All pies made either with summer fruit or with winter preserves will be improved by a mixture of apples, pared and sliced. They are especially good with fresh cherries, currants, etc, and will be found an agreeable addition to cranberries. Equal portions also of cranberries and any very sweet jam will improve both. When apples are mixed with jam, they should be sliced thin; and if syrup be wanted, a few slices boiled with a little of the jam in sugar and water. In making pies of green gooseberries, apples, or rhubarb, the sugar should be clarified - that is, boiled in a little water, but no water poured into the pie, as it destroys the flavor of the fruit. For fresh fruits short crust is very suitable.

For a good common pie-crust allow half a pound or three-quarters of shortening to a pound of flour. Pie-crust looks the nicest made entirely of lard, but does not taste so good as with some butter. In winter, beef shortening, mixed with butter, makes good plain crust. Rub half of the shortening with two-thirds of the flour - to each pound of flour put a teaspoonful of salt and add just sufficient cold water to render it moist enough to roll out easily. Divide the crust into two equal portions - lay one of them aside for the upper crust, take the other, roll it out quite thin, flouring your rolling-board and pin, so that the crust will not stick to them, and line your pie plates, which should be previously buttered - fill your plates with your fruit, then roll out the upper crust as thin as possible, spread on the reserved shortening, sprinkle over the flour, roll it up, and cut it into as many pieces as you have pies to cover. Roll each one out about half an inch thick, .and cover the pies - trim the edges off neatly with a knife, and press the crust down round the edge of the plate with a jagging iron, so that the juices of the fruit may not run out while baking. Pastry should be baked in a quick oven.