, but the latter is better, giving a finer flavor, though milk is richer. When any green coloring is used if lemon juice is to be added it should not be put in until just before sending to table. Any flavored vinegar preferred may be used instead of the plain. An English salt sold by most grocers is best for seasoning sauces and all cooking, giving a more delicate flavor, with none of the fishy taste found so objectionable in most salt. Where a sieve is to be used in making sauces, use the puree sieve. Herbs for seasoning are usually dried during the summer. The best kinds are sage, thyme, from sweet marjoram, tarragon, mint, sweet basil, parsley, bay leaves, cloves, mace, celery seed and onions. If the seed of any of the seven first mentioned is planted in little boxes on the window sill, or in a sunny spot in the yard, all needed can generally be raised. Gather and dry as follows : Parsley and tarragon should be dried in June and July, just before flowering; mint in June and July; thyme, marjoram and savory in July and August; basil and sage in August and September ; all herbs should be gathered in the sunshine, and dried by artificial heat; their flavor is best preserved by keeping them in air-tight tin cans, or in tightly-corked glass bottles. Mint, when used in recipes, usually means "spearmint" or "green mint," though pennyroyal and peppermint are of the same family. The young leaves of from one to six inches in length are the parts used. It grows on any good garden soil, but comes forward earlier in a warm, sunny spot. It is propagated by cuttings or dividing the roots of old plants in the spring, is very prolific, and ought to find a place in every garden. Those who have conservatories should keep a root in pots, to use with spring lamb before the leaves would appear in the open air. Mint leaves for drying should be cut from the stalks just before the plant blossoms, and spread out thinly in some dry, shady place, where they can dry slowly. When dry, put up in paper bags and keep in a dry place until wanted. Celery seed is a very nice addition to the flavoring of sauces, and may be used instead of the fresh celery when the latter is out of season. Pickled nasturtium seed, for which a recipe is given under Pickles, will be found a good substitute for capers and is often used. Gherkins, (small cucumber pickles) cut in small pieces, are also used instead of capers when the latter are not obtainable. When drawn butter is used in the composition of sauce to which lemon juice or vinegar is to be added, always make it with water, never with milk, as the combination of the latter with the acid would be most unwhole- * some.