Piece-Bags

White cotton piece-bags hung in the linen closet are a great convenience; have them made with a string to draw from both sides; mark in large letters in indelible ink, " Merino and Cloth," "Cotton and Linen Sundries," "Dress Pieces," "Old Linen," "Worsted and Yarn," "Old Silk," "Thread and Tape," "Old Gloves," etc.

To Remove White Spots on Furniture, caused by a hot iron or hot water, or to restore blistered furniture. - Rub with a No. 1 sand-paper somewhat worn, or apply pulverized pumice stone mixed with a few drops of linseed oil, then with a cotton cloth rub on some shellac varnish thinned well with* turpentine. Or, rub with spirits of camphor.

Weight Of Grain

Wheat 60 pounds in all states except Connecticut, where it is 56; corn 56, except in New York, where it is 58; oats 32; barley 48; buckwheat 46 to 50, but generally 48; clover seed 60, but 64 in Ohio and New Jersey; timothy 44; flaxseed 56; potatoes 60; beans 60, but in Ohio 56, and New York 62; dried peaches 28 to 33; dried apples 22 to 28.

Unfermented Wine For Communion

- Weigh the grapes, pick from the stems, put in a porcelain kettle, add very little water, and cook till stones and pulp separate; press and strain through a thick cloth, return juice to kettle, and add three pounds sugar to every ten pounds grapes; heat to simmering, bottle hot, and seal. This makes one gallon, and is good.

How To Soften Sponges

A sponge when first purchased is frequently hard, stiff and gritty. To soften it, and dislodge the particles of sea-sand from its crevices, having first soaked and squeezed it through several cold waters, put the sponge into a clean tin sauce-pan, set it over the fire, and boil it a quarter of an hour. Then take it out into a bowl of cold water, and squeeze it well. Wash out the sauce-pan, and return the sponge to it, filling up with clean, cold water, and boil it another quarter of an hour. Repeat the process, giving it three boils in fresh water, or more than three if you find it still gritty. Take care not to let it boil too long, or it will become tender and drop to pieces.

Extras Thrown In

- To purify a room of unpleasant odors, burn vinegar, resin, or sugar; to make chicken gravy richer, add eggs found in chicken, or, if none, yolk of an egg; soak garden seeds in hot water a few seconds before planting; to prevent cholera in chickens, put assafoetida in water they drink, and let them pick at coal ashes; in using hard water for dish-water add a little milk; to clean paint, add to two quarts hot water, two table-spoons turpentine and one of skimmed milk, and only soap enough to make suds, and it will clean and give luster; iron rust on marble can generally be removed with lemon-juice; a thin coat of varnish applied to straw-matting makes it more durable and adds to its beauty.

Bologna Sausage

- Take equal portions of fresh pork, veal, and barn or salt pork, chop them fine or grind, and mix together thoroughly; to nine pounds of the meat allow ten tea-spoons powdered sage, two each of cayenne and black pepper, one grated nutmeg, one teaspoon cloves, one minced onion, and sweet herbs to taste; mix well and stuff into beef intestines. (Wash the intestines thoroughly and cut them into lengths of two yards each; turn inside out, and again wash thoroughly in warm water, scraping with a scraper made for this purpose; throw into salt water to soak till used. Great care will be necessary in cleaning cases to avoid tearing them.) Tie up both ends of the bag tightly, prick in several places, and boil slowly for an hour; then dry them in the sun, and hang them in a cool dry cellar, after rubbing the outside of the skins with melted butter. These are eaten without further cooking, and are very nice.