Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 1, 1893

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
LADIES' PAGE.
jSljS, l)t) not feel that my merits are at all
^'iO worthy of tin 1 Mattering introduction given
'— me by the Editor of the " Celtic Monthly,"
yet I hope, from time to time, I may be enabled
to give a few words of council and advice, that
inn be of use to my sisters in the Highlands.
In my young days, magazines of this or any
other kind were " few, and far between." How
I myself loved reading! the weekly "Ensign"
had a charm for me. Through the kindness of
Mr. Paterson, late of Melness, I had full access
to tlm library at Tongue, and before I was
twelve years of age, performed a feat thai hit
few children — even in this enlightened age — can
boas! of. —I read the whole of Sir Walter Scott's
novels.
All! the charm of this mighty wizard of the
north. Can I ever forget it 1
Looks and magazines are now cheap, plentiful,
and accessible, but this particular one is a
magazine for the Highlands, it will therefore
have a " local habitation, ami a name/' and an
interest for Highlanders ai home ami abroad.
" Catch your hare before you cook it" is a
good old adage. To cook vegetables (a subject
on which I meant to give a few hints) we must
have vegetables, so that, practically, we have now,
first of nil, io '• catch our hare."
It is a matter of serious regret that the good
old fashion of having a garden in connection
with every house, has gone very much out of
fashion in Sutherlandshire, more particularly in
the parishes of Farr, Tongue, and Durness. In
Caithness, with a cold climate, and a less pliable
soil, every cottage lias its garden, and not only-
do they raise a creditable' amount of vegetables,
but a very fair show of flowers as well. To
keep us in good health, to carry impurities out
of tlie blood, to provide chemical ingredients,
absolutely necessary for our well-being, we ought
to eat a certain amount of green food. Potatoes
are excellent, and I never saw a Highlander yet,
that did not appreciate their excellence, but very-
few, I believe, realize the fact that thej must
eat ten pounds of potatoes to get one pound of
nourishment, and this solitary pound neither
produces bones, brains, or sinews, but is inclined
to run to fat with the strong and healthy, and
to the old and feeble causes breathlessness.
There are a great number of different cabbages,
all excellent, — turnips, too, in great variety ;
turnip-tops make a good vegetable, though, I
daresay, my Highland friends will be sceptical
on this point, — not more so than I was myself
at one time, but it is a truth nevertheless.
Carrots, simply boiled, are good: for flavoring
soups and stews, they are invaluable. Onions
give a relish to everything they touch. A dish
of green pease, with a little hit of butter, and a
dash of mint and pepper, is a " dish for a. king."
Beans and bacon is a great dish among the poor
in England, but beans, without the bacon, are
good and wholesome. The graceful parsley, for
garnishing purposes is inimitable, and beautifies
everything it touches, from the sweet, golden
pat of butter that we love to see lying in its
cool depths, to the big, solemn round of beef
that looks as if it would teed a nation !
Cottage gardening is an art among the poor
in England, and their rich neighbours encourage
it in every way, anil give away valuable prizes
to encourage this industry, or rather love of
the beautiful. Shows are held in every district,
and this encourages and stimulates the people to
put forth their best efforts and produce the I, est
results. Even in Whitechapel, the windows are
a marvel ! In connection with this, might I
suggest that the Sutherland Association in
Edinburgh, who have done so much for the
county of Sutherland, and the Clan MacKay,
whose ardent efforts we so much appreciate,
might be induced to offer prizes for the best kept
and most productive gardens. I, myself, a
humble member of both associations, will give a
prize of one guinea in my native parish of
Tongue. Some practical gentleman in the
neighbourhood will, I hope, be good enough to
judge and report. Land is plentiful in the
Highlands : seed is cheap. Choose a sunny
corner and begin. Women as well as men can
compete in this work, which is light and inter-
esting. While men are haggling about an " eight
hours day," their mothers, their wives, and their
sisters, work sixteen or more. Women have a
wonderful capacity for hard work, a patience
that is endless, and hope that " springs eternal."
With these qualities, gardening with them
should be a success. A course of digging and
delving to the younger generation might be a
good tonic, a wholesome variety that would brace
them up, morally and mentally, as much as the
mathematics and classics that are so much
encouraged. In my next paper, I hope to give
a few hints as to the laying out of our future
gardens, the best soil and the quantity of manure
so required, and where to procure the best and
most reliable seed. This is an important item,
and deserves consideration, and when we have
raised our vegetables, 1 will tell you how to
cook them, and what these chemical properties
are ; but, first of all, we have to " catch our
hare."
White Heather,