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Riding and Miscellaneous

able portion is from the waist to the knees. The rider should sit square on the middle of the saddle, the upper part of the body presenting a free and unconstrained appearance, the chest not much thrown forward, the ribs resting freely on the hips, the waist and loins not stiffened, and thus not exposed to tension or effort from the motions of the horse; the upper part of the body should lean slightly to the rear, rather than forward; the thighs, inclining a little forward, lie flat and firmly on the saddle, covering the surcingle, of which only a small part behind the knee, should be seen; the lower part of the leg, hanging vertically from the knees, touches the horse, but without the slightest pressure; the toes are pointed up without constraint, and on the same line with the knees, for if the toes are turned outward it not only causes the horse to be unnecessarily pricked by the spurs (if worn), but the firmness of the seat is lost; the heels should be seven-eighths of an inch below the toes, and the stirrups so adjusted that when the rider raises himself on them, there may be the breadth of 4 fingers between the crotch and the saddle; to make this adjustment, when the rider has acquired a firm and correct seat he should, without changing that seat, push the bottom of the stirrup to the hollow of the foot, and then, with the foot horizontal, feel a slight support from the stirrup; when this is accomplished he replaces the foot properly in the stirrup, and the heel will then be seveneighths of an inch below the toes.

To give the rider a correct seat, the instructor, having caused him to mount, seizes the lower part of his leg, and stretches it straight toward the fore-quarters of the horse, so as to bring the buttocks of the rider square on the saddle; then, resting one hand on the man's knee, he seizes the lower part of the leg with the other, and carries back the thigh and knee so as to bring the crotch square on the saddle, the thighs covering the sursingle, the lower part of the leg, from the knee down, also over the surcingle, and sees that the rider does not sit too much on his crotch, but has his buttocks well under him. He then explains to the rider that the firmness of the seat consists in this: that the rider grasps the horse with his legs; that both thighs press equally upon the saddle, in conformity with the movements of the body, and that the general movements of the body and thighs must conform to those of the horse. He should be taught, too, how to hold the feet, without allowing him to place them in the stirrups, for this is one of the most essential conditions for a good seat. Dough-nuts.

Take two deep dishes, and sift of a pound of flour into each. Make a hole in the centre of one of them, and pour in a wineglassful of the best brewer's yeast; mix the flour gradually into it, netting it with lukewarm water; cover it, and set it by the fire to raise for two hours. In the meantime, cut up 5 oz. of butter into the other dish of flour, and rub it fine with your hands; add lb. of powdered sugar, a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, a grated nutmeg, a tablespoonful of rosewater, and pint of milk. Beat 3 eggs very light, and stir them hard into the mixture. Then, when the sponge is perfectly light, add it to the other ingredients, mixing them all thoroughly with a knife. Cover it, and set it by the fire for another hour. When it is quite light, flour your paste-board, turn out the lump of dough, and cut it into thick diamond or round shape cakes. If you find the dough so soft as to be unmanagable, mix in a little more flour. Have ready a skillet of boiling lard, put the dough nuts into it, and fry them brown.

Crullers.

One and a half lbs. of flour, 5 eggs, of a lb. of sugar, 6 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of cinnamon and nutmeg mixed, 1 wineglassful of rosewater, 1 tablespoonful of saleratus. Rub the but ter, sugar, and flour together, add the spice, rosewater, and saleratus. Beat the eggs very light, mix all into a dough, knead it well, and roll it out an inch thick. Cut it into slips, twist them into various forms, fry in hot lard until they are of a light brown. When cold, sift sugar over them.

How to make Otto of Roses.

Gather the leaves of the hundred-leaved rose (rosa centifolia), put them in a large jar or cask, with just sufficient water to cover them; then put the vessel to stand in the sun, and in about a week afterward the otto (a butyraceous oil) will form a scum on the surface, which should be removed by the aid of a piece of cotton. How to Keep Fresh Fish.

Draw the fish and remove the gills, then insert a piece of charcoal in their mouths, and two or three pieces in their bellies. If they are to be conveyed any distance, wrap each fish separately in paper and place them in a box. Fish thus preserved will keep fresh for several days. To Varnish Articles of Iron and Steel.

Dissolve 10 parts clear grains of mastic, 5 parts camphor, 15 grs. sandarac, and 5 parts elemi, in a sufficient quantity of alcohol, and apply this varnish without heat. The articles will not only be preserved from rust, but the varnish will retain its transparency, and the metallic brilliancy of the articles will not be impaired.

To Keep Water Pure in Iron Kettles.

Keep an oyster-shell in the bottom of the kettle, this will prevent the iron from rusting and keep the water clear.

To Wash Flannels.

Wash first in warm soap-suds and rinse them in warm water, having the water neither too hot nor too cold.

Pharaoh's Serpent's Eggs.

These are little cones of sulphocyanide of mercury, which, when lighted, give forth a long, serpent-like, yellowish-brown body. Prepare nitrate of mercury by dissolving red precipitate in strong nitric acid as long as it is taken up. Prepare also sulphocyanide of ammonium by mixing one volume of bisulphide of carbon, four of strong solution of ammonia, and four of alcohol. This mixture is to be frequently shaken. In the course of about 2 hours the bisulphide will have dissolved, forming a deep red solution. Boil this until the red color disappears and the solution becomes of a light yellow color. This is to be evaporated at about 80° Fahr. until it crystallizes. Add little by little the sulphocyanide to the mercury solution. The sulphocyanide of mercury will precipitate; the supernatent liquid may be poured off, and the mass made into cones about half an inch in height. The powder of the sulphocyanide is very irritating to the air passages, and the vapors from the burning cones should be avoided as much as possible. To ignite, set them on a plate or the like, and light them at the apex of the cone. The result is certainly most remarkable; the fiery vapors, winding and twisting in the strangest fashion, render them objects of curiosity and astonishment to all who witness their performance.