GLADIOLUS CHILDSI

conspicuous for its lantern-like calyx of vivid scarletorange, three inches in diameter, enclosing round fruits of much the same color and one-third its size. Whether on the plants or cut with the stems and dried the lanterns are exceedingly curious and decorative, and the fruits are valuable for confections, also for medicinal, dessert and culinary purposes.

As for Cannas, there are new ones innumerable, and of every degree of merit from the poorest to the best. The two varieties, Austria and Italia, of a new race obtained by crossing the Madam Crozy and Canna flaccida will, however, hold the palm for sometime to come. The flowers of these are of extraordinary size and richness of coloring, in the former bright yellow slightly spotted orange, and in Italia yellow also, but profusely spotted and blotched orange. Among the new varieties of the Crozy section is one called Alsace with flowers of such a pale sulphur-yellow hue as to be almost white.

Iris Kaempferi, with brilliant flowers twelve inches or

more in diameter, affords three new varieties: Mrs. C. T. Saxton, pure white; Spotted Beauty, white freely spotted crimson; Senator Lexow, deep blue. The latter is a single flower of enormous size, the others fully double.

Other novelties of high quality include Abutilon, William McKinley, flowers very large and of a clear, sulphur-yellow tint; the graceful Swainsonia galegifolia or Swanflower, with elegant deep green leaves and pure white flowers; Nasturtium Variegata, leaves beautifully variegated pure white and deep green; Calla Little Gem, a miniature form of the common Calla Lily; and Rosa Wichuriana in several lovely double and semi-double varieties. JOHN LEWIS CHILDS.

GASTRONOMY AND REFINEMENT.

The better a people eats the more it will be found advanced in knowledge, politeness and urbanity; that there is a close corelation between culinary perfection and its tendencies in the arts and letters. Gastronomic delicacy of taste and elegance of selection find their complement in intellectual refinement. Mr. Connor illustrates this in the Pantagruelian feasts of the English, which appear to give the keynote to the nation. He does not specify what that is, but those who have had relations with Englishmen will not be in doubt. This keynote to national characteristics he develops further in a review of Italian and German cooking. As Italy gave birth to plays based on intrigue and buffoonery, its culinary art reflects those qualities. Every dish is a farci or a mosaic of condiments from pralpetti and fcatelli to ravioli. Dr. Thudichum says that the civilization of a nation may best be judged by its confectionery. That of the Italians, while outwardly inviting and beautiful, lacks substance, and is full of deception. These characteristics are not uncommon among that people. Dr. Conner says that German cookery is the upheaval of gastronomy; it is homely and military, and distinctly characterizes the civilization of the nation. As regards the service of meals, the number of dishes was formerly restricted by the edicts of rulers. Philippe le Bel of France, in 1294 prohibited any subject from partaking of more than one dish and one intremet for an ordinary repast; on a gala occasion two dishes with bacon soup were allowed. Charles I, prohibited the serving of flesh and fish at the same meal, and only at bridal banquets were three courses permitted. Louis XIII, went even further. If an individual dined at a tavern he was not to expend more than a crown, and if at home his service was not to exceed three dishes.London Table.

WINTER SOFT-SHELL CRABS.

The winter soft crab differs from its summer cousin only slightly in appearance, being a little narrower in the body. It is, however, more succulent and finer flavored than the choicest specimens of the other kind, a fact that is well known to epicures. Moreover, being a rock-crab, or, as it is called here, a sand crab, it differs in its habits from the other, which lives in the mud, and this difference has much to do with its comparative scarcity in ordinary seasons. It is much harder to find, unless the hunter has sharp eyes and a good knowledge of its ways, and it chooses its hiding places and its time of shedding with a wisdom too great for reason, and attributable only to instinct.-New York Sun.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

THE SECRET OF BEAUTY.
Handsome Kate had lovers by the score,
Plain Polly had never a one;

While Kate was deluged with gifts galore,
Poor Polly was favored with none.
There was a reason, of course, why Kate
To Polly was always preferred;
Why the one should be courted in state,
The other dismissed with a word.
From pity, at last, the day she was wed,
The secret to Polly Kate told;

And lo! when less than a twelvemonth had fled,
Poll's parlor her beaux wouldn't hold.

What was the charm that made Polly a belle,
Instead of a drudge and a mope?

Now that we're married, she says I may tell :
'Twas simply just-somebody's soap!

Compiled for GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

-St. George Best.

THE WAY WE DID AT COOKING SCHOOL.*

A Suggestion of the Lessons Taught and the Dishes Prepared.

T the Columbian Exposition the author of this decidedly pleasing volume heard one of the scientific cooking teachers say that the women are responsible for the greater part of the dyspepsia and drunkenness in the world, because they do not cook the food properly, even when they do select the proper articles for cooking. She accordingly decided that for one she would like to understand cooking from a scientific standpoint, and undertook to attend a cooking school, located a thousand miles away.

On broaching the subject to her eminently sensible grandma, the young lady aspirant for enrollment in the Philadelphia cooking school class received this cheering response: "I think it is a very sensible idea. If more of the girls took an interest in such work they would benefit themselves as well as their

THE WAY WE DID AT COOKING SCHOOL.-By Virginia Reed, editor of "Daily Cheer for all the Year" Cloth, 12mo, 282 pages, stained edges. New York: John B. Alden.

home folks, and be happier and more contented." So, sending a piece of her traveling dress, that the representative of the school might recognize her at the train-a means of identification which only a woman could have thought of adopting-she made the journey and took the prescribed course.

To quote the substance of her brief preface, Miss Reed believes that the information acquired by herself at the cost of considerable time and money would be interesting to others, and also be appreciated and enjoyed by many who have not the time or money to spend in thus gaining knowledge. So her volume has been carefully prepared, with the hope of gratifying those less fortunate than herself in this respect. It is dedicated to the six who with her comprised the normal class at the Philadelphia Cooking School for the school year of 1894-5, and has for a motto this extract from Milton's "Paradise Lost":

Not to know at iarge of things remote
From use, obscure and subtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life,

Is the prime wisdom.

The author chooses the correspondence style for her work, and the several chapters of the book take the form of letters to "Cousin Alethea." These deal in regular order with the several subjects or topics which come before the school, varying to suit the matters under consideration. The initial letter describes the school room and the class of seven-" six girls and one married woman."

Each day has a lesson from a small question book publish by the principal of the school, to which the pupils oo..n the answers by consulting various books of reference; and this method-so much in line with the principles of modern teaching in other directions, commends itself as an admirable way of making the student fully conversant with the subject matter. The first lesson, so far as the catechism goes, relates to stoves, fires, fuel and the like, and the simplicity of cooking-school philosophy will be best illustrated by copying bodily two of the questions and answers which the author is supposed to have written out for the benefit of her "dear cousin":

"Describe the draught of a chimney? The hot gases and the surrounding heated air expand because rarer and lighter; and since the atmospheric particles move among each other with the most perfect freedom, the colder and heavier air takes the lower position, and by so doing pushes the warm air

upward. The cold air becomes heated and ascends, and other air takes its place, so a continuous current is established."

"Why do new chimneys smoke? New chimneys smoke because the brick and mortar being damp form good conductors of heat, and take it from the rising current of warm air. This then condenses and obstructs the ascent. When the chimney becomes dry and is covered with non-conducting soot this source of trouble is removed."

Of course some time is taken up in learning the preliminaries, before actual cooking is begun. When that stage is reached, soups and a rib roast come first in order, and the treatment of these may be quoted in detail, to show the charming style of the author, which might profitably be studied by recipe writers in general.

Soup Stock.

For the soup stock we used juicy, lean uncooked beef, because cooked or stale meat would not give a clear stock. We wiped the meat with a dampened towel and cut the meat from the bone (it was a shin bone). The meat was cut into pieces about an inch square, so the water would have a chance to act on every part. We placed the bones on the bottom of a granite kettle (a porcelain kettle would do as well), and put the meat on top of the bones. We then added five quarts of cold, soft water and stood the kettle on the back part of the range for an hour, so that the cold water might draw out all the substance that it could from the meat and soften the texture. At the end of the hour we placed the kettle over a good fire. When the water began to steam and the scum had risen, we placed the kettle on a more moderate part of the fire and added a cupful of cold water and skimmed off the scum. We covered the kettle and left it where its contents would simmer gently for four hours; at the end of which time we added one onion, one carrot, one turnip and one stalk of celery cut in slices, and also added two bay leaves, one sprig of parsley and twelve whole cloves, and let it simmer one hour longer. We then strained the stock through a fine sieve and added to it one tablespoon level full of salt. We placed the stock where it would cool quickly, because if kept in a warm place for a few hours it would not form a nice jelly. When it was cold we removed all the fat from the top and it was ready

to use.

Vegetable Soup Without Meat.

The same day we made soup stock we also made a vegetable soup without meat. First we washed the vegetables with a brush about four inches long, something like a scrubbing brush. We then peeled the vegetables and cut them in slices about three-sixteenths of an inch thick. You can cut them into dice-shaped pieces or else use fancy cutters and cut each vegetable into different shaped pieces. For this soup we used one carrot, one sweet potato, one turnip, one parsnip and one onion. We put one ounce of butter into a frying pan and when hot we added the vegetables and fried them a light brown. Then we turned all into a soup kettle and added two quarts of cold water, one bay leaf, one sprig of parsley, one root of celery, one level teaspoonful of salt and two tablespoonfuls of rice. After it had boiled slowly for one hour and a quarter we added one white potato which had also been cut into fancy shaped pieces. We allowed it to boil

fifteen minutes longer; then we mixed one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper with a level teaspoonful of salt and added it to the soup, and the soup was ready to be served. A Rib Roast.

The next thing we did was to roast a rib of beef in the oven. First we looked after the oven to see that it was very hot. We wiped the meat carefully and then dredged it lightly with pepper and placed it rib-side down in a granite baking pan; then we added one level teaspoonful of salt to a half-pint of boiling water and poured it in the pan. We placed it in the oven, which was very hot, and basted it every ten minutes. As every oven has one part a little hotter than the other we turned the pan two or three times during the roasting, so that the meat would have a chance to roast evenly. It was roasted fifteen minutes to every pound. After placing the meat on a heated plate we poured all but two tablespoonfuls of the drippings from the pan. We then added two rounding tablespoonfuls of flour, which browned in the baking pan on the top of the stove while we rubbed it smooth. To this we added a pint of water, stirring continuously until it boiled. We seasoned it with one level teaspoonful of salt and six dashes of pepper, and when we had strained it through a small sieve into the boat it was ready to serve. It will be observed that these are ordinary dishes, cooked in a plain, unpretentious way-what might be called the everyday food of the common people. The instructions are especially valuable in that they show so clearly how to do these necessary and indispensable things. In the same line are a few more recipes which come in the course of the succeeding lessons: To Broil Steak.

In preparing to broil steak on a range see that the direct draft is open and that the fire is clear and free from gas. Put a good meat plate on the warming shelf, and also a granite plate. Having greased the broiler, put it to heat. Free the steak from suet and place it in the warm broiler, and put the broiler over the fire. Count twenty and turn the other side to the fire, and continue to count and turn. It will take eight minutes to broil a thick steak if wished well done, or five minutes if rare. When done turn the top of the broiler back underneath the lower side. Place the granite plate over the meat and turn the broiler, steak and plate over at the same time. In this way the steak will be placed on the plate without losing any of the juices. Season with salt and pepper; turn the steak and season the other side. Place the steak now exactly where wanted on the good meat plate and serve at once. Veal Cutlets.

In preparing veal cutlets we first covered them with boiling water, and after letting them stand about a minute we took them out of the water and wiped them dry. We cut them into pieces about two inches square. We broke an egg in a soup plate and added one tablespoonful of hot water to it. The water keeps the egg from becoming too light while thoroughly mixing the white with the yolk by beating, and it also makes the crust more tender. After placing the veal in the egg we, with a spoon, poured the egg over every part not already covered by the egg. We carefully drained the veal and laid it on a bed of grated bread crumbs and piled crumbs'all over it. After pressing the crumbs down hard we took up the veal, shook it lightly and placed it on a granite plate. We put two tablespoonfuls of drippings into a frying pan, and when it was hot we put in the breaded veal cutlets; when one

side was a nice brown we turned it over, and when that side was browned it was ready to be dished and served with tomato sauce. Tomato Sauce.

For the tomato sauce we put a pint of stewed tomatoes into a small stewpan and added one onion cut in slices, one bay leaf, a blade of mace, and a sprig of parsley, and let it simmer for ten minutes. We melted one ounce of butter in another saucepan and mixed with it one rounding tablespoonful of flour. We mixed the butter and flour together until smooth. We pressed the tomatoes through a sieve and added them to the butter and flour, stirring continuously until it boiled. We then added salt and pepper to taste, and it was ready to serve.

Beef Stew with Dumplings.

In making a stew from beef we used two pounds of lean meat, which we cut into pieces about one inch square and dredged it thickly with flour. Having put two tablespoonfuls of butter or drippings into a frying pan over a good fire, as soon as it was very hot we added the meat. We kept turning the meat, and as soon as it was nicely browned we turned it into a saucepan. We added one tablespoonful of flour to the butter remaining in the frying pan, and when well mixed we added one quart of boiling water. We stirred until it boiled, then we poured it through a sieve into the saucepan containing the meat. We added one sprig of parsley and a small onion, and having placed a lid on the saucepan, we let its contents simmer for two hours. When the meat had cooked one hour we added one teaspoonful of salt and three dashes of pepper. In making the dumplings we sifted one pint of flour and added to it one heaping teaspoonful of bak ing powder and sifted it again. We added one-fourth of a teaspoonful of salt and about one-fourth of a pint of sweet milk, only enough to make a soft dough. We stirred the dough with a wooden spoon and dipped the dough by small spoonfuls, placing it over the meat. We covered the saucepan and left it to simmer for about twenty minutes. We were very careful not to uncover the pan while the dumplings were cooking, for fear they would fall, and as there is danger of the stew scorching after the dumplings are added, we moved the pan to a moderate part of the fire. As soon as the dumplings were done they were served with the meat on a warmed platter.

Pressed Meat.

We ground one quart of pieces of cold cooked meat in a meat cutter, and then added to the meat one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of allspice, onehalf teaspoonful of cloves, one-fourth teaspoonful of mace, one-half teaspoonful of salt, and one-fourth teaspoonful of black pepper. All the spices were in powdered form. Having dissolved one tablespoonful of gelatine in a fourth of a cup of cold water, we added to it one-half pint of boiling stock and mixed all the ingredients together and pressed it into a square mold. We stood the mold in a cold place to cool. When wanted for use we turned it from the mold and cut it in slices. It looked very appetizing garnished with parsley or cress.

It would be decidedly interesting, did space permit, to follow the course of lectures, summarize the teachings of each, and note the lines of food preparation taken up in connection with each; but all of these privileges come from possession of the book, which

every reader will desire, and it must serve the present purpose to extract a few more of the excellent recipes, taking the same at random and without attempt even at systematic arrangement.

Quick Biscuits.

In making biscuits we measured one quart of flour that had been sifted, and added to it two rounding teaspoonfuls of baking powder and sifted them together with one level teaspoonful of salt. We then rubbed in one ounce of butter. Having seen that the oven was hot enough (at about 400° F.) we brushed the pan with oil and then added a half pint of milk to the flour and kneaded it up quickly. We rolled the dough an inch in thickness, and with a cutter about the size of a silver half dollar we cut them out and put them in the pan and the pan in the oven. Always work as rapidly as possible when using baking powder, so as to not lose any of its good effects. We could have used one level teaspoonful of cream of tartar and one-half teaspoonful of soda if we had wished. In either case, sweet milk must be used. We baked the biscuits twenty minutes.

Breakfast Bacon.

In preparing breakfast bacon we cut the bacon almost as thin as possible and put the slices in a frying pan that had not been heated, so that the bacon might heat gradually. We fried it until brown and crisp. It should be served as a garnish to a dish of fried potatoes.

Plain Hash.

In making plain hash we run one pint of pieces of cold meat through the meat cutter. We blanched the kernels of eight almonds by pouring boiling water on them and letting them stand until the skin slipped off easily, and then we chopped them very fine. We placed two ounces of butter in a frying pan and sliced into it one-half of a small onion and fried it a nice brown. We then added two ounces of bread and one cupful of milk. We took it from the fire, and when it had stood ten minutes we added the almonds, meat, one teaspoonful of curry powder, one teaspoonful of salt and the beaten yolks of three eggs, and mixed all well together in the frying pan on the stove. After it was well heated through it was served garnished with triangles of toasted bread.

Calf's Foot Jelly.

In making jelly from a calf's feet we washed and scrubbed well four feet in cold water. We put them in a soup kettle, added four quarts of cold water and placed it where it would simmer slowly for several hours, until the liquid was reduced to two quarts, and then strained it into an earthen bowl, which we placed where it would keep cool until the next day. In the morning we took off all the fat from the top of the jelly, and removed all the sediment from the bottom. We then put the jelly in a kettle on the stove and added two inches of stick cinnamon, one pound of white sugar, the juice of two oranges and also of two lemons, the whites of two eggs slightly beaten, and the crushed shells of eight eggs. We mixed all the ingredients well together and left it where it would boil hard for twenty minutes without being stirred. We then threw in one gill of cold water, and when it had come to the boiling point, we drew it to a cooler part of the range and left it closely covered for one-half hour. We dipped a flannel jelly bag into boiling water and hung it up over a bowl. We then carefully poured the jelly into the bag and left it to drip slowly. We were very particular not to touch or

squeeze the bag, as that would cloud the jelly. We then turned the jelly into molds and put it in a cold place to harden.

Milk Toast.

In making milk toast we dipped very quickly four small slices of stale bread into hot water, and after drying them on both sides we toasted them a golden brown and spread each slice while hot with butter. We put one pint of milk in a double boiler, and having moistened one tablespoonful of cornstarch with a little cold milk, we added it to the hot milk in the boiler and stirred until it thickened. We added one-fourth of a teaspoonful of salt, and then poured the milk over the toast, which should be served immediately.

Cup Custards.

In preparing cup custards we beat four eggs all together until light. (Four is the least number that will thicken one quart.) We added one-half cupful of sugar, one-fourth of a grated nutmeg, and one quart of sweet milk. Having stirred until the sugar was dissolved, we poured it into custard cups. We placed these cups in a pan of boiling water and put it into the oven. We left them to bake until firm in the center. We tested them by putting the handle of a spoon in the center; when the custard did not stick to the handle it was pronounced done, and we removed the cups from the water and stood them away to cool. They are served in the same cups in which they were baked. Apple Snow.

In preparing apple snow we pared, cored and steamed six good-sized apples. When tender we pressed them through a sieve and left them to cool. When cold we added one cupful of sugar and the juice of one lemon. We beat the whites of six eggs until very stiff and then added the apples, one spoonful at a time, and kept on beating till all the apples had been worked in. It was dipped into glasses and served at once.

Tomato Soup with Stock.

In preparing tomato soup with stock we put in one quart of stewed tomatoes with one pint of stock in a saucepan and added one bay leaf, one sprig of parsley, and one small onion cut in slices. When it had stewed fifteen minutes we pressed it through a sieve that was fine enough to keep out all the seeds. We put the tomato liquid in a clean saucepan and allowed it to boil. We rubbed one tablespoonful of butter with three level tablespoonfuls of cornstarch or flour, and when smooth added it to the boiling soup and did not stop stirring until it was all smooth. We added one teaspoonful of sugar, and after mixing one teaspoonful of salt with one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper also added it to the soup. We then added one-fourth of a teaspoonful of baking soda and the soup was ready to be served at once with croutons. Croutons.

We made the croutons by cutting stale bread into thin slices and spreading them lightly with butter, which we rubbed in. After removing the crusts we cut the slices into dice-shaped blocks and toasted them a golden brown by placing them in a moderate oven. Croutons are good served with any thick soup.

Tomato Soup Without Stock.

In making tomato soup without stock we took one quart can of tomatoes-one quart of freshly stewed tomatoes would do as well. The very first thing we did was to cut one-fourth pound of ham into dice and to pan it with one onion cut into slices. When brown, we put the ham and onion in a large saucepan, or small soup kettle,

and added one quart of water, one bay leaf, one stalk of celery and one carrot, peeled and cut in slices. We allowed it to simmer one hour and then added the tomatoes and let it simmer forty-five minutes longer. At the end of that time we pressed the tomatoes through a sieve and returned the soup to the fire. We rubbed two ounces of butter with four rounding tablespoonfuls of flour until smooth and added it to the boiling soup, stirring until smooth and the soup boiled again. We added one teaspoonful of salt, mixed with one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, and the soup was ready to be served with croutons.

Turkish Soup.

In preparing Turkish soup we added one-fourth cupful of rice that had been looked over, and well rubbed in a dry cloth, to one quart of stock, and allowed them to boil together for twenty minutes, then we pressed them through a sieve and put it on again to heat. We beat the yolks of two eggs together and added one tablespoonful of cream. We added the eggs and cream to the rice and stirred it for about two minutes, but were very particular not to allow it to boil. We added one-half teaspoonful of salt and one-eighth of a teaspoonful of pepper and the soup was ready to be served.

Clear Vegetable Soup.

In preparing a clear vegetable soup we put one quart of boiling water in the soup kettle and added one small carrot and one turnip. We had peeled and cut all the vegetables with fancy shaped tin cutters so the pieces would be of one size and there would be no small pieces to dissolve and cloud the soup. When the carrot and turnip had boiled one hour, we added one sweet potato and one white potato cut in fancy shapes, one cupful of peas, one cupful of beans, one tomato, one ear of corn and one tablespoonful of rice or barley. When all had boiled until tender we added two quarts of stock and salt and pepper to taste. We let it boil up once and it was ready to be served.

Black Bean Soup.

In preparing black bean soup we washed one pint of turtle beans in cold water and left them to soak until morning. We poured off the water in which they had soaked, and covered them with one quart of boiling water. When they had boiled until tender (about two hours), we added one quart of stock and one pint of boiling water. We pressed all through a sieve and put it in a clean kettle, and when it boiled we added salt and pepper to taste, and thickened it with one ounce of butter and one tablespoonful of flour rubbed together. We sliced two hard-boiled eggs and one lemon, which we placed in a tureen and poured the boiling soup over them. It was then served immediately.

Making White Bread.

Scald one pint of sweet milk and pour it into a mixing bowl containing two teaspoonfuls of sugar, one teaspoonful of butter and one teaspoonful of salt. When the milk is lukewarm, add one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of lukewarm water, or one-half cupful of liquid yeast, and sufficient flour to make a thick batter. Beat thoroughly, stand the bowl in a bread raiser partially filled with warm water, put on the cover, let it stand until the batter is light, and then add flour enough to enable you to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, and does not stick to the hands or board. Be careful not to use too much flour, as that would make the bread hard and dry. Put it back in the bowl and that