EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Describe a Meal That ls in Good Taste
and Does not lie Heavy oa Your
Stomach.
1st Premium—As lt is ironing and baking day, we will cook string beans. We
place the irons on the stove, All the teakettle with fresh water and stsrt a fire,
While they are heating we prepare the
beans for cooking. At nine o'clock we
put them into a stone stew kettle, pour
boiling water over them until they are
oovered, pour lt off, pour on again until
covered, salt and set on the center of the
stove where they will cook rapidly for a
few minutes, then set hack to simmer
slowly nntil the water is all boiled away.
Now add a lump of nice fresh butter and
some good cream. Set back where they
will keep hot bnt not boil, as boiling
would cause the cream to curdle and de-
teriate. Select uniform and medlOm
sized potatoes, pare, have ready baking
tins or frying pan with a spoonful of
heated butter or lard and a sprinkle of
salt, and a dash of pepper over potatoes,
roll them in flour, place in the heated
butter. Brown quickly on top of range,
turn them over, and place in the oven to
bake half hour. When done remove trom
oven and strike eaoh one a light blow to
bnrstit slightly. Send to table to be
eaten with the addition of bntter, ' (and
cream if liked). Chop the cabbage in
a wooden bowl with a meat knife or chopper. Wring or press the water out, take
good older vinegar and sweeten with maple syrnp or white sugar, add a plnoh of
salt, a dash of cayenne pepper and pour
ovsr the cabbage. Should there be a
small qnantity of rice or hominy grits
left from breakfast, break two or three
eggs into it, add a little cream, stir np.
When nearly ready to sit down to the table, place frying pan over fire with a
lump of butter the size of a walnut, let it
get hot, (not smoking) pour the rioe into
hot bntter, spread evenly, cover and fry
two or three minutes stirring and turning two or three times. Slioe the ham
thinly and pare cff a generous rind, drop
the slices into a hot frying pan and fry
quickly, and do not let it smoke. Turn
several times and take up maat on a platter. Pour grease all out of frying pan,
pourinto it quickly while still hot, a few
spoonfu'.s ot good cream and twice as
muoh water. Let it boil up and pour over
the meat. Pare and slice, or core the apples quickly so they do not discolor in the
sir. Put into stone stew kettle and add
just enough fresh boiling water to start
them to cooking. Cover with a good
stone plate to confine the heat and steam,
and insure their cooking quickly. When
they have boiled rapidly for a few minutes, remove from the stove, add a little
sugar, Just enough to make palatable
mash fine and add a dash of gronnd cinnamon or grated nutmeg. If we have
ripe frnlts and berries and want them
stewed, (or sterilized) we make a thin
syrup with white sugar and water, when
boiling rapidly we drop the fruit into the
syrup and stir and turn a moment or two,
nntil the hot syrup has penetrated the
fruit sufficiently to destroy the stray microbes that may have found lodgment,
there. Pour the hot fruit into stone dish-
cover with lid, or plate, and send to table'
For biscuits we sift two quarts of flour,
put in level tablespoonful of salt, about a
level teaspoonful of soda, and if you want
them extra light and fine pnt in a teaspoonful ot baking powder also. Bnt as
most baking powders are not wholesome
You need not use it nnless you choc Be,
Mix these thoroughly through the flour.
Now take a lump ot lard size of a large
hen egg and rnb It thoroughly throngh
the flour with both hands. Now add nice
buttermilk to form a soft dough, do not,
knead or handle only enough to make the
dough stick together, anddoitallquiokly
before the baking powder and soda have
ad time to effervefce. Kail out thinly
cut Into bisonits and bake in a quick oven.
For coffee, put a sufficient amount ot
fresh boiling water for the number of
drinkers into a nice bright ooftee pot
Measnre a spoonful of ground coffee to
eaoh drinker into a bowl. Add a teaspoonful of the white of an egg, mix and
moisten it with cold water. Ten or 15
mlnntes before the meal ls ready, stir the
ground coffee Into the coffee pot of boiling water. Place on baok of stovo to
steep bnt not boll. Stir it several times
with bright fork, to make settle.
Aylesworth. M. D. B.
2d Premium.—With a olean, neat table-
eloth, even if lt is mended, spread smoothly and straight on the table one haa a
good beginning. With bright glassware-
tidy looking dishes, clean, bright topped
pepper and salt boxes, spoons bright or
at any rate clean, and the various receptacles for food neatly arranged, the table
setting is pretty well provided for. Do
not put too many articles of food upon
the table atone time. Do not make breakfast, dinner and supper all of the same
dishes. It the same articles must be used,
prepare them differently. This is true
particularly of the muoh used and much
abused potato.
Pat every thing in clean, fresh dithes
with spoons neatly placed. Set oblong
dishes lengthwise of the table, unless at
the end of it. Set equare dishes true to
the points of the compass as far as tho
table is concerned. Da not put too many
varieties of food on the table at one time
so ihat the table has a crowded look. A
small vase or other reciptacle for flowers
adds to the pleasant appearance of the
table at any meal. If children are in the
family they will be glad to take the extra steps necessary for this little decoration The busy mothor can not always
do it, and yet all wonld be better off with
attention paid to beauty as well as food.
In the preparation of the meal, let all
fried food be put into hot skillets with
hot fat and the cooking be done quickly,
not too quiokly to burning, but evenly
and carefully. Boiled foods which have
ia them oils or grease of any kind shonld
be so prepared as not to have too much of
the grease, and cabbage, beans, potatoes,
etc, should not be cooked too long.
When a vegetable is done it is time to
remove it from the cooking. Make the
bread light and sweet, sweet at any rate,
not with sngar, but with the absence of
too long waiting in its risings, or carelessness in the vessels used ln mixing the
bread. If warm breads are nsed be careful that they are not over short or slack
done. Few articles of food He more heavily on our stomach thon slack done or
greasy bread. Of cakes and pies the
plainer kinds are more digestible. In
moderate quant Hies these may be eaten,
If properly prepared.
Fruits, raw or cooked, in season or out
of season, shonld always be in abundance.
It looks as though no one should be without a proper snpply of fresh or canned
frnit at all times of the year. Yet many
persons live on bread, meat and potatoes,
and bread and molasses, when a greater
supply of fruit would be better ln every
respect.
Palatable, wholesome food is no more
difficult to prepare than unwholesome,
distasteful food. It Is only a matter of
care and cleanliness. C.
Kush Co.
3d Premium.—In the first place the
dining-room should be olean and tidy
and a nice clean table cloth should deco-
ate the table. All the family surround
the table peacefully and cheerfully, and
none other than pleasant conversation
shonld be allowed at the table. The
meal should be of a variety so as to be relished by each and every one of the family. Soured or stale vlotuals shonld not
be placed on the table. All food shonld
be placed npon clean dishes and pre
serves changed to clean stands. Kach of
the family should come to the meal. with
clean hands and faces and their hair
nicely combed.
It wonld be useless to describe any particular kind of dishes for a dish, that
one might admire another might not
bear. Bat don't have the same things
prepared ln the same way day after
day, but prepare them differently
and look through your cook book
and prepare a new dtah occasionally and make a change. Don't say they
will not be fit to eat but try them and
see. Some ot the family may relish them,
Whatever we do let us eat our meals in
peace. ^^_^_^       Comfort.
Then are a great many things to talk
a .out in describing a meal that ls ln good
taate and would not lie heavy on one's
stomach.
The table linen mnst have a snowy appearance, the victuals must be put in
nice, clean dishes; they are not required
to be costly dishes at all to look well.—
The dining room should be tidy and neat
where one ls situated so as to have
one, but where the dining room and
kitchen are combined, as so many havo
it, it should have all the more attention
to be in the proper condition.
Thero ls a considerable difference in
the time that different vegetables thould
be cooked to bo relished and also healthy.
Too many vegetables are takon to the
table not more than warm that should be
cooked good to bo fit to eat, for Instance,
corn and cabbage are two vegetables that
should be well cooked, while on the other
hand it potatoes and lots more such
things are over cooked it ia Just ss bad.
The cook should have her hair combed,
her face and handa clean and have on a
clean dress and apron, as should every
one at the table.
The dogs and cats fhiuld not be nnder
the table, as you will see at a great many
places. With all thi., and a great many
more things, a meal oould be served ln
right good taste. A. B. C.
Harrison Co.  ^____^
Why have it mussy and greasy? Yon
do not suppose for a moment that any
housekeeper over placed before her family an overcooked, massy, greasy dinner,
except from unavoidable accident or neglect.
To in part remedy an already spoiled
dinner one should remove the surplus grease, lift meat carefully from
the pot so ss not to muss it up, arrange it
on a nice platter or dish and garnish
with parsely, lettace or hard boiled eggs
nicely sliced and slightly peppered and
cut carefully with a sharp knife. Potatoes or vegetables may be oooked in the
water containing a little only of the
grease, and these must not be overdone.
To prevent a mnaay, greaay dinner
where one is nnder the necessity ot catering to the taate of flesh eaters, seleol
meat not over fat, cook done. If much
grease cooks out remove it before making gravy, or serving. Grease doesn't
make good gravy and is neither
healthful or apetltizlng. Boiled and
baked meats, ham, etc , if not over cooked
left with the skin on until cut to serve
either hot or cold, w ill not be muasy nor
seem greasy, for those who relish fat
meats. All meats should be siloed thinly
with a very sharp knife.
An overfat hon may be converted Into
the musslest dinner imaginable, if the fat
is all left on and cooked overdone, then
carelessly served. Ktthor remove the extra fat before cooking, and again skim
oft the surplus afterward. Do not continue the oooklng after lt is properly tender. Thoronghly Incorporate a tablespoonful of flour with rich milk or
cream and pour Into the gravy stirring
constantly until lt is smooth and ofthe
consistency preferred, adding water if
needed, and serve hot. If properly done
it  will   neither  be mussy nor   appear
greasy, bnt will be eaten with a relish.
In frying meats, pour oft most of the
grease before making the gravy, and
serve this in a separate dish.
Henry Co. Aunt Dinah.
bkvikw.
Wtth a little care moat farmers may
have freah fruit on the table most of tbe
year.   And a neat little bouquet ls tasty.
The writers surely didn't aay too muoh
about appearance. In marketing trnok
and ln getting meals looks is half the battle. This don't mean fine cakes, angel-
food etc. It means that every dlah should
be a teperate thing, clean cut, finished
and tidy.
I know a very poor family who received
$300 for a patent. They were "suddenly
rich" and the wife bought a very fine
sealskin sack and actually wore lt over a
calico dress and coarse shoes.
We sometimes see tables showing as
little thought of harmony. Who ever
thought of grace at the table not said ln
words, but ln harmony of dlahea. Some
meals don't need much deaooning. They
are one beautiful picture of harmonji
beauty, and song with something good to
eat, light, dainty, clean, well-cooked and
well-served.
Who is I, A. W., Henry county, also
Mrs. Howland, Now Albany?
No. 77, Aug. 28— Preparing bees for
winter.
No. 78, Sept 4.—Choico varieties and
planting of llower bulbs for winter
blooming.
K. H. Collinb,
MABIOX CO. A. & H. SOCIETY.
The August meeting of this society was
held last Saturday ln a grove on the
bank of Pleasant run, on our J. O. Klngs-
bury'_ plaoe at Irvington. The attendance waa fairly good, being sufficient to
fill all the seats provided, and representing most townships in the county.
The paper on Possibilities of Modern
Rural Life by Prof. W. B. Flick, county
superintendent, was of unusual Interest
and value. We havo made a synopsis of
it, which will appear ln next number.
Oar talk on the trip we made through
Mexico, a few weeka ago, occupied a
large portion of the time of tha meeting
calling forth nnmerous Inquiries from
members and visitors. Among the topics
alluded to were the mountains and their
scenery,the haciendas,or plants'ions, the
productions, the peons, manner of farming, the city of Mexico,lta streets, homes,
etc., education, religion, manners and
cuatoma; the Isthmus, its soil,vegetation,
temperature, etc, etc.
Pres. Butler of Indianapolis University; Kev. A. L.Hasaler, pastor of the E.
Washington street Preatjyterlan church,
city, H3V. Mr. Barnhlll, of Irvington, and
Dr. Wm. A. Lawrence, of the oity, were
present, among the visitors, and added to
the interest of tho occasion by appropriate remarks.
The society resolved to make a connty
exhibit at the Stato fair, and appointed a
committoe of five members to take the
matter in charge and try to make an exhibition that shall be a credit to the
county. Marion challenges tbe other
counties to compete with her.
TUX OH1U BTA1E _*Aia.
Breeders and farmers generally shonld
not forget the great Ohio State fair,
which will be held at Colnmbns, O., Ang.
30 to Sept 4. The Ohio State fair grounds
are the most beautiful in the Central
States. The exhibits are always the best,
as the premiums in eaoh class are very
large. The lighting up of the grounds
by electricity at night always draws a
large attendance. Here is where all the
great herds of cattle, hogs and sheep
meet for their first battle. Farmors, lt
wonld pay you to visit this fair. The facilities for getting to and from the
gronnds are the beat W. W. Miller,
Columbus, 0., Is the secretary.