THE POOR MAN'S BAROMETER.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18352, 24 August 1929, Page 15

THE POOR MAN'S BAROMETER.

Do you know that there are flowers that can tell what the weather will be like? Most of you who have a garden know the "poor man's barometer." This Is the flower of the pimpernel. It is called the “poor man’s barometer” because when rain Is coming it closes its petals. But this Is not the only plant which will tell you what the weather is going to be like. If you watch the convolvulus you will see that Is does lust the same thing. But the ordinary dandelion is different from the rest of the garden folk. He doesn't like too much sunshine, and so if you see his petals close up quite early in the morning you may be sure that the day is going to be fine. Just like a shopkeeper, the lettuce flower opens and closes at regular hours. But if storms are at all likely he takes his shutters down inter in the morning and goes early to bed. When the day is going to be really fine, then he Is up bright and early, and stays up until quite late at night. TO MOTHERS. Mothers often find difficulty in successfully coaxing young children to swallow medicine. Here are a few simple suggestions:— If a pepperment toffee Is given to the child a few minutes before the medicine there will be no taste with the nksty dose. Some children have trouble In swallowing a pill, but If the pill Is placed under the tongue and a big drink of water given the pill will slip down without any trouble. Castor oil should be placed between two layers of lemon or orange Juice. Put a small quantity of the Juice In a cup, then add the castor oil, afterwards pouring on some more of the Juice. No hot drink should be given after this dose. FOOD AND HEALTH. All you need do to be healthy Is to ensure that your diet is sufficiently varied during the day, and If this is the case, you can leave the rest to Nature. For Instance, If you had a breakfast consisting of tea, an egg, and an orange; and luncheon was a outlet, salad, potatoes, and fruit; and dinner some fish and brown bread and cheese, you would have provided your body with most of the elements that It needs.

If, however, you find that a particular article of food disagrees with you, cut It out at once, and don’t waste time trying to accustom your poor Inside to digesting It. And remember that the Burest way to look old before your time Is by avoiding fatty foods for fear of getting fat. Oil in some form Is necessary to your health.

HAND-MADE LACES. Much kindly interest has been shown by Queen Mary in the revival of the old English bobbin laces, which were first introduced into England in 1568 by Flemish refugees flying from Spanish persecution, and her example has been followed by both Princess Mary and the Duchess of York, who have given large orders to the village lacemakers, says an English writer. Of recent years the • lace-making industries have suffered severly through the vagaries of fashion, but the tide has turned, and the owners of genuine hand-made laces whether needlepoint or bobbin—can once more produce them for the admiration of their neighbours. It is unlikely, however, that our collars or petticoats will ever require the amount once considered necessary for a lady’s adorning. At least 25 yards of lace were required to edge the huge pleated ruffs of Queen Elizabeth’s day, and they became such an extravagance that contemporary preachers waxed .furious in. their denunciations. Mrs. Head, whose fascinating history of lace, entitled “The Lace and Embroidery Collector,” is one of the standard works on lacemaking, quotes John King (Bishop of London from 1611 to 1621) as saying: “Fashion has brought in deep ruffs and shallow ruffs, thick ruffs and thin ruffs, and double ruffs. When the Judge of Quick and Dead shall appear He will not know those who have so defaced the fashion He hath created.”. Equally venomous was Philip Stubbes, whose “Anatomie of Abuses” was published in 1583, and whose comment on ruffs was that they were inventions of “the devil in the fulnesse of his malice,” while his ire was increased by the zeal with which contemporary dames enlisted the services of starch, which had just appeared on the housewife’s horizon. “That devil’s liquor sterch,” was the title imposed by angry Master Stubbes on the new inmate of the laundry. STRAWBERRIES IN POTS. One does not often see strawberries growing in pots—certainly not in a restaurant, writes a London correspondent. But the other night at a wellknown hotel, instead of the usual flowers every table had a brass pot from which sprouted the trailing leaves of a small plant. Underneath the leaves there lurked a few scarlet strawberries —ready for the plucking. This new idea in table decoration will be repeated occasionally as the plants become available while the strawberry season lasts. BRANDY SNAPS. Ingreients.—Two ounces of golden, syr.up, 2oz. butter, one heaped tablespoonful of castor sugar, a good pinch of ground ginger, the grated rind of half a lemon, one small teaspoonful of brandy, 2oz. of flour. Put the sugar into a saucepan with the syrup and the butter. As soon as it is warm and mixed stir in the ginger, lemon and brandy. Then add the flour gradually. When thoroughly mixed drop little heaps of the mixture on a buttered tin. Bake for four minutes in a moderate oven. Roll each one on a small rolling pin, and leave until cold.

AFTER-THEATRE SNACKS. The following tasty little dishes are easy to make in a chafing dish, on a gas-ring or electric-hot point, and are agreeable as after-theatre snacks. Sardine Biscuits.—Toast and butter some water biscuits or cream crackers. Drain the oil from a tin of sardines, remove the skin and bones, and mash the sardines. Put them into a pan or chafing dish with the juice of a lemon, two tablespoonfuls of table sauce, and one teaspoonful of chutney. Season and make hot. Serve on the biscuits. Cooked bloaters or kippers may replace sardines, and they may be served on buttered toast if more convenient.

Scotch Woodcock.—Spread some squares of buttered toast rather thickly •with anchovy paste. Keep hot. Beat up the yolks of four eggs with three tablespoonfuls of milk or cream. Melt lioz. of butter in a pan or chafing dish, add the eggs, stir over low heat until creamy, add salt and cayenne, and put the mixture on the prepared toast. Sausage Savoury.—Cut three or four cold, cooked sausages into thin- slices, after removing the skin, put half a pint of tomato sauce into a pan or chafing dish, add the sausages, make hot, and season with cayenne. Pile on slices of toast. If preferred, the sausages may be cooked in a fryingpan, sliced, arranged on the toast, aud the sauce poured over. Tiu sauce should be made beforehand and warmup. • BONING A CHICKEN. To bone a chicken singe off the feather stumps and rub the bird in dry flour. With the back of a knife break the legs just above the feet, cut the skin carefully and withdraw the sinews. Chop off the head and remove the crop. Do not remove the internals, as these will come away with the bones. Commencing at the neck, turn back the meat, cutting it away from the bone as cleanly as possible. Work with a sharp knife, and keep the bird well pressed down upon the table with the left hand. Gradually work he flesh off the wings and thei> cT the legs. When boned the bird should be inside out. For galantines it is not necessary to maintain the shape of the bird, so that half the wings can be removed, which will make the boning process much more easy. WORRY AND FEAR. From worry comes fear, and fear is the forerunner of illness. To evade all these catastrophes a sensible woman makes up her mind to keep fit and well. THE SALAD BOWL. As an alternative, and an economical one, to the ordinary mayonnaise or the French oil-and-vinegar dressing, try the following quickly-made salad cream:—Mix well-mashed potato Into a smooth cream-like consistency by means of the addition of cream, flavouring with mustard, salt, and pepper. If liked, this may be sharpened with lemon juice. The mashed potato is a substitute for the powdered yolk of hard-boiled egg used in similar forms of dressing.