Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. AFTER THE STORM. The storm-tossed, slender maple boughs are bending The lightning's brazen hand its death bolt hurls; Graceful, while still the tempests round you roar; The gentle Hand that guides His children's footsteps, Is His, who rides upon the rushing tempest, And plants His footsteps on the angry sea. Hushed is the restless patter of the raindrops. The gloomy clouds are drifting far away, And from the western sky, a shaft of glory, Shines forth the splendor of the dying day. O Heart! After the storm shall come the sunshine! Compiled for GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. HOUSEHOLD INSECTS. The Habits and Treatment of these Annoying and Destructive Pests. IX.-Mosquitoes.# LTHOUGH mosquitoes are outof-door insects, they may appropriately have consideration among the household pests, since they frequently enter houses, to the torment of the inmates, all through the summer months, and in some cases pass the winter in warm cellars. There is perhaps no other single pest which causes more annoyance than the mosquito. So little attention has been given to the matter of mosquito breeding that some of the experiments and investigations which have been carried on at Washington will be of general interest. The operation of egg-laying is supposed to take place in the very early morning hours, and the eggs are laid in the "boat-shaped mass" described by Rêaumur, the French scientist, more than 150 years ago. In fact, the egg masses are of all sorts of shapes. The most common one is the pointed ellipse, convex below and concave above, all the eggs perpendicular, in six to thirteen longitudinal rows, with from three or four to forty eggs in a row. The number of eggs in each batch varies from 200 to 400. As seen from above, the egg mass is gray brown; from These papers are largely compiled from advance sheets of "The Principal Household Insects of the United States"-a valuable pamphlet published by the Department of Agriculture. The Editor desires it understood that the edition of this pamphlet is very limited, so that it is not available for general distribution, and copies cannot be obtained by writing for them below, silvery white, the latter appearance being due to the air film. It seems impossible to wet these egg masses. They may be pushed under water, but bob up, apparently as dry as ever. The egg mass separates rather regularly and the eggs are not stuck together very firmly. After they have hatched the mass will disintegrate in a few days, even in perfectly still water. The individual eggs are 0.7 mm. in length and 0.16 mm. in diameter at the base. They are slender, broader and blunt at bottom, slenderer and somewhat pointed at tip. The tip is always dark grayish brown in colc, while the rest of the egg is dirty white. Repeated observations show that the eggs hatch, under advantageous conditions, certainly as soon as sixteen hours. Water buckets containing no egg masses, placed out at night, were found to contain egg masses at 8 o'clock in the morning, which, as above stated, were probably laid in the early morning, before daylight. These eggs, the third week in May, began to hatch quite regularly at 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day on warm days. In cooler weather they sometimes remained unhatched until the second day. If we apply the evidence of European observers to this species, the period of the egg state may be under twelve hours; but there is a possibility that they are laid earlier in the night, which accounts for the fact that sixteen hours is the shortest period which can be definitely mentioned. The larvæ issue from the underside of the egg masses, and are extremely active at birth. When first observed it is easy to fall into an error regarding the length of time which they can remain under water, or rather without coming to the surface to breathe, since, in striving to come to the surface for air, many of them will strike the underside of the egg mass and remain there for many minutes. It is altogether likely, however, that they get air at this point through the eggs or through the air film by which the egg mass is surrounded, and that they are as readily drowned by continuous immersion as are the older ones, as will be shown later. One of the first peculiarities which strikes one on observing these newly hatched larvæ under the lens. is that the tufts of filaments which are conspicuous at the mouth are in absolutely constant vibration. This peculiarity, and the wriggling of the larvæ through the water, and their great activity, render them interesting objects of study. In general, the larvæ, passing through apparently three different stages, reach maturity and transform to pupæ in a minimum of seven days. When nearly full grown their movements were studied with more care, as they were easier to observe than when newly hatched. At this time the larva remains near the surface of the water, with its respiratory siphon at the exact surface and its mouth filaments in constant vibration, directing food into the mouth cavity. Occasionally the larva descends to the bottom, but, though repeatedly timed, a healthy individual was never seen to remain voluntarily below the surface more than a minute. In ascending it comes up with an effort, with a series of jerks and wrigglings with its tail. It descends without effort, but ascends with difficulty; in other words, its specific gravity seems to be greater than that of the water. As soon, however, as the respiratory siphon reaches the surface, fresh air flows into its trachea, and the physical properties of the so-called surface film of the water assist it in maintaining its position. After seven or eight days, the larva transforms to pupa. In this stage the insect is lighter than water. It remains motionless at the surface, and when disturbed does not sink without effort, as does the larva, but is only able to descend by a violent muscular action. It wriggles and swims as actively as does the larva, and soon reaches the bottom of the jar or breeding place. As soon as it ceases to exert itself, however, it floats gradually up to the surface of the water again. The fact, however, that the larva, after it is once below the surface of the water, sinks rather than rises, accounts for the death of many individuals. If they become sick or weak, or for any reason are unable to exert sufficient muscular force to wriggle to the surface at frequent intervals they will actually drown. It seems almost like a contradiction in terms to speak of an aquatic insect drowning, but this is a frequent cause of mortality among wrigglers. This fact also explains the efficacy of the remedial treatment which causes the surface of the water to become covered with a film of oil of any kind. Aside from the actual insecticide effect of the oil, the larvæ drown from not being able to reach the air. In general the adult insects issue from the pupæ that are two days old. This gives what is probably the minimum generation for this species as ten days, namely sixteen to twenty-four hours for the egg, seven days for the larva, and two days for the pupa. The individuals emerging on the first day were invariably males. On the second day the great majority were males, but there were also a few females. The preponderance of males continued to hold for three days; later the females were in the majority. In confinement the males died quickly; several lived for four days, but none for more than that period. The females, however, lived for a much longer time. Some were kept alive without food, in a confined space of not more than four inches deep by six across, for three weeks. But one egg mass was deposited in confinement. This was deposited on the morning of June 30 by a female which issued from the pupa June 27. No further observations were made upon the time elapsing between the emergence of the female and the laying of the eggs, but in no case, probably, does it exceed a few days. The lifetime of a generation seems to depend very largely upon the temperature-the warmer the weather the more fleeting their span of life. But cold weather is no bar to mosquito existence. Arctic explorers have recorded the abundance of mosquitoes in the extreme north. In the narrative of C. F. Hall's second arctic expedition the statement is made that mosquitoes appeared on the 7th of July, 1869, in extraordinary abundance. Dr. E. Sterling, of Cleveland, O., has sent us an account of the appearance of mosquitoes by thousands in March, 1844, when he was on a snowshoe trip from Mackinaw to Sault Ste. Marie. Their extraordinary numbers at this season of the year is remarkable, indicating a most plentiful hibernation. Mr. H. Stewart, of North Carolina, has written of a similar experience on the north shore of Lake Superior in 1866. On warm days in March, when the snow was several feet deep and the ice on the lake five feet in thickness, mosquitoes appeared in swarms, "literally blackening the banks of snow in the sheltered places." The Indians told Mr. Stewart that the mosquitoes lived through the winter, and that the old ones were the most annoying to them. May 9, 1896, Mr. Lugger sent specimens from St. Anthony Park, Minn., stating that it came in a genuine swarm in April, with a heavy snowstorm, at a time when all of the lakes were covered with ice— "Minnesota's most certain crop." It is a well-known fact that the adult male mosquito does not necessarily take nourishment, and that the adult female does not necessarily rely upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. They are plant feeders and have also been recorded as feeding upon insects. Dr. Hagen mentions taking a species in the Northwest feeding upon the chrysalis of a butterfly, while scattered through the seven volumes of "Insect Life" are a number of records of observations of a vegetarian habit, one writer stating that he has seen them with their beaks inserted in boiled potatoes on the table, and another that he has seen watermelon rinds with many mosquitoes settled upon them and busily engaged in sucking the juices. Mosquitoes undoubtedly feed normally on the juices of plants, and not one in a million ever gets an opportunity to taste the blood of a warm-blooded animal. When we think of the enormous tracts of marsh land into which warm-blooded animals never penetrate, and in which mosquitoes are breeding in countless numbers, the truth of this statement becomes apparent. The males have been observed sipping at drops of water, and one instance of a fondness for molasses has been recorded. Mr. E. A. Schwarz has observed one drinking beer. The literature of popular entomology is full of instances of the enormous numbers in which mosquitoes occasionally occur, but a new instance may not be out of place. Mr. Schwarz states that he has never seen, even in New Jersey, mosquitoes to compare in numbers with those at Corpus Christi, Tex. When the wind blows from any other direction than south, he says, hundreds of thousands of millions of mosquitoes blow in upon the town. Great herds of hundreds of horses run before them in order to get to the water. With a change of wind, however, the mosquitoes blow away. REMEDIES. For house remedies, the burning of pyrethrum powder and the catching of the mosquitoes on the walls with kerosene in cups are perhaps most effective, after the pests have once effected an entrance. Of course they may be kept out by a thorough screening of doors and windows, and the bed may be made habitable by a proper amount of netting. The Chinese have a rather interesting way driving them from sleeping apartments. Long-necked bags of paper, half an inch in diameter and two feet long, are filled with the following substances: Either pine or juniper sawdust, mixed with a small quantity of "nu-wang" and one ounce of arsenic. (By "nuwang" sulphur is understood to be meant.) These substances are well mixed and run into the bags in a dry state; each bag is coiled like a snake and tied with thread. The outer end is lighted and the coil is laid on a board. Two coils are sufficient for an ordinary sized apartment, and 100 coils sell for six cents. But somehow one hesitates a little whether to breathe the fumes of sulphur and arsenic or endure the mosquito bites. But the most satisfactory and effective ways of fighting mosquitoes are those which result in the destruction of the larvæ or the abolition of their breeding places. In not every locality are these measures feasible, but in many places there is absolutely no necessity for the mosquito annoyance. The three main preventive measures are the draining of breeding places, the introduction of small fish into fishless waters, and the treatment of such pools with kerosene. These are three alternatives, any one of which will be efficacious, and any one of which may be used where there are reasons against the trial of the others. The amount of kerosene which it is necessary to use in order to secure the full benefit of its action is but trifling; an ounce to fifteen square feet of water surface will be enough, and it need not be renewed for a month. Not only are the larvæ and pupæ destroyed almost immediately, but the female mosquitoes, in attempting to oviposit upon the surface of the water, are killed in large numbers before their eggs are laid. Of course the great sea marshes along the coast, where the insects breed in countless numbers, cannot be treated in this manner, which is applicable to comparatively small swamps and circumscribed pools. In most localities people endure the torment or direct operations against the adult insect only, without investigating the source of supply or taking steps for its abolition. On ponds of any size the quickest and most perfect method of forming a film of kerosene will be to spray the oil over the surface of the water. The drainage remedy for breeding places needs no extended discussion. Naturally the draining off of the water of pools will prevent mosquitoes from breeding there, and the possibility of such draining and the means by which it may be done will vary with each individual case. An elaborate bit of work which has been done at Virginia Beach bears on this method. Behind the hotels at this place, the hotels themselves fronting upon the beach, was a large fresh-water lake, which, with its adjoining swamps, was a source of mosquito supply, and it was further feared that it made the neighborhood malarious. Two canals were cut from the lake to the ocean, and by means of machinery the water of the lake was changed from a body of fresh to a body of salt water. Water that is somewhat brackish will support mosquitoes, but that which is purely salt will destroy them. The introduction of fish into fishless breeding places is another matter. It may be undesirable to treat certain breeding places with kerosene, as, for instance, water which is intended for drinking, although this has been done without harm in tanks where, as is customary, the drinking supply is drawn from the bottom of the tank. An interesting case noted in insect life, in which a pair of carp was placed in each of several tanks, in the Riviera, is a case in point. The value of most small fishes for the purpose of destroying mosquito larvæ was well indicated by an experience described by Mr. C. H. Russell, of Bridgeport, Ct. In this case a very high tide broke away a dike and flooded the salt meadows of Stratford, a small town a few miles from Bridgeport. The receding tide left two small lakes, nearly side by side and of the same size. In one lake the tide left a dozen or more small fishes, while the other was fishless. An examination by Mr. Russell in the summer of 1891 showed that while the fishless lake contained tens of thousands of mosquito larvæ, that containing the fish had no larvæ. Any small fish may be used. In Beeville, Tex., it is stated that what the inhabitants call a perch is employed. These fish soon exhaust the mosquito larvæ, however, and in order to keep them alive, the people adopt an ingenious fly trap, which they keep in their houses and in which about a quart of flies a day is caught. These flies are then fed to the fish. This makes a little circle which seems particularly ingenious and pleasant. The fly traps catch the flies and rid the house of that pest. The flies are fed to the fish in the water tanks and keep them alive in order that they may feed on the mosquito larvæ, thus keeping the houses free of mosquitoes. Where kerosene is considered objectionable, and where fish can not be readily obtained, there is another course left open. It is the constant artificial agitation of the water, since mosquitoes will oviposit only in still water. At San Diego, Tex., in the summer there are no streams for many miles, but plenty of mosquitoes breed in the watertanks. Some enterprising individuals keep their tanks free by putting in a little wheel, which is turned by the windmill, and keeps the water almost constantly agitated. These remedial measures are only suggestive. Every locality has its own conditions. By considering these, and by concerted action-which is nearly always indispensable for effective work—the prevalence of this annoyance may be greatly curtailed, if not wholly abolished, in very many localities. -Good Housekeeping. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 66 CHOKED BY WEEDS." No one thought of that little spot, And the flower, unnoted and alone, He was searching abroad for something rare, A plant so rare he scarce had seen, He gathered it up with gentle care, He nursed it tenderly and until It happened thus one passing day: The gardener smiled. "Dear one," said he, Original in GoOD HOUSEKEEPING. FOOD FOR INVALIDS, -L. R. Jeffrey. Whether Nervous, Imaginary, Acute, Chronic, or "Notional." FTEN and often again the problem of providing nourishing and wholesome dishes for an invalid, is the despair of nurse and housekeeper. The traditional tea and toast are nauseating to think of. Custards and jellies follow in their wake and are likewise insipid if not inadmissible, owing to the condition of the patient. Where the latter is recovering from acute illness and the digestive tract not impaired, a variety of food, cautiously partaken of, may be relished with no ill result. But the chronic invalid, one whose entire vitality is lowered so that the ganglion supplying nervous force to the stomach and intestines acts feebly, must be restricted in diet during months, if not during long years. In many cases a simple, unstimulating yet nutritious menu, appetizingly prepared yet varied. from day to day, with a proper amount of rest and sleep, and with a cheerful, optimistic disposition, will do wonders. This is known by the wise physician. Should he unbosom himself freely he would confess that a loss of large amounts in his annual stipend would result from such a regimen on the part of his chronic constituents. For such persons, forming a large class in every community, especially in and near commercial centers where nervous disorders have, unhappily increased in proportion to the competition and the pressure of business, much study in respect to food should be regarded as a duty. Too often the patient strenuously insists upon eating whatever he chooses. Then he resorts to pepsin, mint lozenges, antifermentative tablets, or to more potent and injurious drugs, and so limps through life, half despoiled of his powers of activity and enjoyment. And all the weary weight of invalidism might be lessened if not removed, by using only those kinds of food that suit his particular case. Each should consider his own idiosyncrasies, and those alone, paying no attention to those of his neighbor. Certain general rules, however, should be observed. A proper balance of proteins, of carbons and of starches, is necessary. That flour made from entire wheat contains every constituent of the body, and in nearly the proper proportion, has been insisted upon by the foremost writers upon hygiene. Yet, as many a person with impaired digestion can testify, even bread carefully made from this flour, sometimes sours and ferments in the digestive tract. That this is not the fault of any kind of flour, but of the yeast plant that raises it, I am firmly convinced. How often we find dyspeptics who are forced to confess that they can eat meat with good results, but find it difficult to digest bread. To a healthy stomach bread is well fitted. But, in the circle of my acquaintances I know several feeble folk who cannot, especially at night, partake of untoasted bread without suffering. If twice baked or toasted, there is much less trouble. For such, I would recommend the use of unleavened bread sticks made from whole wheat flour. They have a delicious nutty sweetness, they must be eaten slow, requiring perfect salivation, and they are easily made. I should just as soon think of having my bread box destitute of the "staff of life," as of unleavened bread sticks. To make them, we need a quart of sifted flour, taken from a cool receptacle, and milk or water as near ice-cold as possible. If we use milk no shortening is needed. If water, then a rounding teaspoonful of butter should be cut into the flour in small bits. In either case drop the wetting very slowly into the flour, in an earthen bread bowl, briskly stirring with a large spoon. If slowly mixed, so as to allow no puddles, there will be no adhesion to the sides of the bowl or the spoon. The amount of milk or water varies with the kind of flour, but about two-thirds of a pint of water to a quart of flour is sufficient. The dough must be stiff, not clammy, and when reduced to a homogeneous mass, the mixer must cool her hands in water and then knead it from ten to fifteen minutes. No flour should be added, nor is it required, for there is no stickiness of the dough. With the object of incorporating as much air in the mass as possible, draw the thumbs apart in working it and fold over and over Soon the mass is elastic to the touch and ready for the oven, which should be hotter than needed for white flour. Now cut off a piece of the dough and roll over and over, till it is not more than an inch in diameter. Cut into three inch lengths, roll out again to make each bit smooth and straight, and place in rows, not touching, in a baking pan. Prick with a fork and when it is filled place in the oven and bake half an hour or until the sticks are a light brown. When partly done turn them over with a fork so that both sides may cook evenly. If the entire process is rapid and the dough cool when ready for baking, the expanded air and moisture will produce a lightness equal to that of yeast, and the rolls will crack open. Anything more delicious than these bread sticks when taken from the stove, it would be hard to find. Not to enjoy the peculiar sweet nutty flavor, when eaten with gilt edged butter -or even alone, would indicate a depraved taste. know a year old baby who clutches as eagerly one of these sticks as he would a piece of candy. He is an hour in consuming one roll as it melts in his mouth, but he is a healthy, well-nourished youngster, a credit to his manner of rearing. I Again I am acquainted with a woman who for some time has ably filled an arduous position. Previous to that, she was for seven years an almost helpless invalid from nervous exhaustion and dyspepsia. An eminent physician, tired of administering useless drugs, recommended unleavened bread sticks and grape juice. These two articles were her principal food and drink for an entire year. It was from her that I learned the manner of preparing them. After a few trials in regard to the consistency of the dough and the baking, any one can make these rolls, which may be varied in thickness to suit the taste or the heat of the oven. In Those not eaten when fresh may be broken into pieces across the rolls, dropped into cold water for three minutes, then re-warmed in a hot oven. this way they may be kept a week in cool weather and be as good as when fresh. Where the stomach is not too delicate, a delicious variety of roll is made like the above, with the addition of two rounded tablespoonfuls of dessicated cocoanut. How many devoted housekeepers know how to cook, for their beloved invalids, a soft boiled egg? In the usual way if the yolk is thickened at all, the white is hard and indigestible. Now if over the egg is poured boiling water, and the dish is covered and removed to the back of the range where there is only slight heat, at the end of six or eight minutes the contents of the shell will differ as much from the ordinary boiled egg as jelly differs from leather. In fact, an egg should never be boiled. Gruel and porridges for the sick are often made sloppy, pasty and half cooked. For gruels, the proportions are one rounding tablespoonful of oatmeal or Indian meal to each pint of boiling water. Into the latter sift the meal slowly through the fingers, meanwhile briskly stirring the boiling contents. The cereal should not be sifted in fast enough to cause the ebullition to subside. A couple of teaspoonfuls of flour of the entire wheat, mixed with the meal, is an improvement. Cook in a double boiler or on asbestos mat three or four hours. Salt to taste, and if the physician will allow, add a tablespoonful of cream, a teaspoonful of sugar and a trifle of nutmeg. In case of marked convalescence, instead of these accompaniments, season with the same amount of the juice of canned peaches or berries. Jellies made from gelatine or blancmange can be similarly flavored. Junket or curds are delicious and nourishing. To one quart of rich milk slightly warmed, add one teaspoonful of rennet, which is procurable from grocers, and flavor with almond, vanilla, lemon peel or anything preferred. If not firm in an hour, stir in another spoonful of rennet. It should be served cold with a sauce of sweetened cream. If preferred the milk may be sweetened when the rennet is added, and the sauce omitted. This is a nutritious dish and one inoffensive to a delicate stomach. Jellied beef is extremely nourishing and provocative of appetite. Cut into two inch cubes, two pounds of lean round steak and add to them one marrow bone, cracked or sawed in two. Immerse in two quarts of boiling (soft) water, and when it begins to simmer, draw back on the range where it will only slightly bubble. As it rises, scoop off all the fat it is possible to remove. In six hours take out the bones, leaving the marrow with the meat, and skim out all the meat. If water has boiled away too fast, add a little, freshly boiled, from time to time. There should now be barely sufficient to well cover the meat. The latter, drained, must while still warm, be chopped in a bowl, moderately fine, having, an hour before, been salted to taste. The meat should then be turned into an earthen bowl and the liquid, still warm, turned over it. If set away in a cool place it will harden into a delicious jelly, which is better and more digestible eaten cold than when re-warmed. Break it into irregular masses with a fork, and garnish with parsley or bits of currant jelly. It makes a nice luncheon dish for the family table. This may be varied by adding to the liquor, before the meat is quite done, a teacupful of stewed tomato, or half as much cooked turnip or a medium sized onion. If housekeepers generally realized the value of fruit juice especially of grape juice, for the invalids' dietary, there would be more canning of this delectable essence and less preserve making. Grapes may be grown even in a city backyard. As a nutritive and a tonic nothing supersedes it, while it is always agreeable. In fact it can be utilized in innumerable ways. In place of much abused vanilla, fruit juices are valuable as a flavoring, while in sauces they are good and wholesome. -Hester M. Poole, |