Raised pies should have a quick oven, well closed up, or they will fall in at the sides. No pie should have water put in it till the minute it goes into the oven, as it makes the crust bad, and is almost certain to make the pie run. Light paste requires a moderate oven, but not too slow, as that will tend to make it soggy. A quick oven will catch and burn it, and not give it time for what is called the second rising. Butter or lard for pastry should be sweet, fresh, and solid. When freshly made butter can not be had, work well two or three times in cold, fresh water. A teacupful of lard to a quart of flour is a good rule. It makes a good common crust. This quantity will make two large pies. If you wish to save sugar in the use of gooseberries, rhubarb, etc., you can add a little soda without in the least affecting the flavor, if you do not use too much. For an ordinary sized pie, or pudding, use as much as would cover a five cent piece. If you wash the upper crust with milk, just before putting them into the oven, they will bake a beautiful brown. To prevent the juice of pies from soaking into the under crust, beat an egg well, and with a bit of cloth dipped into it, rub over the crust before filling the pies. To keep pies from running out at the sides, dampen the under crust at the edge before putting on the upper, then free the edge of the under crust from the tin and pinch both together with a knife.