t 1'05) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Snow is shovelled, on which an assortment ofjoints of 
     
     neat and poultry is thrust, with snow between each 
     
     i' then another good layer ofsnow, and then another 
     
     layer of assorted frozen joints and birds, until all 
     
     are safely packed, when the whole is surmounted 
     
     with more snow, and packed down with the wooden 
     
     shovel, and left ready for the cook’s first call for 
     
     fresh meat. All that is required when ajo'mt is 
     
     wanted is to chop it out with the axe, and put it into 
     
     a tub of water for a few hours, when it is as fresh, 
     
     sweet, and tender as any epicure need require. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Before the snow has left the woods, the sap of the 
     
     rock or sugar maple is an object of some interest in 
     
     districts where they have been spared in sufficient 
     
     .numbers to furnish the requisite quantity for sugar 
     
     ,making. The trees are tapped about two feet from 
     
     Ithevground, by cutting a V shaped notch in the bark 
     
     and driving a gouge shaped spile below it to conduct 
     
     the liquid into pans or trough, or what are called 
     
     dishes made out of birch bark. When the sap begins 
     
     'to run several iron pots are suspended over a fire 
     
     and filled which are afterwards filled up from each 
     
     other, as the sap boils away, one being'kept for 
     
     putting in the cold sap, and another for the most 
     
     concentrated, filled up from the intermediate; when 
     
     . the sap islin the molasses state,and carefully strained, 
     
     mixed with an equal quantity ofpure cognac,it makes 
     
     one of the finest liqueurs imaginable. It will be in- 
     
     teresting, while on the subject of seasons, to note 
     
    
   
   
    
     THE OLD SAXON NAMES OF THE MONTHS. 
     
    
   
   
    
     December, which stood first, was styled “ Mid-winter monath.” 
     
     January was “ Ael'ter-ynla,” or after Christmas. February, “ Sol- 
     
     monath.”_ lrom the returning sun. March, “Rhedc, or Rhede 
     
     , monath,” rough or rugged month. April “ Easter monath,” from a 
     
     favorite Saxon goddess, whose name we still preserve. May was 
     
     “ 'I‘riniilchi.” from the cows being then milked thrice in the day. 
     
     June, “ Sere monath,” dry month. July, “ Myer] monath,” the mend: 
     
     being then in their bloom. August was “\Veod monalh " trom 
     
     the luxuriance of weeds. September, “ Haarfest monath.” bctober 
     
     they called “ Winter fylleth,” from winter approaching with the full 
     
     moon of that month. And lastly, November was styled ”Blot 
     
     inonath,” from the blood of the cattle slain that month, and stored 
     
     tor winter provision. 
     
    
   
   
    
     J2